Mojave language
- noun
- /moʊˈhɑːvi ˈlæŋɡwɪdʒ/
- The Mojave language is endangered, with only a small number of fluent speakers remaining today.
Examples
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Linguists are documenting the Mojave language to help preserve it for future generations.
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She grew up listening to stories in the Mojave language, passed down by her grandparents.
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The Mojave language is rich in cultural history.
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Many young people are learning the Mojave language today.
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Linguists are documenting the Mojave language to help preserve it for future generations.
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She grew up listening to stories in the Mojave language, passed down by her grandparents.
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The Mojave language is endangered, with only a small number of fluent speakers remaining today.
Synonyms
A Native American Yuman language spoken by the Mohave people in the southwestern United States
A Native American language spoken by the people of the Colorado River area
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is a simple noun phrase composed of the proper name 'Mojave' plus the noun 'language', so its meaning — the language spoken by the Mojave/Mohave people — is directly derivable from the parts. Combining an ethnonym or place name with 'language' is a common, cross-linguistic pattern, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily understand it.
Etymology
Mojave language comes from the name the people used for themselves, 'Aha Makav', which means 'people by the river'. So Mojave language simply means the language of those 'river people'.