Why is POLYNESIA a Greek word?

Question

Meaning many Islands... Why would this group of Islands containing English, French, and Spanish and well as the many many dialects of the local Maori language be named in Greek???

Answer 1

Yes, polynesia is indeed a greek word (poly = many, numerous and nesia = islands).

Jules Dumont d'Urville in an 1831 lecture to the Geographical Society of Paris proposed a restriction on its use, and also introduced the terms Micronesia ( small islands in greek)
and Melanesia (black islands). This division into three distinct Pacific subregions remains in widespread use today.

Answer 2

Not for voting. Just a comment. I agree with the two people above. However, it is important to remember that Greek and Latin were widely known by most people in the 18th and 19th centuries who had any education at all. Many people, even in the United States, at that time gave their children, especially, daughters Greek names.

Answer 3

Coining terms in Latin and Greek is convenient for creating new words, neologism (which is from the Greek for "new word").