proper noun/me.la.ne.zi/
Melanesia (a continental region of Oceania, consisting of New Guinea, the Bismarck Archipelago, the Solomon Islands, New Caledonia, Vanuatu and Fiji)
Related: mélanésien, Mélanésien
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *melh₂- Proto-Indo-European *mélh₂ns Proto-Hellenic *mélās Ancient Greek μέλας (mélas)lbor. Ancient Greek νῆσος (nêsos)lbor. Proto-Indo-European *-(i)yós Proto-Italic *-ijos Proto-Italic *-ios Old Latin -ios Latin -ius Latin -ia Old French -ie Middle French -ie French -ie French Mélanésie Coined by Jules Dumont d'Urville, from Ancient Greek μέλας (mélas, “dark”) + νῆσος (nêsos, “island”), referring to the skin color of the inhabitants.