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Glite Dictionary
Kafiri language

Kafiri language

9.9
An old language once spoken in northeastern Afghanistan now called Nuristani
  • noun
  • NSFW
: idioma kafiri
  • The Kafiri language is now more commonly referred to as Nuristani, reflecting changes in regional identity.

Examples

  • Few written records exist of the ancient Kafiri language, making its study challenging for linguists.

  • Anthropologists are interested in the cultural practices preserved through the Kafiri language.

  • The Kafiri language is rich in oral traditions.

  • Many linguists study the Kafiri languages for their unique features.

  • Few written records exist of the ancient Kafiri language, making its study challenging for linguists.

  • Anthropologists are interested in the cultural practices preserved through the Kafiri language.

  • The Kafiri language is now more commonly referred to as Nuristani, reflecting changes in regional identity.

Synonyms

Kafiri
vsKafiri language
  • NSFW
9.9

A language spoken by the Kafir people in northeastern Afghanistan

is the historical term now classified under a different modern name

Surface Forms

Kafiri language singular
Kafiri languages plural

Morphology

Kafiri + language

The phrase is fully compositional: 'Kafiri' identifies the people/ethnic group or variety and 'language' denotes a speech system, so together they mean 'the language of the Kafiri'. This modifier + noun pattern is cross-linguistically common and would be immediately understandable to a B1 learner who knows both constituent words.

Etymology

Kafiri language may come from the word Kafir, which outsiders used to mean 'non-believer', so people called the local group and their language by that name. That's why the old name tells us how others described the speakers, even though today the speech is usually called Nuristani.