indigenous

C1 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ɪnˈdɪd͡ʒənəs/ UK /ɪnˈdɪdʒɪnəs/ See IPA manual

Freq #15545

Meanings

1

adj
Belonging to a place from the earliest times, especially before colonizers arrived.

The museum honors the indigenous peoples of the region.
2

adj
Naturally occurring or originating in a particular area.

That style of pottery is indigenous to the highlands.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 adj · naturally occurring or... autochthonous

More aboriginal local natural

Word family

Derived forms indigenistindigenityindigenizationindigenocideindigenouslyindigenousnessnonindigenoustransindigenous

Related forms endogenousindigenaindigent

Appears in

Phrases (2)

See all

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.

*ǵenh₁- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# indigenous

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ɪnˈdɪd͡ʒənəs/
**IPA (UK):** /ɪnˈdɪdʒɪnəs/
**Frequency rank:** 15545

## Meanings
1. Belonging to a place from the earliest times, especially before colonizers arrived.
2. Naturally occurring or originating in a particular area.

## Examples
- The museum honors the indigenous peoples of the region.
- That style of pottery is indigenous to the highlands.

## Synonyms
- aboriginal
- autochthonous
- local
- natural

## Derived Forms
- indigenist
- indigenity
- indigenization
- indigenocide
- indigenously
- indigenousness
- nonindigenous
- transindigenous

## Related Forms
- endogenous
- indigena
- indigent

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *ǵenh₁-

## 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.

## AI Etymology
Indigenous is 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. The historical chain includes *ǵenh₁- (Proto-Indo-European). The surrounding word family includes derived forms such as indigenist, indigenity, indigenization, and indigenocide and related forms such as endogenous, indigena, and indigent. In present use it covers belonging to a place from the earliest times, especially before colonizers arrived and naturally occurring or originating in a particular area.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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