Tongan

[ tong-guhn ]

noun

1. a native or inhabitant of Tonga.
2. a Polynesian language, the language of the Tongans.

adjective

1. of or relating to Tonga, its people, or their language.

ˈTongan

/ ˈtɒŋən /

adjective

1. of or relating to the kingdom of Tonga, its inhabitants, or their language

noun

1. a member of the people that inhabits Tonga
2. the language of this people, belonging to the Polynesian family

Word History and Origins

Origin of Tongan¹

First recorded in 1890–95; Tong(a) + -an

Example Sentences

Not far from the venue was a street parade, with dancers representing the region, including Torres Strait islanders, Tongans and Samoans.

From BBC

Now he was labeling them for community members who might speak English, Hawaiian, Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Tongan or Samoan.

From Los Angeles Times

Kilifi, of Samoan and Tongan descent, said he comes from a rugby family and he grew up in the game.

From Seattle Times

One supervisor also reportedly referred to him as being Tongan; Sauvao took the comment as an affront given the bitter early history of war and enslavement between Samoa and Tonga.

From Los Angeles Times

Football has long been a source of pride across Polynesian communities including Samoans to Tongans.

From Seattle Times