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Glite Dictionary
Tongan language

Tongan language

7.5
A way of speaking used by people in Tonga
  • noun
translation icon : idioma tongo
  • The Tongan language has a rich oral tradition.

Examples

  • They offered translation services in the Tongan language for local residents.

  • Many people in Tonga speak the Tongan language fluently.

  • She is fluent in both English and Tongan language.

  • The Tongan language uses a unique set of letters and pronunciation.

  • Many people in Tonga speak the Tongan language fluently.

  • The Tongan language uses a unique set of letters and pronunciation.

  • They offered translation services in the Tongan language for local residents.

Synonyms

Tongan
vsTongan language
6.7

A language spoken by people in Tonga

has identical meaning but is the shorter single word form

Surface Forms

Tongan language singular
Tongan languages plural

Morphology

Tongan + language

The meaning is a straightforward composition of the demonym 'Tongan' (relating to Tonga/its people) and 'language' (a speech system), so it directly denotes the language spoken by people of Tonga. This demonym+language pattern is cross-linguistically common and therefore immediately interpretable by a B1 learner who knows the constituent words.

Etymology

Tongan language is named for the people and islands of Tonga. The words Tongan and language together mean 'the language of the people of Tonga', so the phrase refers to the language they speak.