Q&A: Tongues in 1 Cor 14 are actual languages; tongues always requires genuine linguistic communication; "groaning" in Romans 8 is distinct from the gift of tongues.

Winger holds that biblical tongues are always actual human languages — if it is not a language it is not true tongues. He also acknowledges Romans 8 "groanings too deep for words" as a separate legitimate phenomenon (emotional/intercessory expression before God) that does not require a gift impartation and is not the same as the gift of tongues. He speculates briefly about 1 Cor 13 "tongues of angels" possibly being a non-human language but flags this as speculation.