Mordvinian

Part of speech: adjective, noun

Definitions

1. Relating to the ethnic group native to the Mordovia region in Russia ; pertaining to their language and cultural traditions ; associated with the communities identified as Mordvin or Mordvinian
2. Connected with the people originating from Mordovia, particularly their heritage and linguistic identity ; describing the customs and language of the Mordvin population ; referring to aspects of the Mordvin ethnic group or their geographical area
3. Characteristic of the Mordvin ethnic group, including their social practices and speech ; linked to the Mordvin homeland and its inhabitants ; referring to the cultural and linguistic elements specific to this ethnic community

Etymology: Mordvinian is a plain formation: it combines "Mordvinia," the name of the region in Russia, with the English suffix "-an," which marks someone or something belonging to or associated with a place. The suffix has a long ancestry, traceable back through Proto-Italic and Latin forms to a much older Indo-European ending, and it reached English by way of Old French and Middle English, where it became the familiar "-an" used in words such as "Lutheran" or "Italian." The name "Mordvinia" is the ethnic and geographic root, and the word is mostly used for the Mordvin people, their languages, and their heritage. Because the suffix is so productive, English speakers can attach it to almost any place name and produce a serviceable adjective, which is why the term reads so naturally even though it describes a people whose name is less familiar to many readers.

Synonyms: mordvin, erzya, moksha