papuan

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a native or inhabitant of Papua; more broadly, especially historically, an Indigenous person of New Guinea or adjacent parts of Melanesia

   Nineteenth-century writers often used Papuan as a broad label for diverse peoples of New Guinea.

2. 2
   adj

   relating to Papua, New Guinea, or their peoples and cultures

   The museum consulted Papuan communities before displaying the ceremonial objects.

3. 3
   noun

   any of numerous non-Austronesian languages spoken in New Guinea and nearby islands, not necessarily members of one demonstrated language family

   The linguist documented a Papuan spoken by only a few villages in the highlands.

Formed from Papua + -an. The place-name Papua has been used for parts of New Guinea since early European contact, but its deeper origin is disputed; the often-repeated derivation from a Malay word meaning 'frizzled' is not certain.

Topics