Aboriginal
/ˌæb.əˈrɪdʒ.ɪ.nəl/noun
Native to a particular place from the earliest known time; indigenous.
Did you know?Aboriginal comes from Latin ab origine, and the same root that gave us “origin” is tied to the idea of a first source or starting point, not a mystical race category.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
ab origine
“from the beginning; from the source”
Late Latin
Latin
aboriginālis
“pertaining to the original inhabitants”
16th Century
English
aboriginal
“native; first in a place”
Modern English
English
aboriginal
“indigenous; native to a region”
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