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Glite Dictionary
Austronesian language

Austronesian language

8.1
A language spoken on islands in Southeast Asia, the Pacific, and Madagascar
  • noun
  • /ˌɔːstrəˈniːʒən ˈlæŋɡwɪdʒ/
  • Specialized
translation icon : lengua austronesia
  • Many Austronesian languages are found on islands scattered across the Pacific Ocean.

Examples

  • Malagasy, spoken in Madagascar, is an Austronesian language despite the island's location off the coast of Africa.

  • Many people in the Pacific speak an Austronesian language.

  • Tagalog is an Austronesian language spoken in the Philippines.

  • The Austronesian language family includes languages like Tagalog and Hawaiian.

  • Linguists study the Austronesian language family to understand its development throughout history.

  • The Austronesian languages include diverse dialects spoken in the Philippines and Indonesia.

  • Most of the island nations in the Pacific region speak an Austronesian language as their primary tongue.

Synonyms

Austronesian
vsAustronesian language
  • Specialized
9.1

A language spoken in Southeast Asia, Madagascar, and the Pacific

is used across Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands, and parts of Madagascar

Surface Forms

Austronesian language singular
Austronesian languages plural

Morphology

Austronesian + language

This is a simple adjective + noun composition: 'Austronesian' locates the family/region and 'language' names the system of speech, so the meaning 'a language of the Austronesian family/region' is directly derivable from the parts. The structure is a standard, cross-linguistically common modifier+noun pattern, making it immediately comprehensible to learners who know both constituents.

Etymology

Austronesian language comes from two parts: Austro- meaning 'south' and -nesian meaning 'island'. So it is the name for the group of languages spoken on many southern islands and nearby lands, which is why Tagalog in the Philippines and Malagasy in Madagascar are called Austronesian.