Words related to "Language"
Discover the correct pronunciation of "Language" words by English native speakers.
Afrikaans
Afrikaans is a language spoken mainly in South Africa and Namibia, derived from Dutch and influenced by other languages such as Malay, Portuguese, and various African languages. It is one of the official languages of South Africa and is known for its simplified grammar and pronunciation compared to Dutch.
Aleut
Aleut refers to a group of indigenous peoples who traditionally lived on the Aleutian Islands, Kuril Islands, and the western coast of Alaska. They are also known as Unangax̂, which is their endonym. The Aleuts are a distinct linguistic and cultural group with their own language, customs, and traditions.
Amharic
Amharic is an Ethiopian Semitic language spoken predominantly in Ethiopia, particularly in the central and northern parts of the country. It is the official working language of Ethiopia and serves as a lingua franca for different ethnic groups. With over 25 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken languages in Africa. Amharic uses its own unique script called Ge'ez script, which has been adapted for writing several other Ethiopian languages as well.
Amoy
Amandoy (also called amoy or zumid) is a type of fruit or berry that grows on the Amaranth plant. In some contexts, it can also refer to a type of ancestor or ancestor worship in certain cultures. However, more commonly, "amoy" is an adjective that means being disgusted or repelled, especially by something unpleasant or unpleasantly strong. For example: "The smell of the rubbish was truly amoy."
Analogy
An analogy is a comparison between two things, typically for the purpose of explaining or illustrating something, by identifying similarities between them. It helps in understanding a concept or idea by relating it to something more familiar. For example, "life is like a journey" is an analogy comparing the experiences and challenges of living with the progression of a travel route.
Anglo-saxon
Anglo-Saxon refers to the early Germanic-speaking people who migrated to England from the 5th to the 11th century, primarily from what is now Denmark and northern Germany. It also refers to the culture, language, and literature they developed during that time, which laid the foundations for modern English and English society.
Aphaeresis
Aphaeresis is a linguistic phenomenon where a vowel or syllable is omitted at the beginning of a word, typically in informal speech or certain dialects. This results in a shortened form of the original word. For example, "an" instead of "a" before words starting with a vowel sound (as in "an apple") or " 'em" for "them."
Arabic
Arabic is a language that originated in the Arabian Peninsula and is now widely spoken in the Middle East and North Africa. It is the official language of many countries, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Arabic is known for its unique script, which reads from right to left, and it has a rich literary tradition, particularly in poetry and the Quran. It is also one of the six official languages of the United Nations.
Aranese
Aranese is a dialect of the Occitan language spoken in the Aran Valley, a region in the Pyrenees of northwestern Catalonia, Spain. It is also known as Aranese Gascon or Val d'Aran dialect. This unique variety of Occitan has been influenced by Catalan and Spanish due to the region's historical and geographical context. Despite being considered a minority language, it enjoys official status alongside Catalan in the Aran Valley.
Austronesian
Austronesian is a language family that includes languages spoken in Southeast Asia, Oceania, and parts of East Africa. It is one of the largest language families in the world, with over 1,200 languages, including Indonesian, Malay, Tagalog, Hawaiian, and Malagasy. The term "Austronesian" refers to the people's ancestral origins from southern China and Taiwan, who migrated southward thousands of years ago. These languages share common linguistic features and vocabulary, and their speakers are spread across a vast geographical area, from Madagascar in the west to Easter Island in the east.
Azeri
Azeri refers to the people, language, or culture of Azerbaijan, a country located in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia. The Azeri language, also known as Azerbaijani, is a Turkic language spoken primarily in Azerbaijan and also in neighboring regions such as Iran and Turkey. The Azeri people have a rich cultural heritage, known for their literature, music, cuisine, and traditional arts.
Bambara
Bambara is a language spoken in West Africa, primarily in Mali, where it is one of the official languages. It belongs to the Mande branch of the Niger-Congo language family and is spoken by the Bambara people as well as a significant portion of the country's population as a second language. With around 14 million speakers, Bambara is one of the most widely spoken languages in Africa. It is used in various domains, including education, media, and government.
Beautiful
"Beautiful" is an adjective used to describe something that is visually pleasing, attractive, or admirable. It can refer to physical appearance, but also to qualities such as grace, harmony, or excellence in various aspects like art, nature, or emotions. The term often conveys a sense of perfection or great delight.
Beijinger
"Beijinger" refers to a person from Beijing, the capital city of China. It is a term used to denote someone who was born, raised, or has significant connections to Beijing, and often implies a sense of identity or belonging to the city and its culture.
Brunei
Brunei is a small, oil-rich country located on the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. It is a constitutional monarchy with a population of around 400,000 people. Brunei is known for its vast reserves of oil and natural gas, which have enabled the country to maintain a high standard of living and a strong economy. The country is also home to a rich cultural heritage, with a mix of Malay, Malay Islamic, and British influences. The official language is Malay, but English is widely spoken and is the language of business and education. Brunei is also well known for its beaches, rainforests, and vibrant capital city, Bandar Seri Begawan.
Brythonic
Brythonic refers to the Celtic languages spoken in Britain, specifically Welsh, Cornish, and Breton. The term comes from the ancient Brytonic tribes that inhabited Britain.
Burgundian
relating to or characteristic of Burgundy, a region in eastern France, historically a center of royalty, culture, and wine production.
Cantonese
Cantonese is a Chinese variety spoken in China, Hong Kong, Macau, and other Chinese communities around the world. It is one of the most widely spoken Chinese dialects, and is often referred to as "Yue" in China. Cantonese is the official language of Hong Kong and Macau, and is also widely spoken in Guangdong Province in southern China. It is known for its distinct pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar, which are different from those of Standard Mandarin Chinese.
Cheshire
The word "cheshire" refers to a county in the northwest of England, known for its picturesque towns, rolling hills, and cheeses, such as Cheshire cheese, a type of cheese that is often served as a dessert or used in cooking. The term "Cheshire Cat" is also well-known, as it is a fictional character in Lewis Carroll's classic novel "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland," depicted as a mischievous and enigmatic cat with a wide, charming smile, famous for saying "We're all mad here" during his encounters with Alice.
Chinook
A Chinook is a warm, dry wind that blows down the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains in North America, often raising the temperature by as much as 15°C (27°F) in a short time. It is caused by the katabatic flow of cold air downhill, which meets the warmer air from the eastern slope, creating a dramatic temperature change.
Chipewyan
Chipewyan refers to a member of the Chipewyan people, an indigenous people who traditionally inhabited the subarctic regions of Canada, particularly in the provinces of Saskatchewan, Alberta, and the Northwest Territories. The Chipewyan are a Dene people, meaning they speak a language of the Dene family, and have a rich cultural heritage and traditional way of life.
Circumflex
The circumflex is a diacritical mark (^) placed above a letter in writing, used to indicate a change in the pronunciation of the letter. It is often used in French and other languages to indicate a mid-tone or a stressed syllable. In addition to its phonetic function, the circumflex is sometimes used to distinguish between homographs or to indicate the omitted or silent second "s" in French nouns.
Cognomen
A cognomen is a personal surname used by ancient Roman citizens, particularly among the patrician class. It was used to identify a person's family origin or lineage, and was often inherited from one's father. Cognomina typically referred to a physical characteristic, occupation, or place of origin, and were used to distinguish individuals within a family with the same nomen gentile (gentile name). Examples of cognomina include Julius (as in Julius Caesar) and Marcellus.
Collocation
Collocation refers to the natural association of certain words in a language, typically used together to convey a particular meaning or effect. These word combinations often occur because they evoke a shared idea, atmosphere, or cultural reference. In linguistics, collocations are typically categorized into three types:<br><br>1. Lexical collocations: Combinations of words that share a specific meaning, such as "strong coffee" or "heavy rain."<br>2. Grammatical collocations: Patterns of word order that are common in a language, like the phrase "to take a break."<br>3. Idiomatic collocations: Fixed expressions with a unique meaning that cannot be deduced from the individual words, such as "kick the bucket" (to die).<br><br>Understanding collocations is essential for language learners to produce more natural, fluent, and idiomatic speech and writing.
Contraction
A contraction is a shortened form of a word or phrase that is created by combining two words with a missing letter or letters between them. For example, "won't" is a contraction of "will not", "can't" is a contraction of "cannot", and "it's" is a contraction of "it is". Contraction is commonly used in informal writing and speech to save time and effort when speaking or writing. However, in formal writing, it is often preferred to write out the full phrase instead of using a contraction.
Cornish
Cornish refers to something related to Cornwall, a region in the southwest of England. It can also refer to the Cornish language, a Celtic language that was traditionally spoken in Cornwall but is now considered an endangered language. Additionally, "Cornish" can be used to describe something that is characteristic of or originating from Cornwall, such as Cornish pasties, a type of savory pastry, or Cornish wrestling, a traditional form of folk wrestling.
Coronis
Coronis is a noun that refers to a wreath or garland of flowers, often worn on the head or given as a gift to symbolize honor, achievement, or celebration. It can also refer to a circlet or crown worn by a monarch or person of high rank.
Crasis
Crasis is a term that refers to the combination or uniting of two words or parts of words to form a new word. In linguistics, it particularly refers to the combination of two or more words to form a new word, often used in ancient Greek and Latin.
Creole
Creole refers to a language that has originated from the mixing of two or more languages, often as a result of colonialism, slavery, or trade. Creole languages typically emerge in areas where different ethnic or linguistic groups come into contact, and they often develop as a simplified, pidgin language. Over time, a creole language may evolve into a full-fledged language with its own grammar, vocabulary, and cultural identity. Examples of creole languages include Haitian Creole, Louisiana Creole, Gullah Geechee, and Jamaican Patois.
Cumbrian
Cumbrian refers to something or someone relating to Cumbria, a county in northwest England, particularly known for its beautiful scenery, mountains, and lakes including Windermere, Ullswater, and Coniston Water. The word is often used to describe the unique culture, dialect, and traditions of the region, which is distinct from other parts of England.
Curonian
Curonian refers to something or someone related to the Curonian people, a Baltic tribe that lived in the region of present-day Lithuania and Latvia.
Deconstructionism
Deconstructionism is a philosophical and literary theory that emerged in the 1960s. It challenges traditional notions of meaning and interpretation by questioning the stability and unity of texts. Deconstructionists argue that texts are not coherent or fixed, but rather are composed of multiple, conflicting meanings that are shaped by the language, culture, and historical context in which they were written.<br><br>Deconstructionism is often associated with the work of French philosopher Jacques Derrida, who argued that texts are "decentered" and that meaning is always slipping away from us. Deconstructionists use a variety of techniques, such as close reading and etymological analysis, to uncover the underlying contradictions and ambiguities in a text.<br><br>Deconstructionism has been influential in a wide range of fields, including literary theory, philosophy, cultural studies, and critical theory. However, it has also been subject to criticism and controversy, with some arguing that it is overly pessimistic or nihilistic, and that it undermines the possibility of meaningful communication.<br><br>Some key concepts in deconstructionism include:<br><br> Gadamer: the idea that understanding is always shaped by the historical and cultural context in which it takes place<br> Supplement: the idea that meaning is always incomplete and that texts require a "supplement" to complete their meaning<br> Différance: the idea that meaning is always slipping away from us and that language is inherently unstable<br> the death of the author: the idea that the author's intention or biography is not the primary determining factor in the meaning of a text.<br><br>Overall, deconstructionism is a complex and controversial theory that challenges our assumptions about language, meaning, and interpretation.
Diacritics
Diacritics are small marks or symbols added to letters in written text to indicate a change in the pronunciation or meaning of the letter. They are also known as accents. Examples of diacritics include the acute accent (é), grave accent (è), and cedilla (ç). Diacritics are commonly used in many languages, including French, Spanish, Portuguese, and others.
Dogon
The word "Dogon" refers to a ethnic group living in the central part of Mali, West Africa. They are known for their unique culture, language, and traditional way of life.
Dravidian
Dravidian refers to the Dravidian languages and the Dravidian people, who are native to southern India and Sri Lanka. The term "Dravidian" is derived from the Sanskrit word "Dravida," which means "land" or "country." In linguistics, the Dravidian languages are a language family spoken primarily in southern India, including languages such as Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam. The Dravidian people are believed to have inhabited the region for thousands of years, and their languages and cultures have a distinct identity from those of the Indo-Aryan people, who prevail in northern India.