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Glite Dictionary
Karelian language

Karelian language

9.9
A language people speak in Karelia, a region in Russia and Finland
  • noun
translation icon : idioma carelio
  • The preservation of the Karelian language is considered important for cultural identity in Karelia.

Examples

  • Few young people today are fluent in the Karelian language outside rural communities.

  • Courses in the Karelian language are offered at several universities in Finland.

  • The Karelian language is rich in folklore.

  • Many people in Finland speak the Karelian language.

  • Courses in the Karelian language are offered at several universities in Finland.

  • The preservation of the Karelian language is considered important for cultural identity in Karelia.

  • Few young people today are fluent in the Karelian language outside rural communities.

Synonyms

Carelian language
vsKarelian language
9.9

A language related to Finnish that Karelians speak in northwestern Russia and parts of Finland

is the same language but presented with a different standard spelling
Carelian
vsKarelian language
9.9

A language spoken in Karelia, a region in Russia and Finland, related to Finnish

is identical in meaning but uses an alternate written form
Karelian
vsKarelian language
9.9

A language related to Finnish, spoken in Karelia near the border of Finland and Russia

has the same sense but differs as a variant spelling or form

Surface Forms

Karelian language singular
Karelian languages plural

Morphology

Karelian + language

The meaning 'a Finnic language spoken by the people of Karelia' is directly and predictably derived from combining the attributive proper adjective 'Karelian' (relating to Karelia) with 'language' (a system of speech), following the common 'X language' naming pattern. This compositional pattern is cross-linguistically frequent and readily understandable to learners who know both constituents, so the expression is transparent.

Etymology

Karelian language comes from the name Karelia, the land between Finland and Russia where the people called 'Karelians' live, so Karelian + language literally means the language of those people. That's why today the name refers to the language related to Finnish that is spoken by people in that area.