Papuans
Island Southeast Asians
Papuans are the indigenous peoples of New Guinea and nearby islands in Melanesia, distinguished from later Austronesian migrants.
The term covers hundreds of ethnically and linguistically diverse groups—Papua New Guinea alone has over 800 languages.
Papuan can also describe languages spoken by these peoples that don't belong to the Austronesian family: Papuan languages remain poorly documented.
Oceanian island, split politically
- highlandsElevated, hilly land areas
- lowlandsLow-elevation flat terrain
- coastalOf the shoreline
- rainforestWet tropical woodland ecosystem
Palm-derived thickening starch
- betel nutStimulant palm seed
- body paintPigment worn directly on skin
- wood carvingSculpting with timber
- masksFace-covering disguises
State of varied elements
- language familiesGroups with common origin
- AustronesianPacific-spanning language family
- multilingualKnowing multiple languages
- oral traditionCulture passed by speech
Ancestral social groups
- ethnicityShared cultural heritage group
- ancestryFamily line of descent
- heritageInherited cultural legacy
- identityWho someone is
clans · lineage · matrilineal · patrilineal · moiety · ethnology · anthropology · Margaret Mead
Of a clan
- ancestralOf one's forebears
- aboriginalIndigenous to a place
- nativeOriginating from a place
- hunter-gathererPre-farming subsistence lifestyle
subsistence · clans · kinship · oral-history · traditional lands · sacred sites · elders · village life
New Guinea
Oceanian island, split politically
rainforest · montane · swamplands · coral atolls · river valleys
sago
Palm-derived thickening starch
- betel nutStimulant palm seed
- body paintPigment worn directly on skin
- wood carvingSculpting with timber
masks · payback · bride price · feasting
diversity
State of varied elements
- language familiesGroups with common origin
- AustronesianPacific-spanning language family
- multilingualKnowing multiple languages
tribes
Ancestral social groups
- ethnicityShared cultural heritage group
- ancestryFamily line of descent
- heritageInherited cultural legacy
identity · clans · lineage · matrilineal · patrilineal · moiety · ethnology · anthropology · Margaret Mead · social organization
tribal
Of a clan
- ancestralOf one's forebears
- aboriginalIndigenous to a place
- nativeOriginating from a place
hunter-gatherer · subsistence · clans · kinship · oral-history · traditional lands · sacred sites · elders · village life · garden cultivation
PapuansAustralians
Citizens of the smallest continent
Polynesians · Micronesians · Melanesians · Māori · Hawaiians
PapuansEuropeans
People from that continent
colonizers · white settlers · Westerners · missionaries · Australians
- Papua New GuineaSouthwest Pacific island nation