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 Kiliwa before it becomes extinct.
  • Very few fluent speakers of the Kiliwa language remain.
• As a person:
  • He is a Kiliwa and knows many of his people's traditional stories.
  • The Kiliwa have lived in this desert region for centuries.

Advanced Usage

• The term is used primarily in anthropological, linguistic, and historical contexts.
• When referring to the language, it is often specified as "the Kiliwa language."
• When referring to the people, it functions as both a singular and plural noun (e.g., one Kiliwa, the Kiliwa).

Variants and Related Words

• Kiliwa people: The community or ethnic group as a collective.
• Kiliwa language: The specific linguistic system.

Synonyms

• For the people: Kiliwa tribe, Kiliwa nation.
• For the language: (No direct synonyms; it is a proper name for a specific language.)

Notes on Meaning

• The word refers specifically to an indigenous group and their language from a particular geographic region (northern Baja California). It is not a general term.
• The distinction between the people and their language is understood through context.

Noun

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