Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “aborigine” come from?

aborigine (English) comes 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.

aborigine (English): An Aboriginal person from Australia , Aboriginal...

Definitions

  1. An Aboriginal person from Australia , Aboriginal...

Ancestry of “aborigine”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishAboriginesplural of Aborigine
2LatinAborīginēs—
3Latinorīgō—
4Latin-igoEnlargement of -ō; Suffixed to nouns and to...
5Proto-Italicagōdrive; push, impel; do, act
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂éǵetito be driving
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂eǵ-to drive
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂eǵ- →