Melanesian

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

adjective

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

noun

a member of any of the Indigenous peoples inhabiting Melanesia.
the Austronesian languages of Melanesia, taken collectively.

Origin of Melanesian

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

Words Nearby Melanesian

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Melanesian in a sentence

For instance, Denisovan DNA accounts for about 2 to 4 percent of Melanesian people’s genome.
Fossils and ancient DNA paint a vibrant picture of human origins | Erin Wayman | September 15, 2021 | Science News
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

Finally, retaining only the north part of the northern island, to take the Melanesian Bishopric.
Life of John Coleridge Patteson | Charlotte M. Yonge

British Dictionary definitions for Melanesian

Melanesian

/ (ˌmɛləˈniːzɪən) /

adjective

of or relating to Melanesia, its people, or their languages

noun

a native or inhabitant of Melanesia: generally Negroid with frizzy hair and small stature
a group or branch of languages spoken in Melanesia, belonging to the Malayo-Polynesian family

See also Neo-Melanesian

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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