Amerindian
/ˌæm.əˈrɪn.di.ən/noun
A term for a Native American person or for the peoples of the Americas considered collectively, now often regarded as dated or avoided in favor of more specific names.
Did you know?Amerindian was coined as a scholarly blend in the late 1800s, not an ancient tribal name, and it reflects the long European habit of collapsing dozens of distinct nations into one outsider term.
Etymological Timeline
Late 19th Century
English
Amerindian
“A scholarly blend of American + Indian used to refer to Indigenous peoples of the Americas.”
16th Century
English
American
“Originally a term for the peoples and things of the Americas, derived from the name Amerigo Vespucci.”
16th Century
English
Indian
“Used by Europeans for the peoples of the Americas because they believed they had reached the Indies.”
16th Century
Italian
Amerigo
“A personal name, from Germanic roots, borne by Amerigo Vespucci.”
Late 15th Century
Latin
Indiā
“The Indies; the region Europeans thought they had reached when they encountered the Americas.”