Papuan

[ pap-yoo-uhn ]

adjective

1. of or relating to New Guinea or to Papua New Guinea.
2. noting or pertaining to the Indigenous Black peoples of New Guinea.
3. of or relating to any of the unaffiliated languages indigenous to New Guinea and other islands nearby, especially Timor, the Bismarck Archipelago, the Moluccas, and the Solomons.

noun

1. a native or inhabitant of New Guinea or Papua New Guinea.
2. any of the Papuan languages.

ˈPapuan

/ ˈpæpjʊən /

adjective

1. of or relating to Papua or any of the languages spoken there

noun

1. a native or inhabitant of Papua New Guinea
2. any of several languages of Papua New Guinea that apparently do not belong to the Malayo-Polynesian family

Word History and Origins

Origin of Papuan¹

First recorded in 1805–15; Papu(a) + -an

Example Sentences

Conflicts between indigenous Papuans and the Indonesian authorities have been common since, with pro-independence fighters mounting more frequent attacks since 2018.

From BBC

Papuan rebels have been seeking independence from Indonesia for decades, and have previously issued threats and attacked aircraft which they believe are carrying personnel and supplies for Jakarta, the country's capital.

From BBC

The watershed is also one of the oldest continually inhabited homes for different groups of Indigenous Papuans.

From Science Daily

Indigenous Papuans suffer poverty, sickness and are more likely to die young than people elsewhere in Indonesia, multiple non-governmental organizations say.

From Seattle Times

These weapons were essential to the Indonesian dictator’s consolidation of military control in both East Timor and West Papua, and these occupations cost the lives of hundreds of thousands of Timorese and Papuan civilians.

From Salon