Definition of Austro-Asiatic in US English:
Austro-Asiatic
adjectiveˈôstrōˌāZHēˈatik
Relating to or denoting a phylum or superfamily of languages spoken in Southeast Asia, consisting of the Mon-Khmer family, the Munda family, and one or two other isolated languages.
Example sentencesExamples
- Cambodian, or Khmer, is classified by linguists as an Austro-Asiatic language, related to Mon.
nounˈôstrōˌāzēˈatik
The Austro-Asiatic phylum of languages.
Example sentencesExamples
- Linguists estimate that approximately eighty-five other languages from the Austro-Asiatic, Austronesian, Daic, Miao-Yiao, and Sino-Tibetan language families are indigenous to the country.
- Northeast India is also an area of extensive linguistic diversity where three language families are represented: Austro-Asiatic, Indo-European and Tibeto-Burman.
- There are examples of the replacement of Proto-Dravidian n - with 1-in Indo-Aryan, even if the etymon may ultimately go back to Austro-Asiatic. ‘