nubian
nubian — noun
1. A person who comes from Nubia, a region in northeastern Africa along the Nile Ri
A person who comes from Nubia, a region in northeastern Africa along the Nile River that covers parts of present-day southern Egypt and northern Sudan.
Kwame met a Nubian who shared stories about life along the river.
countable singular: a Nubian
Many Nubians were displaced from their villages when the Aswan Dam was built.
Ignacio read that about half a million Nubians live in Egypt today.
Nila's grandfather is a Nubian who grew up near the border with Sudan.
The festival in Aswan brought together Nubians from several different countries.
文法句型
a Nubian
the Nubians (plural)
用法筆記
Often used in the plural form 'Nubians' when referring to the people as an ethnic group rather than to individuals.
2. A member of the powerful civilization that ruled over parts of present-day Egypt
A member of the powerful civilization that ruled over parts of present-day Egypt and Sudan between roughly 500 and 1400 CE, known for building pyramids, controlling trade routes, and creating a distinct culture that blended African and Egyptian influences.
The Nubians ruled a powerful empire that traded gold and ivory.
the Nubians — historical people as a collective group
Hamza learned that the ancient Nubians built more pyramids than the Egyptians did.
A ship carrying ivory arrived at a port controlled by the Nubians.
Constanza read about the Nubian empire that lasted for over eight centuries.
Archaeologists discovered a temple that the Nubians built in the desert.
- Kushite
More specific term for the earlier Kingdom of Kush (c. 1070 BC–350 AD); overlaps with Nubian for that period but does not cover the later medieval Nubian kingdoms
文法句型
the Nubians
ancient Nubians
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: this sense refers specifically to the historical kingdom and civilization that existed between the 6th and 14th centuries, not to modern inhabitants of the Nubia region.
常見錯誤
3. Any of a group of languages spoken mainly in southern Egypt and northern Sudan,
Any of a group of languages spoken mainly in southern Egypt and northern Sudan, belonging to the Nilo-Saharan language family and still used by the Nubian people in daily communication, religious ceremonies, and traditional songs.
Élise is studying Nubian at the university in Khartoum.
uncountable: studying Nubian (language as a subject)
Sivan's grandmother still speaks Nubian with her relatives in the village.
The linguist recorded hundreds of Nubian words before the language became endangered.
Children in the region learn Nubian at home and Arabic at school.
Pim discovered that there are several dialects of Nubian spoken along the Nile.
文法句型
speak Nubian
in Nubian
dialects of Nubian
用法筆記
Nubian is uncountable when referring to the language as a whole. Specific dialects include Nobiin, Kenzi (Mattokki), and Dongolawi (Andaandi). The most common learner pattern is 'speak Nubian'.