indonesian

• POS: Adjective, Noun
• HYPHEN: In=do=ne=sian

CIDE DICTIONARY

indonesian, a. [Indo- + Gr. island.].

 Of or pertaining to Indonesia or Indonesians.  [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

indonesian, n. 

•  A member of a race forming the chief pre-Malay population of the Malay Archipelago, and probably sprung from a mixture of Polynesian and Mongoloid immigrants. According to Keane, the autochthonous Negritos were largely expelled by the Caucasian Polynesians, themselves followed by Mongoloid peoples of Indo-Chinese affinities, from mixture with whom sprang the Indonesian race.  [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

  "The term Indonesian, introduced by Logan to designate the light-colored non-Malay inhabitants of the Eastern Archipelago, is now used as a convenient collective name for all the peoples of Malaysia and Polynesia who are neither Malay nor Papuans, but of Caucasic type. . . . The true Indonesians are of tall stature (5 ft. 10 in.), muscular frame, rather oval features, high, open forehead, large straight or curved nose, large full eyes always horizontal and with no trace of the third lid, light brown complexion (cinnamon or ruddy brown), long black hair, not lank but often slightly curled or wavy, skull generally brachycephalous like that of the melanochroic European."  [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

  "The Indonesians [of the Philippines], with the tribal population of some 251, 200, live almost exclusively on the great island of Mindanao. They are not only physically superior to the Negritos, but to the peoples of the Malayan race as well, and are, as a rule, quite intelligent."  [Webster 1913 Suppl.]
•  A native or inhabitant of Indonesia.  [PJC]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

indonesian, n. & adj.
--n.
1 a a native or national of Indonesia in SE Asia. b a person of Indonesian descent.
2 a member of the chief pre-Malay population of the E. Indies.
3 a language of the group spoken in the E. Indies, esp. the official language of the Indonesian Republic (see also BAHASA INDONESIA).
--adj. of or relating to Indonesia or its people or language.

Etymology

Indonesia f. INDIES after Polynesia