ef·a·tese \|efə|tēz, eˈfäˌt-, -ēs\noun (pluralefatese) Usage: usually capitalized Etymology:Efate, one of the New Hebrides islands in the So. Pacific + English -ese 1. a.: a Melanesian people of Efate in the New Hebrides islands b.: a member of such people 2.: the language of the Efatese people