Meanings
Kanak1
plural Kanaks · alternative Canaque
- An indigenous Melanesian inhabitant of New Caledonia.
In the working-class districts of Nouméa, which have a high population of indigenous Kanak residents, buildings were burned and wrecked vehicles remained in the middle of the road.
2024 May 17, Julien Mazzoni, “New Caledonia riots: parts of territory ‘out of state control’, French representative says”, in The Guardian, →ISSN
Kanak2
Origin
Kanak · noun
- Hawaiiankanaka“person”
- Englishkanaka“Pacific islander”
- Frenchcanaque
- EnglishKanak
First attested in 1910, borrowed from French canaque, from English kanaka (“Pacific islander”), from Hawaiian kanaka (“person”).
More words from French, English, Hawaiian
Full word history & related roots →Kanak · proper noun
- Sanskritकनक
- Sanskritकनक
- EnglishKanak
Borrowed from Sanskrit कनक (kanaka).
More words from Sanskrit
Full word history & related roots →Translations
French canaque, Kanak
- canaqueindigenous Melanesian inhabitant of New Caledonia
- Kanakindigenous Melanesian inhabitant of New Caledonia
- Kanakeindigenous Melanesian inhabitant of New Caledonia
- Canaqueindigenous Melanesian inhabitant of New Caledonia
German Kanake, Kanakin
- Kanakeindigenous Melanesian inhabitant of New Caledonia
- Kanakinindigenous Melanesian inhabitant of New Caledonia
Japanese カナック
- カナック (Kanakku)indigenous Melanesian inhabitant of New Caledonia
Russian кана́к
- кана́к (kanák)indigenous Melanesian inhabitant of New Caledonia
Spanish canaco
- canacoindigenous Melanesian inhabitant of New Caledonia
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
Kanak. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Kanak
“Kanak.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Kanak. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Kanak,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Kanak.
Source: Kanak on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.