Austronesian
[ aw-stroh-nee-zhuhn, -shuhn ]
/ ˌɔ stroʊˈni ʒən, -ʃən /
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noun
Also called Malayo-Polynesian. a family of languages spoken in the Malay Peninsula, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, Madagascar, and Oceania.
adjective
of or relating to Austronesia or the Austronesian family of languages; Malayo-Polynesian.
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Origin of Austronesian
First recorded in 1900–05; Austronesi(a) + -an
Words nearby Austronesian
austringer, austro-, Austroasiatic, Austro-Hungarian, Austronesia, Austronesian, Austro-Prussian War, aut-, autacoid, autarch, autarchy
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for Austronesian
The Austronesian languages spread from these areas over thousands of miles beyond.
The Civilization of Illiteracy|Mihai NadinAll subsequent migrations were of Austronesian-speaking peoples from Indonesia.
Man, Past and Present|Agustus Henry Keane
British Dictionary definitions for Austronesian
Austronesian
/ (ˌɒstrəʊˈniːʒən, -ʃən) /
adjective
of or relating to Austronesia, its peoples, or their languages
noun
another name for Malayo-Polynesian
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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