Hainanese
adj, name, noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 The inhabitants of the island of Hainan and its diaspora plural, plural-only
"I needed an interpreter in only one interview, that with an elderly Hainanese from Kompong-Trach."
- 1 Of or relating to the island of Hainan, its people and their diaspora.
"Because of the comparatively shorter distance, Hainanese merchants could use smaller vessels, usually constructed of fir and other inferior woods, which they customarily furnished with masts, rudders, and wooden anchors, availing themselves of the abundance of material in Champa and Cambodia which lay on their route to Bangkok."
- 1 A group of Min Chinese dialects spoken on the island of Hainan and its diaspora.
"Mr. MELROSE, though engaged in the study of the Hainanese language, has found time to open and give daily supervision to a Boy's School."
Example
More examples"Because of the comparatively shorter distance, Hainanese merchants could use smaller vessels, usually constructed of fir and other inferior woods, which they customarily furnished with masts, rudders, and wooden anchors, availing themselves of the abundance of material in Champa and Cambodia which lay on their route to Bangkok."
Etymology
From Hainan + -ese. Doublet of Hainamese and Hailamese.
Related phrases
More for "hainanese"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.