Timorese

Part of speech: adjective, noun

Definitions

1. Relating to or characteristic of the people, culture, or language of East Timor; pertaining to the sovereign state located on the eastern half of the island of Timor in Southeast Asia; connected with the historical or political aspects of this region
2. Describing anything associated with East Timorese identity, including customs, traditions, and linguistic features; concerning the geographic territory of East Timor; linked to ethnic groups inhabiting this part of the world
3. Having a connection to East Timor's national identity, its cultural heritage, or its population; relating to matters involving the independent nation on Timor island; referring to the distinctive qualities or elements typical of East Timorese society

Etymology: The word is a plain formation: "Timor" plus the suffix "-ese," the same ending that gives "Chinese," "Japanese" and "Portuguese." The place name "Timor" itself comes from a term in the Malay language meaning "east," since the island lies at the eastern end of the Indonesian archipelago. So the name of the territory literally records a compass direction, and the adjective built on it simply means "of or relating to that place." The suffix does most of the work here. Adding "-ese" to a country or region name produces a word for its people, language or culture, and in the case of East Timor the adjective covers all three at once, from customs and traditions to linguistic features and the ethnic groups of the island. Because the territory's name is the same as the island's, the adjective also applies to the geography, so one word can describe a person, a dish, a dialect or a landscape.

Synonyms: east timorese