American-Indian language
- noun
- /əˈmɛrɪkən ˈɪndiən ˈlæŋɡwɪdʒ/
:
lengua indígena americana
- She is fluent in an American-Indian language spoken by her ancestors.
Examples
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The American-Indian language spoken by the Navajo is complex.
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Some universities offer courses in at least one American-Indian language.
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Preserving an American-Indian language is crucial for maintaining cultural heritage.
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Many children learn an American-Indian language in school.
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Preserving an American-Indian language is crucial for maintaining cultural heritage.
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Some universities offer courses in at least one American-Indian language to promote linguistic diversity.
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Many children learn an American-Indian language in school to connect with their roots.
Synonyms
A language of the native peoples of the Americas
A language spoken by the native peoples of the Americas
A language spoken by the native people of North, Central, or South America
A language spoken by the native people of the Americas
Surface Forms
Morphology
American-Indian + language
The meaning is a straightforward adjectival + noun composition: 'American-Indian' describes the group and 'language' names the speech system, so the phrase denotes a language of American Indian (indigenous American) peoples. This standard 'X language' pattern is cross‑linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents would readily infer the intended meaning (though the exact label is somewhat dated).
Etymology
American-Indian language names the languages spoken by the native peoples of the Americas. It simply joins American-Indian, meaning the native people, and language, so it refers to the languages those communities used before Europeans arrived.
