Vietnamese language
1
3.5
- noun
- /ˌviːɛt.nəˈmiːz ˈlæŋɡwɪdʒ/
- The Vietnamese language uses a Latin-based alphabet and tonal variations.
Examples
-
Many Vietnamese who participated directly or indirectly in the war wrote hundreds of books and thousands of articles in the Vietnamese language to discuss their participation and their experiences.
Academic text (1999) -
You must understand one thing about the Vietnamese language.
Fiction book (1990) -
Hundreds of books and articles in the Vietnamese language have been written by that group to slander Buddhist leaders and Buddhism.
Academic text (1999) -
She is learning the Vietnamese language to communicate better with her family.
-
The Vietnamese language is rich in proverbs and idiomatic expressions.
Synonyms
12
4.2
A language spoken mainly in Vietnam and by its people living abroad
1
9.9
An old name for the Vietnamese language or local languages once spoken in parts of Vietnam
An older name for Vietnamese, spoken mainly in Vietnam
An old name for the Vietnamese language
An old name for the language of Vietnam
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase 'Vietnamese language' is directly compositional: 'Vietnamese' names the country/ethnic origin and 'language' denotes a system of speech, so a learner who knows both constituents will infer it means the language of Vietnam. This adjective-noun naming pattern for languages is cross-linguistically common and follows standard English composition, making it immediately understandable to B1 learners.
Etymology
Vietnamese language simply means the language of Vietnam. English adds the ending -ese to a country name to show 'from that place' or the 'language', so the phrase refers to the language people speak in Vietnam.