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Glite Dictionary
Austro-Asiatic language

Austro-Asiatic language

9.9
A language from a family spoken in southern and Southeast Asia, like Vietnamese or Khmer
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : idioma austroasiático
  • Vietnamese is an example of an Austro-Asiatic language widely spoken in Southeast Asia.

Examples

  • Khmer, the official language of Cambodia, is the most prominent Austro-Asiatic language in that country.

  • Vietnamese is an Austro-Asiatic language.

  • Researchers have traced the origins of the Austro-Asiatic language family to ancient southern China.

  • The Austro-Asiatic languages include Khmer and Mon.

  • Vietnamese is one of the most widely spoken Austro-Asiatic languages in the world.

  • Khmer, the official language of Cambodia, is classified as an Austro-Asiatic language.

  • The Austro-Asiatic languages include both Mon and various dialects spoken in the region.

Synonyms

Munda-Mon-Khmer
vsAustro-Asiatic language
  • Specialized
9.9

A group of related languages spoken in parts of India and Southeast Asia

refers to individual languages within that family, including Vietnamese and Khmer

Surface Forms

Austro-Asiatic language singular
Austro-Asiatic languages plural

Morphology

Austro-Asiatic + language

The phrase denotes a language belonging to the Austro‑Asiatic family: 'Austro‑Asiatic' names the language family and 'language' is literal, so a learner who knows both constituents can readily infer the meaning. This simple adjective+noun composition is a common, compositional pattern across languages and therefore transparent to B1 learners.

Etymology

Austro-Asiatic language comes from two parts: Austro- meaning 'south' and Asiatic meaning 'Asia'. So it literally means 'languages' of southern and southeast Asia, a family that includes Vietnamese and Khmer.