Word Study
polynesian
WORDNET DICTIONARY
Noun polynesian has 2 senses
- polynesian(n = noun.person) Array - a native or inhabitant of Polynesia; Array is a member of polynesia
- polynesian(n = noun.communication) malayo-polynesian - the branch of the Austronesian languages spoken from Madagascar to the central Pacific; Array is a kind of austronesian, austronesian language
is a kind of austronesian
has particulars: fijian, samoan, tahitian, tongan
has particulars: eastern malayo-polynesian, oceanic, tongan, western malayo-polynesian
Adjective polynesian has 1 sense
CIDE DICTIONARY
polynesian, a.
Of or pertaining to Polynesia (the islands of the eastern and central Pacific), or to the Polynesians. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
polynesian, adj. & n.
--adj. of or relating to Polynesia, a group of Pacific islands including New Zealand, Hawaii, Samoa, etc.
--n.
1 a a native of Polynesia. b a person of Polynesian descent.
2 the family of languages including Maori, Hawaiian, and Samoan.
--adj. of or relating to Polynesia, a group of Pacific islands including New Zealand, Hawaii, Samoa, etc.
--n.
1 a a native of Polynesia. b a person of Polynesian descent.
2 the family of languages including Maori, Hawaiian, and Samoan.
Etymology
as POLY-(1) + Gk nesos island
For further exploring for "polynesian" in Webster Dictionary Online
