Alfur

A1L1F4U1R1

noun

Any of the indigenous peoples of the Moluccas having Melanesian or Austronesian ancestry and not integrated into Malay‑speaking, Islamised, or Christianised, coastal polities.

OriginDutch Alfoer ← Portuguese alfouro, alforro ← Arabic الحرّ →
Scrabble 8
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Meanings

nounAlfur (plural Alfurs)

plural Alfurs · alternative Alfuro

  1. historicalAny of the indigenous peoples of the Moluccas having Melanesian or Austronesian ancestry and not integrated into Malay‑speaking, Islamised, or Christianised, coastal polities.

Origin

  1. Arabicحر“free, not bound”
  2. Arabicالحرّ“the free”
  3. Portuguesealfouro, alforro“free; not enslaved”
  4. DutchAlfoer
  5. EnglishAlfur

From Dutch Alfoer, from Portuguese alfouro, alforro (“free; not enslaved”), from Arabic الحرّ (al‑ḥurr, “the free”), ultimately from Arabic حر (“free, not bound”). Compare Malay Alfuru, Alfura.

More words from Dutch, Portuguese, Arabic

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Alfur. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Alfur

MLA

“Alfur.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Alfur. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Alfur,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Alfur.

Source: Alfur on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.