indigenous

adjective

1. 1

   Native to a land, especially before colonization.

   The Aboriginals were indigenous to Victoria before the World War.

   Not only the Indian, but many indigenous insects, birds, and quadrupeds, welcomed the apple-tree to these shores.

   Horses, like camels, had once been indigenous to Latin America but had become extinct.

   Berlin is unique in being home to numerous East German converts to Islam who belong to the same German-speaking Muslim communities as West German converts. […] I attempt in this book to give a good sense of the diversity of contemporary indigenous Sunni Muslims in Germany, while pointing to commonalities and differences.

2. 2

   Native to a land, especially before colonization. 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.

   The Ainu are the indigenous ethnic group of Japan's Hokkaido Island.

   About 98 per cent of Taiwan's inhabitants are Han Chinese, a diverse mix of ethnic and linguistic groups, including Hakka, Cantonese and Fujianese, who came from China's southern coast. Taiwan's other two per cent are from one of the nine indigenous tribes, which are scattered throughout the island but largely concentrated along the east coast and in the Central Mountain Range.

   The team auctioned off the right to name the new species to publicize the find and raise awareness and funds for the indigenous Lahu people of northern Thailand, a group that Sippawat is part of.

   Muksin specifically mentioned 11 extinct indigenous languages, such as Tandia and Mawes in West Papua and Papua, along with Kajeli, Piru, Moksela, Palumata, Ternateno, Hukumina, Hoti, Serua, and Nila in different areas of Maluku.

3. 3

   Innate, inborn.

   She was a native and essential cook, as much as Aunt Chloe,—cooking being an indigenous talent of the African race.

   He had all the tricks of a newspaper boy indigenous in him.

4. 4

   Original to a geographical area.

   That style of pottery is indigenous to that region.