TONGAN

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does Tongan mean? 

• TONGAN (noun)
  The noun TONGAN has 2 senses:

1. a Polynesian native or inhabitant of Tonga

2. the Polynesian language spoken by the Tongan people

  Familiarity information: TONGAN used as a noun is rare.

• TONGAN (adjective)
  The adjective TONGAN has 1 sense:

1. of or relating to the island monarchy of Tonga or its people

  Familiarity information: TONGAN used as an adjective is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• TONGAN (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A Polynesian native or inhabitant of Tonga

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Hypernyms ("Tongan" is a kind of...):

Polynesian (a native or inhabitant of Polynesia)

Holonyms ("Tongan" is a member of...):

Friendly Islands; Kingdom of Tonga; Tonga (a monarchy on a Polynesian archipelago in the South Pacific; achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1970)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The Polynesian language spoken by the Tongan people

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("Tongan" is a kind of...):

Malayo-Polynesian; Polynesian (the branch of the Austronesian languages spoken from Madagascar to the central Pacific)

• TONGAN (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Of or relating to the island monarchy of Tonga or its people

Classified under:

Relational adjectives (pertainyms)

Context example:

Tongan beaches

Pertainym:

Tonga (a monarchy on a Polynesian archipelago in the South Pacific; achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1970)

Derivation:

Tonga (a monarchy on a Polynesian archipelago in the South Pacific; achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1970)

 Context examples 

The Tongan island is the third “surtseyan” volcanic island in the last 150 years to emerge and persist for more than a few months.

(NASA Shows New Tongan Island Made of Tuff Stuff, Likely to Persist Years, NASA)

The newly formed Tongan island, unofficially known as Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai after its neighbors, was initially projected to last a few months.

(NASA Shows New Tongan Island Made of Tuff Stuff, Likely to Persist Years, NASA)