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indigenous
adjective
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Indigenous derives from the Latin noun indigena (meaning "native"), which was formed by combining Old Latin indu (meaning "in" or "within") with the verb gignere (meaning "to beget"). Another term that comes from the indigena root is indigene, a word for a plant or animal that lives, grows, or originates in a certain area. Indigene is the older of the two; it has been used in English since the late 16th century, whereas the earliest documented use of indigenous occurred nearly 50 years later. Indigenous is used in scientific contexts to describe organisms and the habitats to which they belong, and in expressly non-scientific contexts, as in "emotions indigenous to the human spirit." Most often, however, it's used to describe the native inhabitants of a place.
Synonyms
native, indigenous, endemic, aboriginal mean belonging to a locality.
native implies birth or origin in a place or region and may suggest compatibility with it.
indigenous applies to that which is not only native but which, as far as can be determined, has never been introduced or brought from elsewhere.
endemic implies being peculiar to a region.
aboriginal implies having no known others preceding in occupancy of a particular region.
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Cite this Entry
“Indigenous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/indigenous. Accessed 13 Dec. 2024.
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adjectiveMore from Merriam-Webster on indigenous
Nglish: Translation of indigenous for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of indigenous for Arabic Speakers
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