ABSTRACT
The Polynesian outliers comprise about eighteen communities scattered along a northwest-southeast arc across Micronesia and Melanesia (see map). The people of these communities all speak Polynesian languages, i n contrast to the people of surrounding societies, who speak non-Polynesian Oceanic languages. In social structure and culture, outlier societies have few traits in common, and other than for classificatory convenience, they do not form a distinct cultural area. Archaeological investigations, conducted i n about half the outlier communities, have found evidence that prehistoric patterns of settlement were comparable among them.
