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Glite Dictionary
🧑‍🌾 An indigenous person 🗣️ A language family
Penutian

Penutian

9.9
A group of related Native American languages from California and nearby areas
  • noun
  • /pəˈnuːʃən/
  • Specialized
: familia penutiana
  • The Penutian language family includes several languages once spoken in California.

Examples

  • Linguists debate whether Penutian is a genetically unified language group.

  • The Penutian languages are rich in history.

  • Researchers have uncovered new evidence about the origins of the Penutian peoples.

  • Many Penutian tribes have unique cultural practices.

  • The Penutian language family includes several languages once spoken in California.

  • Linguists debate whether Penutian is a genetically unified language group.

  • Researchers have uncovered new evidence about the origins of the Penutian peoples.

Surface Forms

Penutian singular
Penutians plural

Etymology

Penutian is the name language scholars gave to a family of Native American languages once spoken in California and nearby regions. The ending -ian, as in 'Canadian', points to 'belonging to', so Penutian refers to the languages 'of' that group of peoples.