Austronesian

The major language family of the islands of Southeast Asia and the Pacific (including Taiwan, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, parts of southern Vietnam, Madagascar, Melanesia (excluding much of New Guinea), Micronesia, and Polynesia). The family is divided into 1) Western Austronesian, or Indonesian, containing about 200 languages, and 2) Eastern Austronesian, or Oceanic, with about 300 languages. Proto-Austronesian probably started in southern China or Taiwan before 3000 BC. Austronesian speakers were the first humans to settle the Pacific islands beyond western Melanesia. Austronesians were the most widely spread ethno-linguistic group on earth, with the distance from Madagascar to Easter Island being 210 degrees of longitude.

The major language family of Island Southeast Asia and the Pacific: Taiwan, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, parts of southern Vietnam, Madagascar, Melanesia (excluding most of New Guinea), Micronesia and Polynesia. Proto-Austronesian was probably located in southern China or Taiwan before 3000 BC and geographical expansion of the family has been by horticultural, canoe-using peoples with pottery, perhaps commencing with rice cultivation in southern China and Taiwan, but turning to fruits and tubers in eastern Indonesia and Oceania. Austronesian speakers were the first humans to settle the Pacific islands beyond western Melanesia. Expansion reached its limits in Madagascar (early centuries ad) and New Zealand (cad 900); prior to European expansion, Austronesians were the most widely spread ethno-linguistic group on earth, the distance from Madagascar to Easter Island being 210 degrees of longitude.