Melanesia Hear it!

Melanesia definition

Mela·nesia (mel′ə nē′z̸hə, -s̸hə)

one of the three major divisions of the Pacific islands, south of the equator and including groups from the Bismarck Archipelago to the Fiji Islands

Etymology: ModL < Gr melas, black (see melano-) + nēsos, island (see natant) + -ia; in reference to the dark skin of the inhabitants

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Comments
Improve this definition.
Do you have more to add? Share your linguistic knowledge or observation.
/Register to save your comments.