# Tuvalu

> English word · Proper noun · IPA /ˌtuːvəˈluː/ · frequency rank #66,368

## Definitions
1. A country and archipelago of Polynesia in Oceania. Capital and largest city: Funafuti.

## Etymology
From Tuvaluan Tuuvalu (literally “eight standing together”) in reference to the eight inhabited islands of Tuvalu, although Tuvalu consists of nine islands. The ninth island, Niulakita, was inhabited in 1949. Compare to Proto-Austronesian *walu (“eight”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/tuvalu