indigenous

The story

1. Late Latin · borrowed fromindigenus“native, born in a country”
2. English todayindigenous

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.

First known use, by meaning

• from 17th c. Native to a land, especially before colonization.
• from 17th c. In particular, of or relating to a people (or their language or culture) that inhabited a region prior to the arrival of people of other cultures which became dominant (e.g., through colonialism), and which maintains a distinct culture.
• from 19th c. Innate, inborn.