Meanings
proper noun
- A subgroup of languages of the Austronesian language family, mostly dispersed around the islands of Southeast Asia and the Pacific Ocean.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounthe branch of the Austronesian languages spoken from Madagascar to the central Pacific
Similar
Broader
AustronesianAustronesian language
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- EnglishMalayo-
- EnglishPolynesia
- EnglishPolynesian
- EnglishMalayo-Polynesian
From Malayo- + Polynesian.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Dutch Malayo-Polynesisch
- Malayo-PolynesischTranslations
Italian maleopolinesiaco
- maleopolinesiacoTranslations
Polish język malajsko-polinezyjski
- język malajsko-polinezyjskiTranslations
Russian малайско-полинезийский
- малайско-полинезийский (malajsko-polinezijskij)Translations
Spanish malayo-polinesio
- malayo-polinesioTranslations
Vietnamese Mã Lai-Đa Đảo
- Mã Lai-Đa ĐảoTranslations
Cite this entry
APA
Malayo-Polynesian. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Malayo-Polynesian
MLA
“Malayo-Polynesian.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Malayo-Polynesian. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Malayo-Polynesian,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Malayo-Polynesian.
Source: Malayo-Polynesian on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.