Linguistics locates the beginnings of the Austronesian expansion – with Indigenous seafaring people in eastern Taiwan
- Written by Victoria Chen, Senior Lecturer, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington

The study of Indigenous languages spoken in maritime South-East Asia today has shed new light on the beginnings of the Austronesian expansion. This was the last major migration of people spreading out across the Pacific Ocean and, ultimately, settling Aotearoa.
Scientists all agree that people speaking Austronesian languages...