Papuan

noun

Pap·​u·​an ˈpa-pyə-wən 

-pə-

1

: a native or inhabitant of Papua

2

: a member of any of the native peoples of New Guinea and adjacent areas of Melanesia

3

: any of a heterogeneous group of languages spoken in New Guinea, New Britain, and the Solomon islands

Papuan adjective

Word History

First Known Use

1786, in the meaning defined at sense 1