Costa Rican
1
3.2
- adjective
- /ˌkoʊstə ˈriːkən/
:
costarricense
- Wow, Costa Rican food is amazing.
- Costa Rican government
- Costa Rican forests
- Costa Rican coffee
Examples
-
The centrist Costa Rican union UPANACIONAL was also involved in ASOCODE from the beginning.
Academic text (1998) -
The approval of the Costa Rican Office for Joint Implementation followed soon thereafter.
Academic text (1997) -
With any luck, the Costa Rican coast guard will pick us up.
Fiction book (2001) -
Similar patterns were found in the Costa Rican case.
Academic text (1999) -
Lessons learned in the Costa Rican project influenced how I approached my research in the following ways:
Academic text (2009) -
Unlike unions, these organizations have been embraced by the Costa Rican government as preferred methods of labor organization.
Academic text (1999) -
In recent decades, these organizations have often found themselves in opposition to neoliberal policies that Costa Rican governments have adopted.
Academic text (1999) -
Furthermore, Costa Rican coffee farmers are unlikely to revert to subsistence production except in the direst circumstances.
Academic text (1997) -
The Costa Rican culture is known for its vibrant festivals and warm hospitality.
-
Many tourists visit Costa Rican national parks to explore the rich biodiversity.
Surface Forms
Morphology
Costa + Rican
The meaning 'a person from Costa Rica' is directly derivable from the place-name Costa Rica combined with the regular demonym-forming element (-an): Costa + (Rica) → Costa Rican = inhabitant of Costa Rica. This country-name + demonym pattern is compositional and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent place name and basic demonym formation will readily infer the meaning.
Etymology
The adjective Costa Rican comes from the country name Costa Rica, which in Spanish means 'rich coast' because early visitors thought the shores were full of valuable goods. So Costa Rican is used to describe things that are 'of or from Costa Rica'.