Tongan

noun

Ton·​gan ˈtäŋ-gən 

 also  -ən

1

: a member of a Polynesian people of Tonga

2

: the Polynesian language of the Tongans

Tongan adjective

Examples of Tongan in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Introduction The shock wave from the Tongan eruption triggered tsunamis on the other side of the world, in both the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea — something that was only a theoretical possibility up to that point, right? —Robin George Andrews, Quanta Magazine, 8 Nov. 2023

The shock wave from the Tongan eruption triggered tsunamis on the other side of the world, in both the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea — something that was only a theoretical possibility up to that point, right? —Robin George Andrews, Quanta Magazine, 8 Nov. 2023

The crowd cheers for a float from the Tongan West Stake at the Days of '47 Parade in Salt Lake City on Monday, July 24, 2023. —Tony Semerad, The Salt Lake Tribune, 24 July 2023

The tsunamis also displaced more than 1,500 people on Tongan islands, and the eruption impacted over 80 percent of Tonga’s population. —Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 June 2023

The embassy in the Tongan capital Nuku’alofa is the second Washington has opened in the Pacific islands this year, following the reopening of one in the Solomon Islands in February. —Brad Lendon, CNN, 10 May 2023

Peter Mafi played rugby for the Tongan national team and was so sturdy he was known as the Tongan Steel. —Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1853, in the meaning defined at sense 1