Standard Lemma guide

Tongan

adj · noun · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈtɒŋən/
  • /ˈtɒŋɡən/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɒŋən
  • rhymes with -ɒŋɡən

1

adj

Meaning 1

Of, from, or pertaining to Tonga, the Tongan people or the Tongan language.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

An Austronesian language of the Polynesian branch spoken in Tonga.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A person from Tonga or of Tongan descent.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective

Meaning 4

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

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Tongan beaches

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

the Polynesian language spoken by the Tongan people

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: Malayo-Polynesian, Polynesian

6

noun

Meaning 6

a Polynesian native or inhabitant of Tonga

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: Polynesian

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English Tonga Proto-Indo-European *-nós Proto-Italic *-nos Latin -nus Latin -ānus Old French -ainder. Middle English -an English -an English Tongan From Tonga + -an.

Across languages

Translations

88 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: Tongaans — of, from, or pertaining to Tonga, Tongans or their language
  • Asturian: tonganu — of, from, or pertaining to Tonga, Tongans or their language
  • Catalan: tongalès — of, from, or pertaining to Tonga, Tongans or their language
  • Czech: tonžský — of, from, or pertaining to Tonga, Tongans or their language
  • Dutch: Tongaans — of, from, or pertaining to Tonga, Tongans or their language
  • Finnish: tongalainen — of, from, or pertaining to Tonga, Tongans or their language
  • Galician: tongano — of, from, or pertaining to Tonga, Tongans or their language
  • Georgian: ტონგანური (ṭonganuri) — of, from, or pertaining to Tonga, Tongans or their language
  • German: tongaisch — of, from, or pertaining to Tonga, Tongans or their language
  • Italian: tongano — of, from, or pertaining to Tonga, Tongans or their language
  • Norwegian Bokmål: tongansk — of, from, or pertaining to Tonga, Tongans or their language
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: tongansk — of, from, or pertaining to Tonga, Tongans or their language
  • Polish: tongijski — of, from, or pertaining to Tonga, Tongans or their language
  • Portuguese: tonganês — of, from, or pertaining to Tonga, Tongans or their language
  • Romanian: tongan — of, from, or pertaining to Tonga, Tongans or their language
  • Romanian: tongalez — of, from, or pertaining to Tonga, Tongans or their language
  • Russian: тонга́нский (tongánskij) — of, from, or pertaining to Tonga, Tongans or their language
  • Spanish: tongano — of, from, or pertaining to Tonga, Tongans or their language
  • Swedish: tongansk — of, from, or pertaining to Tonga, Tongans or their language
  • Tongan: fakatonga — of, from, or pertaining to Tonga, Tongans or their language
  • Afrikaans: Tongaans — Austronesian language
  • Asturian: tonganu — Austronesian language
  • Catalan: tongalès — Austronesian language
  • Chinese Mandarin: 湯加語 /汤加语 (Tāngjiāyǔ) — Austronesian language
  • Danish: tongansk — Austronesian language
  • Dutch: Tongaans — Austronesian language
  • Dutch: Tonga — Austronesian language
  • Finnish: tonga — Austronesian language
  • French: tonguien — Austronesian language
  • Galician: tongano — Austronesian language
  • Georgian: ტონგანური (ṭonganuri) — Austronesian language
  • Georgian: ტონგანური ენა (ṭonganuri ena) — Austronesian language
  • German: Tongaisch — Austronesian language
  • Italian: tongano — Austronesian language
  • Japanese: トンガ語 (Tonga-go) — Austronesian language
  • Korean: 통가어 (tongga'eo) — Austronesian language
  • Navajo: Tʼónga bizaad — Austronesian language
  • Norwegian Bokmål: tongansk — Austronesian language
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: tongansk — Austronesian language
  • Portuguese: tonga — Austronesian language
  • Portuguese: tonganês — Austronesian language
  • Romanian: tongană — Austronesian language
  • Romanian: tongaleză — Austronesian language
  • Russian: тонга́нский (tongánskij) — Austronesian language
  • Spanish: tongano — Austronesian language
  • Swedish: tonganska — Austronesian language
  • Tongan: lea faka-Tonga — Austronesian language
  • Afrikaans: Tongaan — person from Tonga or of Tongan descent
  • Asturian: tonganu — person from Tonga or of Tongan descent
  • Asturian: tongana — person from Tonga or of Tongan descent
  • Catalan: tongalès — person from Tonga or of Tongan descent
  • Catalan: tongalesa — person from Tonga or of Tongan descent
  • Chinese Mandarin: 湯加人 /汤加人 (Tāngjiārén) — person from Tonga or of Tongan descent
  • Czech: Tonžan — person from Tonga or of Tongan descent
  • Dutch: Tongaan — person from Tonga or of Tongan descent
  • Dutch: Tongaanse — person from Tonga or of Tongan descent
  • Esperanto: tongano — person from Tonga or of Tongan descent
  • Esperanto: tonganino — person from Tonga or of Tongan descent
  • Finnish: tongalainen — person from Tonga or of Tongan descent
  • French: Tongien — person from Tonga or of Tongan descent
  • French: Tonguien — person from Tonga or of Tongan descent
  • French: Tongienne — person from Tonga or of Tongan descent
  • French: Tonguienne — person from Tonga or of Tongan descent
  • French: Tongais — person from Tonga or of Tongan descent
  • French: Tongaise — person from Tonga or of Tongan descent
  • French: Tonganais — person from Tonga or of Tongan descent
  • French: Tonganaise — person from Tonga or of Tongan descent
  • Galician: tongano — person from Tonga or of Tongan descent
  • German: Tongaer — person from Tonga or of Tongan descent
  • German: Tongaerin — person from Tonga or of Tongan descent
  • Italian: tongano — person from Tonga or of Tongan descent
  • Italian: tongana — person from Tonga or of Tongan descent
  • Japanese: トンガ人 (Tonga-jin) — person from Tonga or of Tongan descent
  • Korean: 통가인 (tonggain) — person from Tonga or of Tongan descent
  • Korean: 통가 사람 (tongga saram) — person from Tonga or of Tongan descent
  • Norwegian Bokmål: tonganer — person from Tonga or of Tongan descent
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: tonganar — person from Tonga or of Tongan descent
  • Polish: Tongijczyk — person from Tonga or of Tongan descent
  • Polish: Tongijka — person from Tonga or of Tongan descent
  • Portuguese: tonganês — person from Tonga or of Tongan descent
  • Romanian: tongan — person from Tonga or of Tongan descent
  • Romanian: tongană — person from Tonga or of Tongan descent
  • Russian: тонга́нец (tongánec) — person from Tonga or of Tongan descent
  • Russian: тонга́нка (tongánka) — person from Tonga or of Tongan descent
  • Spanish: tongano — person from Tonga or of Tongan descent
  • Spanish: tongana — person from Tonga or of Tongan descent
  • Swedish: tongan — person from Tonga or of Tongan descent
  • Turkish: Tongalı — person from Tonga or of Tongan descent
Real reading context

Tongan in complete knowledge articles