ab origine

[ ahb oh-rig-i-ne; English ab aw-rij-uh-nee, -oh-rij- ]

adverb

Latin. from the very beginning; from the source or origin.

Other definitions for Aborigine (2 of 2)

Aborigine

[ ab-uh-rij-uh-nee ]

noun

Often Offensive. a member of any of the peoples who are the earliest known inhabitants of Australia, or one of their descendants.: Also Aboriginal .Also called Australian Aborigine .
Sometimes Offensive. one of the original or earliest known inhabitants of a region, or one of their descendants: the Aborigines of Canada and Greenland.

aborigines, the original, native fauna or flora of a region.

Origin of Aborigine

First recorded in 1540–50; by back formation from aborigines, from Latin Aborīginēs “the pre-Roman inhabitants of Italy,” probably alteration of an earlier ethnonym by association with ab origine

usage note For Aborigine

Aborigine, the noun specifically meaning “an Indigenous inhabitant of Australia,” is an outdated and often offensive term: Don't say the Aborigines of Melbourne and Sydney. Instead, use the related adjective Aboriginal, which is preferred and acceptable, and say, the Aboriginal Australians of Melbourne and Sydney. Similarly, the noun use of Aboriginal with specific reference to Australia is also often offensive, as in Australian Aboriginals. Again, you can use the adjectival form: Aboriginal Australians.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

British Dictionary definitions for aborigine (1 of 2)

aborigine

/ (ˌæbəˈrɪdʒɪnɪ) /

noun

an original inhabitant of a country or region who has been there from the earliest known times

Origin of aborigine

C16: back formation from aborigines, from Latin: inhabitants of Latium in pre-Roman times, probably representing some tribal name but associated in folk etymology with ab origine from the beginning

British Dictionary definitions for Aborigine (2 of 2)

Aborigine

/ (ˌæbəˈrɪdʒɪnɪ) /

noun

Also called: Aboriginal a member of the indigenous people who were living in Australia when European settlers arrived
any of the languages of this people: See also Australian (def. 3)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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