Meanings
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1
noun
a native or inhabitant of Tasmania, an island state of Australia
The Tasmanian moved to Melbourne for university and later returned to Hobart.
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2
adj
relating to Tasmania or its inhabitants
The reserve protects several Tasmanian plant species.
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3
noun
historical or contextual: an Aboriginal person of Tasmania; modern writing often uses Aboriginal Tasmanian or a community name such as Palawa or Pakana
The archive worked with Aboriginal Tasmanians to revise its nineteenth-century descriptions.
Thesaurus
Etymology
From Tasmania + -an. Tasmania was named after Dutch navigator Abel Tasman. In nineteenth-century anthropology Tasmanian was often used specifically for Aboriginal Tasmanians; present-day references should follow community preferences and distinguish that sense from the general state demonym.