el indígena
indigenous
Se refiere a las personas que son originarias de un lugar o que pertenecen a los pueblos que estaban en una tierra antes de la llegada de otros grupos.
Definition & meaning
Indígena means Indigenous or native: originating in a particular territory. It most commonly describes people or communities with historical ties to a territory that predate colonization, as well as their cultures and languages.
It can also mean native to a place more generally, including when referring to plants or animals.
Grammar & Word origin
Indígena is an adjective and a noun. Its form is the same for masculine and feminine; the plural is indígenas.
It comes from Latin indigena, meaning “native” or “born in a place.”
Synonyms & antonyms
- nativo — “native”; a broader term that can refer to a person, species, language, or place of origin.
- autóctono — “native” or “indigenous”; often emphasizes origin in a particular region.
- extranjero — “foreign”; a contextual opposite when contrasting origin within and outside a country or place.
Common phrases & collocations
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Examples
El pueblo indígena tiene muchas costumbres ancestrales.adjective
The indigenous people have many ancestral customs.
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