Jump To:

• Papuan
  Papuan

  adjective

  of or relating to New Guinea or to Papua New Guinea.
• papuan
  papuan

  adjective

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

Papuan

American  

[pap-yoo-uhn] / ˈpæp ju 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.

---

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

---

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

See Examples For:

Papuan

"We went to a little market and people were recognising us," Leigh Leopards' Papuan hooker Liam Horne told BBC Sport.

From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026

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

From Washington Times ● Nov. 10, 2023

The intention is to name many of these after the Papuan members of the expedition.

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

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

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---