indigenous

Definition

Native to a land, especially before colonization.

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin indigenus (“native, born in a country”), from indi- (indu-), an old derivative of in (“in”), gen- the root of gignō (“give birth to”), and English -ous. Compare indigene, Ancient Greek ἐνδογενής (endogenḗs, “born in the house”), and the separately formed piecewise doublet endogenous. Unrelated to Indian.

Example Sentences

• "The Aboriginals were indigenous to Victoria before the World War."
• "Not only the Indian, but many indigenous insects, birds, and quadrupeds, welcomed the apple-tree to these shores."
• "Horses, like camels, had once been indigenous to Latin America but had become extinct."

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