This idea of pattern languages originated in the 1977 book, A Pattern Language which is about architecture, urban design and community livability.

A pattern language is an organized and coherent set of patterns, each of which describes a problem and the core of a solution that can be used in many ways within a specific field of expertise.

I think the ideas behind patten languages comes quite naturally for any engineers, who are used to modularity and breaking down problems into the basic elements. Many sets of design patterns come together to form a language.