Austronesian Expansion

Austronesian expansion refers to the spread of speakers of Austronesian languages around the world. Sometimes the term is used with specific reference to their initial expansion, but it can also be applied to a wider chronological context. Sketched in very broad strokes, the process began with the earliest migrations of Austronesian speakers from their homeland(s), through Southeast Asia, across the Indian Ocean to Madagascar in the southwest, and across the Pacific to Hawai’i, Rapa Nui (Easter Island), and Aotearoa (New Zealand). Their settlement of virtually every inhabitable island in the Pacific was the largest human migration in prehistory and an incredible accomplishment. The process continued with changes to migration patterns during the early modern period when the diverse regions of the world became increasingly integrated, thereby presenting new opportunities for travel. Finally, during the 21st-century, migrations may be inspired by economic opportunities or cultural concerns or be necessitated by rising sea levels. Often firmly engaged with their society of origin, modern Austronesian-speaking migrants are on the forefront of transnational lifestyles.