polysynthetic
(of a language) characterized by a prevalence of relatively long words containing a large number of affixes to express syntactic relationships and meanings. Many American Indian languages are polysynthetic.: Compare analytic (def. 3), synthetic (def. 3).
of or relating to polysynthesism.
Origin of polysynthetic
1- Sometimes pol·y·syn·thet·i·cal .
Words Nearby polysynthetic
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use polysynthetic in a sentence
A polysynthetic language illustrates no principles that are not already exemplified in the more familiar synthetic languages.
Language | Edward SapirPolysynthet′icism, Polysyn′thetism, the character of being polysynthetic.
This polysynthetic character undoubtedly does point to a common origin, just as the Indo-European tongues trace back to Sanskrit.
Through the Mackenzie Basin | Charles MairThey may also be crossed by bars or stripes, each of which indicates a twin plate, for the crystals are usually polysynthetic.
The general character in this respect has caused the term polysynthetic to be applied to the American languages.
Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation | Robert Chambers
British Dictionary definitions for polysynthetic
/ (ˌpɒlɪsɪnˈθɛtɪk) /
denoting languages, such as Inuktitut, in which single words may express the meaning of whole phrases or clauses by virtue of multiple affixes: Compare synthetic (def. 3), analytic (def. 3), agglutinative (def. 2)
Derived forms of polysynthetic
- polysynthesis (ˌpɒlɪˈsɪnθɪsɪs), noun
- polysynthesism, noun
- polysynthetically, adverb
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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