"polysynthetic language"的定义和意义

What is a "polysynthetic language"?

A polysynthetic language is a type of language where words are often made up of many morphemes, which are the smallest units of meaning. These morphemes combine to express what might be a whole sentence in other languages. In polysynthetic languages, a single word can contain information about the subject, object, tense, mood, and more. This highly complex structure allows speakers to convey detailed ideas in just one word. Languages like Inuktitut and many Indigenous languages of the Americas are examples of polysynthetic languages, where intricate word formation plays a central role in communication.