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Glite Dictionary
Costanoan language

Costanoan language

9.9
A Native American language spoken in central California by the Costanoan people
  • noun
  • Specialized
: lengua costano
  • Researchers have documented several dialects of the Costanoan language using old recordings and written notes.

Examples

  • The revival of the Costanoan language is an important cultural project for descendants of the tribe.

  • Few fluent speakers of the Costanoan language remain today, but linguistic efforts continue.

  • The Costanoan language is rich in history.

  • Many linguists study the Costanoan languages to understand their structure.

  • Few fluent speakers of the Costanoan language remain today, but linguistic efforts continue.

  • Researchers have documented several dialects of the Costanoan language using old recordings and written notes.

  • The revival of the Costanoan language is an important cultural project for descendants of the tribe.

Synonyms

Costanoan
vsCostanoan language
  • Specialized
9.9

A language once spoken by Native people on the central California coast

is spoken now rather than being spoken only in the past

Surface Forms

Costanoan language singular
Costanoan languages plural

Morphology

Costanoan + language

The phrase simply combines the proper name 'Costanoan' with the noun 'language' to mean the language spoken by the Costanoan people; this meaning is directly derivable from the constituent words. The ethnic-name + language pattern is a standard, cross-linguistic way to name a language, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would understand it.

Etymology

Costanoan language comes from Spanish: Costanoan comes from costa, which means 'coast'. So the phrase literally means 'coastal language' and was used for the native languages spoken by people along California's central coast.