Word.ws English Dictionary

Atafuan

Atafuan adjective: of or relating to Atafu, a group of coral islets of Tokelau.

Adjective

Atafuan (comparative more Atafuan, superlative most Atafuan)

  1. Of or relating to Atafu, a group of coral islets of Tokelau.
    • Outbreaks were noted on Nukunonu in 1958, 1966 and 1971, on Fakaofo in 1965 and 1977, and on Atafu in 1959, 1965–1966 and 1977. Age-specific attack rates have been estimated from reported cases and quinquennial censuses for the Atafuan outbreaks (Table 7).1980, Ian Prior, John Stanhope, “Epidemics, health and disease in a small, isolated environment”, in World Development, volume 8, number 12, Elsevier, →ISSN, page 1007
    • It is likewise apparent from early missionary reports of Atafu (Ella MS. 1861; Gee MS. 1862) that Fakaofo appropriated Atafu timber and Atafuan labour to make their canoes.1994, Judith Huntsman, “Ghosts of hierarchy II: Transformations of the wider Tokelau polity”, in History and Anthropology, volume 7, numbers 1–4, Harwood Academic Publishers, →ISSN, page 325

Noun

Atafuan (plural Atafuans)

  1. A native or inhabitant of Atafu.
    • The natives of Atafu having embraced Christianity, the Native Teachers there, Maka and Mafalā, arranged for a missionary voyage, to induce the inhabitants of Nukunono and Fakaofo to receive the Gospel. Two double canoes, containing 22 Atafuans, with Mafalā the Teacher, set out on this noble errand.1863 October, William Wyatt Gill, P. Goold Bird, “Third Voyage to the Tokelau (or Union) Group of Islands”, in Missionary Magazine & Chronicle, volume 27 (N.S.), number 329 (N.S., 46), London...
    • The traditional histories of Tokelau suggest separate founding populations at each atoll, and record the subsequent hegemony of Fakaofo by driving off the "true" Atafuans and conquering the people of Nukunonu. Atafu was not resettled until about 1800.1983, George H. Balazs, “Sea Turtles and Their Traditional Usage in Tokelau”, in Atoll Research Bulletin, volume 279, Smithsonian Institution, →OCLC, page 6

Forms of Atafuan

Adjective
comparativemore Atafuan
superlativemost Atafuan
Noun
pluralAtafuans

Origin of Atafuan

From Atafu + -an.

Questions about Atafuan

What does Atafuan mean?
Atafuan means of or relating to Atafu, a group of coral islets of Tokelau.
What part of speech is Atafuan?
Atafuan can be an adjective or a noun.

Words near Atafuan in the dictionary

  1. atadenovirus
  2. atadenoviruses
  3. Ataensic
  4. Ataentsic
  5. Atafu
  6. Atafuan
  7. Atafuans
  8. atagabalin
  9. ataghan
  10. ataghans
  11. Atahensic

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: Atafuan (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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