Polynesian

[ pol-uh-nee-zhuh n, -shuh n ]

/ ˌpɒl əˈni ʒən, -ʃən /

adjective

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

noun

a member of any of a number of peoples originating from and inhabiting Polynesia, and speaking closely related Austronesian languages.

the easternmost group of Austronesian languages, including Maori, Tahitian, Samoan, Hawaiian, and the language of Easter Island.

Origin of Polynesian

First recorded in 1805–15; Polynesi(a) + -an

Example sentences from the Web for polynesian

In the Polynesian Rata-myth there is a very instructive series of manifestations of the dragon.

The Evolution of the Dragon |G. Elliot Smith
If the other Polynesian groups had been virgin soil the crop of lepers should have been no less fruitful.

The Fijians |Basil Thomson
The danger is contagious; if a Polynesian chief is taboo, the ordinary man fears even to touch his footprints.

Ethics |John Dewey and James Hayden Tufts
The civil polity of the ancient Hawaiians was far more despotic than that of any other Polynesian tribe.

The Hawaiian Islands |The Department of Foreign Affairs

One would almost have thought that this Polynesian savage had also read Robinson Crusoe!

Godfrey Morgan |Jules Verne

British Dictionary definitions for polynesian

Polynesian

/ (ˌpɒlɪˈniːʒən, -ʒɪən) /

adjective

of or relating to Polynesia, its people, or any of their languages

noun

a member of the people that inhabit Polynesia, generally of Caucasoid features with light skin and wavy hair

a branch of the Malayo-Polynesian family of languages, including Māori and Hawaiian and a number of other closely related languages of the S and central Pacific

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

Polynesian

adjective

noun

Origin of Polynesian

Example sentences from the Web for polynesian

British Dictionary definitions for polynesian

adjective

noun