Flectionless

/ˈflɛkʃənləs/ adjective

Definition

Without bending or folding; in grammar, describing a language that doesn't change word forms much.

Etymology

From 'flection' (bending) plus the suffix '-less' (without). Created to describe languages like Mandarin Chinese or Vietnamese that rely on word order rather than changing word endings.

Kelly Says

Chinese is mostly 'flectionless'—you can't tell if a noun is singular or plural just by looking at it, which is wildly different from languages like Russian where every word bends and twists!

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