Papuan

American  

[pap-yoo-uhn] / ˈpæp yu ən /

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.

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noun

1. a native or inhabitant of New Guinea or Papua New Guinea.

2. any of the Papuan languages.

papuan British  

/ ˈpæpjʊən /

adjective

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

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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

Etymology

Origin of Papuan

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

Example Sentences

The echidna was not the only creature the team found in the West Papuan rainforest.

From Washington Times • Nov. 10, 2023

By combining scientific techniques with the Papuan team members' experience and knowledge of the forest, the team made a wealth of new discoveries.

From Science Daily • Nov. 9, 2023

“They were the national heroes of the Papuan people,” Sambom said in a statement provided to The Associated Press on Monday.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 2, 2023

Mehrtens is seen talking to the camera, saying the separatists want countries other than Indonesia to engage in dialogue on Papuan independence.

From Reuters • May 26, 2023

Most languages of the Bismarck and Solomon islands are Austronesian: Papuan languages are spoken only in isolated pockets on a few islands.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond