indigenous language
1
6.5
- noun
- /ɪnˈdɪdʒənəs ˈlæŋɡwɪdʒ/
:
lengua indígena
- Nothing reflects Indigenous worldviews and ways of being more than Indigenous languages.
- indigenous language is still spoken
- Spanish and five indigenous languages
- native or indigenous language
Examples
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But like so many indigenous languages on every populated continent, Salish-Pend d'Oreille is on the point of vanishing.
Academic text (2007) -
Instruction is in Xhosa, the indigenous language of most Black people in the Western Cape.
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Writers will read from their works in their Indigenous languages.
Academic text (2004) -
Many of them are more comfortable communicating in indigenous languages instead of Spanish, let alone English.
Academic text (2004) -
The region's indigenous languages and ethnic groups are the focus of this study.
Academic text (2004) -
One of the early issues confronting us was the question of Indigenous languages.
Academic text (2004) -
Today the Lipan Apaches' language is one of many indigenous languages that are on the brink of, if not already beyond, extinction.
Academic text (1999) -
A small group of young people on the Prairie Band of Potawatomi Indian Reservation in northeast Kansas decided to arrest the decline of Indigenous language on their reservation, despite scoffing by some there who said, "You can't learn to talk Potawatomi."
Academic text (2004) -
The priest blesses the congregation in the indigenous language of Quechua.
-
Many of them are more comfortable communicating in indigenous languages instead of Spanish, let alone English.
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase's meaning is directly compositional: 'indigenous' (originating naturally in a specific location) modifies 'language' (a community's speech system), so the combined sense — a language native to a place — follows straightforward adjective + noun semantics. This pattern is cross-linguistically common and therefore a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the intended meaning.
Etymology
Indigenous language may come from old words meaning 'born in this place'. Indigenous points to being born or grown on the land and language is the speech people use, so the phrase means a language that is 'native' to a particular place.