Costanoan

noun

1. a member of a North American Indian people living in coastal California between Monterey and San Francisco Bay

• Hypernyms: ↑Penutian

2. a Penutian language spoken by the Costanoan

• Hypernyms: ↑Penutian

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\\kəˈstänəwən, kōˈ-\ noun (plural costanoan or costanoans)

Usage: usually capitalized

Etymology: Costano, a division of the Costanoan (from Spanish costeño, literally, coastman, from costa coast, from Latin costa rib, side) + English -an — more at coast

1.

a. : an Indian people of coastal California from San Francisco Bay to Monterey

b. : a member of such people

2. : a language of the Costanoan people

3. : a language family of the Penutian stock comprising only the Costanoan language or languages

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/kos'teuh noh"euhn, kaw'steuh-/, n.

1. a family of eight languages, now extinct, spoken by American Indian peoples of coastal California: part of the Penutian stock.

2. any of the speakers of these languages, who formerly inhabited the coast and adjacent river valleys from San Francisco Bay south to Monterey Bay and Point Sur.

adj.

3. of or pertaining to Costanoan or the Costanoans.

[ < Sp costano coast dweller (cost(a) COAST, shore + -ano -AN) + -AN]