～語

～ご · ～go · JLPT N5 · noun

language

語 = speech 言 + 吾 (go) for sound; a suffix: 日本 + 語 = Japanese

語 is built from 言 (speech) plus 吾, which supplies the reading go. Attach it to a country or type: 日本語 nihongo = Japanese, 英語 eigo = English, 外来語 gairaigo = loanword. Sound hook: every language has to GO somewhere, so it goes after the name.

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