Where does “autochthonous” come from?
Autochthonous derives from Ancient Greek αὐτόχθων, combining αὐτός meaning self with χθών meaning earth, literally denoting something sprung from the earth itself.
autochthonous (English): Native to the place where found; indigenous;...
Definitions
- Native to the place where found; indigenous;...
Ancestry of “autochthonous”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | autochthon | The earliest inhabitant of an area; an aborigine;... |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | αὐτόχθων | indigenous |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | αὐτο- | self- |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | αὐτός | αὐτή f, αὐτό n; "first/second declension";... |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ew | away from, off; again |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵʰe | Postpositional intensifying particle: indeed, at any rate, in fact |