Library / English Dictionary

FORMOSAN

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

The Austronesian languages spoken on Formosa

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

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

Austronesian; Austronesian language (the family of languages spoken in Australia and Formosa and Malaysia and Polynesia)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "Formosan"):

Atayalic; Tayalic (a language spoken by a Malaysian people on Formosa)

Tsouic; Paiwanic (a Formosan language)

 II. (adjective) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Of or relating to or characteristic of the island republic on Taiwan or its residents or their language

Example:

the Taiwanese capital is Taipeh

Synonyms:

Chinese; Formosan; Taiwanese

Classified under:

Relational adjectives (pertainyms)

Derivation:

Formosa (an island in southeastern Asia 100 miles off the coast of mainland China in the South China Sea)

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