Where does “indigenous” come from?
Indigenous derives from Late Latin indigenus, formed from Latin in- and the Latin root indi-, ultimately tracing to Proto-Indo-European h₁én meaning "in" through Proto-Italic en.
indigenous (English): Born or originating in, native to a land or...
Definitions
- Born or originating in, native to a land or...
Ancestry of “indigenous”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | indigenus | native, indigenous; native, denizen |
| 2 | Proto-Italic | *endogenos | — |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵénh₁os | race, lineage |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵenh₁- | to produce, to beget, to give birth |