Amerindian language
- noun
- /ˌæməˈrɪndɪən ˈlæŋɡwɪdʒ/
- The Hopi and Quechua languages are well-known examples of Amerindian languages.
Examples
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Efforts are being made to revitalize endangered Amerindian languages in many indigenous communities.
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Researchers have documented hundreds of Amerindian languages throughout North and South America.
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The Amerindian language of the Navajo tribe is complex.
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Many scholars study Amerindian languages for their unique structures.
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Efforts are being made to revitalize endangered Amerindian languages in many indigenous communities.
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Researchers have documented hundreds of Amerindian languages throughout North and South America.
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The Hopi and Quechua languages are well-known examples of Amerindian languages.
Synonyms
2
5.8
A language spoken by the native people of North, Central, or South America
1
6.5
A language spoken by the first people of a place
1
8.9
A person from the native peoples of the Americas or a language they speak
1
7.9
A language of the native peoples of the Americas
1
9.9
A language spoken by the native people of the Americas
A language first spoken by the native people of the Americas before Europeans arrived
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'languages spoken by the indigenous peoples of the Americas' is directly and compositionally derived from 'Amerindian' (indigenous peoples of the Americas) + 'language' (a named system of speech). This noun–noun construction is a standard, transparent pattern (e.g. 'Spanish language'), so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will readily understand the MWE.
Etymology
Amerindian language comes from the word Amerindian, a blend of American and Indian that early European explorers used for the 'native' peoples they met in the Americas. So, Amerindian language means a language spoken by those original peoples of the Americas.