Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Aboriginal” come from?

Aboriginal (English) comes from English Aborigine, from English Aborigines, from Latin Aborīginēs, from Latin orīgō, from Latin -igo, from Proto-Italic agō, from Proto-Indo-European h₂éǵeti, from Proto-Indo-European h₂eǵ- — to drive.

Aboriginal (English): Of or pertaining to Australian Aboriginal...

Definitions

  1. Of or pertaining to Australian Aboriginal...

Ancestry of “Aboriginal”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishAborigineAn Aboriginal person from Australia , Aboriginal...
2EnglishAboriginesplural of Aborigine
3LatinAborīginēs—
4Latinorīgō—
5Latin-igoEnlargement of -ō; Suffixed to nouns and to...
6Proto-Italicagōdrive; push, impel; do, act
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂éǵetito be driving
8Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂eǵ-to drive

Words derived from “Aboriginal”

  • aboriginal
  • aboriginality
  • aboriginally
  • nonaboriginal
  • aboriginalness
  • Aboriginal
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂eǵ- →