Austronesian

adjective
Aus·​tro·​ne·​sian | \ ˌȯs-trə-ˈnē-zhən How to pronounce Austronesian (audio) , ˌäs-, -shən\

Definition of Austronesian

: of, relating to, or constituting a family of languages spoken in the area extending from Madagascar eastward through the Malay Peninsula and Archipelago to Hawaii and Easter Island and including practically all the native languages of the Pacific islands with the exception of the Australian and Papuan languages

First Known Use of Austronesian

1900, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for Austronesian

Austronesia, islands of the southern Pacific

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