also: とうじん
noun
islander; island person
Refers to a person who lives on an island or is from an island. Neutral term, can be used for any island dweller.
彼は沖縄の島人です。
He is an islander from Okinawa.
島人たちは台風に備えて準備を始めた。
The islanders began preparing for the typhoon.
島民 is a more formal or collective term for island inhabitants, often used in news or official contexts. 島人 is more personal and colloquial.
Compound of 島 (island) and 人 (person). The reading しまびと is the native Japanese (kun'yomi) combination, while とうじん uses the Sino-Japanese (on'yomi) reading of 島.