ENGLISH
REFERENCE

bengali

n. C / U
B2 Upper Intermediate US //bɛŋˈɡɑɫi// ben·gali

n. the language spoken by people in Bangladesh and parts of eastern India. It is also used to describe a person from these areas.

n. an Indo-Aryan language primarily spoken in the Bengal region of South Asia. Refers to the language itself or a member of the ethnic group originating from that region.


SIMPLE

She speaks Bengali fluently with her family.

CONTEXTUAL

The local community center offers classes for children to learn Bengali and explore their cultural heritage.

COMPLEX

With over two hundred million native speakers, Bengali ranks as one of the most widely spoken languages globally, possessing a rich literary tradition that spans several centuries.

Origin

Equivalent to Bengal + -i. Compare Assamese বঙালী (boṅali), Bengali বাঙালি (baṅali), Hindi बंगाली (baṅgālī), Classical Persian بنگالی (bangālī).

Usage

Uncountable when referring to the language; countable when referring to a person from the Bengal region.

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