English
Melanesia
Melanesia comes from French Mélanésie, from Ancient Greek νῆσος ‘island’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *melh₂-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*melh₂-reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*mélh₂nsreconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*mélans‘black’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEμέλαςmélas‘dark in color’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEνῆσοςnêsos‘island’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentMélanésie
- Englishearliest quotation 2004Melanesia
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*melh₂-reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*mélh₂nsreconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*mélans‘black’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEμέλαςmélas‘dark in color’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEνῆσοςnêsos‘island’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentMélanésie
- Englishearliest quotation 2004Melanesia
Earliest quotation: 2004, Mary N. MacDonald, Thinking and teaching with the indigenous traditions of Mela: “My job, then, is that of a cultural and…”
The story
From 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.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *melh₂-
miller, mill, meal, mild, mold, mole, mould, muller, camo, amulet, mull, bonanza, amalgam, malleable, molar, moulin, maelstrom, martel, moline, malm, amyl, 38 more
through Ancient Greek μέλας ‘dark in color’
mule, mullet, melatonin, 3 more
through Ancient Greek νῆσος ‘island’
Today it means
name A continental region of Oceania, consisting of New Guinea, the Bismarck Archipelago, the Solomon Islands, New Caledonia, Vanuatu and Fiji.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *melh₂- / Melanesia