Melanesian

[ mel-uh-nee-zhuhn, -shuhn ]

/ ˌmɛl əˈni ʒən, -ʃən /

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of or relating to Melanesia, its inhabitants, or their languages.

a member of any of the native peoples inhabiting Melanesia.

the Austronesian languages of Melanesia, taken collectively.

QUIZZES

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Question 1 of 10

Which Word of the Day means “happening within or being the created world of a story”?

First recorded in 1840–50; Melanesi(a) + -an

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

In the Melanesian myth, dawn is cut out of the body of night by Qat, armed with a knife of red obsidian.
Myth, Ritual, and Religion, Vol. 1|Andrew Lang
Only three Melanesian words in the list appear to have been adopted by the Papuans.
The Mafulu|Robert W. Williamson
They are believed to have Papuan or Papuo-Melanesian blood in their veins.
The Mafulu|Robert W. Williamson
Separate groups of buildings, which once were filled with lads from different Melanesian isles—farm buildings, barns, &c.
Life of John Coleridge Patteson|Charlotte M. Yonge