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Glite Dictionary
Songhai language

Songhai language

8.9
A language the Songhai people speak in Mali and Niger
  • noun
: idioma songhai
  • The Songhai language is widely spoken along the Niger River in Mali and Niger.

Examples

  • She is fluent in both French and the Songhai language.

  • Many people speak the Songhai language in Mali.

  • Linguists have studied the Songhai language to understand its Nilo-Saharan roots.

  • The Songhai language is rich in history.

  • Linguists have studied the Songhai language to understand its Nilo-Saharan roots.

  • She is fluent in both French and the Songhai language.

  • The Songhai language is widely spoken along the Niger River in Mali and Niger.

Synonyms

Songhai
vsSonghai language
1 9.9

A language spoken mainly in Mali and Niger by a group of people in West Africa

is the full name form while the other is a shorter label

Surface Forms

Songhai language singular
Songhai languages plural

Morphology

Songhai + language

The phrase 'Songhai language' is directly compositional: the proper noun 'Songhai' (the people/ethnic group) combined with 'language' yields 'the language spoken by the Songhai people.' This proper-noun + language naming pattern is cross-linguistically common and follows standard English composition, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer the meaning.

Etymology

The name Songhai language comes from the Songhai people and their old kingdom along the Niger River, where this language has long been spoken. So the name simply means the language 'of the Songhai people'.