Manchu language
- noun
- Few people today still speak the Manchu language fluently.
Examples
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The Manchu language is a Tungusic language.
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Linguists are working to preserve texts written in the Manchu language.
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The Manchu language was once the official court language during the Qing dynasty.
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Many people are learning the Manchu language today.
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In order to communicate with the local community, she decided to learn the Manchu language.
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He was fascinated by the history and structure of the Manchu language spoken by the Manchu people.
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The government offered courses to promote the learning of the Manchu language among younger generations.
Synonyms
A language from northeastern China once used at the Chinese royal court
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun phrase 'Manchu language' is transparently built from 'Manchu' (the ethnic/linguistic name) + 'language' (a system of speech), so the meaning 'the language of the Manchu people' follows directly from the constituents. The 'X language' construction is cross-linguistically regular and would be immediately understandable to a B1 learner who knows both words.
Etymology
Manchu language comes from the name of the Manchu people in northeast China, who long ago spoke this language and used it at the Qing court. So, the phrase now means 'the language of the Manchu'.