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Glite Dictionary
Tanoan

Tanoan

9.9
A family of Native American languages spoken in the southwestern United States, including Tiwa, Tewa and Towa
  • noun
  • /ˈtænəwən/
  • Specialized
: tanoano
  • The Tanoan languages are still spoken by some Pueblo peoples in New Mexico.

Examples

  • The Tanoan family includes several distinct languages.

  • Linguists have traced similarities between the Kiowa and Tanoan language groups.

  • Anthropologists study Tanoan myths and oral traditions as part of their research.

  • The Tanoan languages are rich in history.

  • Linguists have traced similarities between the Kiowa and Tanoan language groups.

  • The Tanoan languages are still spoken by some Pueblo peoples in New Mexico.

  • Anthropologists study Tanoan myths and oral traditions as part of their research.

Synonyms

Tanoan language
vsTanoan
  • Specialized
9.9

A group of Native American languages spoken in the US Southwest like Tiwa and Tewa

is the same meaning but used as the shorter name form

Compounds

Tanoan language
  • Specialized
9.9

A group of Native American languages spoken in the US Southwest like Tiwa and Tewa

Surface Forms

Tanoan singular
Tanoans plural

Morphology

Tanoan = Tano (semi-transparent) = Tano + an

Formed by the productive demonym/adjectival suffix '-an' attached to the ethnonym 'Tano'; the structure is regular but understanding requires knowledge of the proper name.

Etymology

Tanoan comes from the name Tano for some Pueblo people and the ending -an, which means 'related to'. So Tanoan refers to the family of languages of those people, like Tiwa, Tewa, and Towa, spoken in the American Southwest.