Marquesan

[ mahr-key-zuhn, -suhn ]

noun

1. a Polynesian native of the Marquesas Islands.
2. the Polynesian language of the Marquesas Islands.

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the Marquesas Islands, the Marquesans, or their language.

Marquesan

/ mɑːˈkeɪzən; -sən /

adjective

1. of or relating to the Marquesas Islands or their inhabitants

noun

1. a native or inhabitant of the Marquesas Islands

Word History and Origins

Origin of Marquesan¹

First recorded in 1790–1800; Marques(as Islands) + -an

Example Sentences

Tattoo historian Steve Gilbert explains that the word “tattoo” itself is a combination of Marquesan and Samoan words – tatau and tatu – to describe these practices.

From No Straight News

He sold a decrepit whale-boat, as good as new what of the fresh white paint, to a Marquesan chief.

From Project Gutenberg

“The coral waxes, the palm grows, and man departs,” says the Marquesan; and he folds his hands.

From Project Gutenberg

Death alone could not satisfy Marquesan vengeance; the flesh must be eaten.

From Project Gutenberg

It would be hard to find a woman more becomingly adorned than “a well-tattooed” Marquesan.

From Project Gutenberg

Even in a time of famine, it is probable that Marquesan life went far more gaily than is here represented.

From Project Gutenberg