nepali
UK[nɪˈpɔːli]US[nəˈpɑːli]
adj
Relating to Nepal, its people, or their language.
n
A native or inhabitant of Nepal.
n
The official language of Nepal, belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European family.
Etymology
The word 'Nepali' originates from the name of the country, Nepal, with the addition of the English adjectival suffix '-i'. The country's name, 'Nepal', is believed to derive from the Sanskrit 'Nepāla', which may be composed of 'nipa' (foot of a mountain) and 'ala' (abode), aptly describing its Himalayan location. As a demonym, 'Nepali' follows a common pattern in English for forming nationality and language names from place names, similar to 'Iraqi' or 'Bengali'. Thus, the term directly links the people and their language to their geographic and national origin.
Analysis
The word is a simplex loanword derived from a toponym (place name). It is not productively formed from smaller, meaningful morphemes within English.
Examples
She is learning to speak Nepali.
The Nepali community celebrated the festival with great enthusiasm.
This is a traditional Nepali dish called momo.