Definition

Noun 1. A language: The Yuman language spoken by the Kiliwa people. 2. A person: A member of the Kiliwa, a North American Indian people living in northern Baja California, Mexico.

Usage Examples

• As a language:
  • Linguists are working to document Kiliwi before it is lost.
  • Very few fluent speakers of the Kiliwi language remain.
• As a person:
  • He is a Kiliwi, born and raised in the mountains of Baja California.
  • The Kiliwi have a deep knowledge of the local desert ecosystem.

Advanced Usage

• The term is used primarily in anthropological, linguistic, and historical contexts.
• When referring to the language, it is often specified as "the Kiliwi language" for clarity.
• The plural form for people is typically Kiliwa or Kiliwas.

Variants and Related Words

• Kiliwa: The more standard spelling for the people and the language. "Kiliwi" is a variant.
• Yuman: The language family to which Kiliwa belongs.

Synonyms

• (For the language): Kiliwa language.
• (For the people): Kiliwa, Kiliwa people.

Notes on Meaning

• The word has two distinct but closely related meanings: it can refer to an ethnic group or their language. The context usually makes the specific meaning clear.
• It is a proper noun and is always capitalized.

Noun

1. the Yuman language spoken by the Kiliwa
2. a member of a North American Indian people living in northern Baja California