autochthonous

American  

[aw-tok-thuh-nuhs] / ɔˈtɒk θə nəs /

Also autochthonal,

adjective

1. Ecology. pertaining to autochthons; aboriginal; indigenous (heterochthonous ).

2. Pathology.

   1. found in the part of the body in which it originates, as a cancerous lesion.

   2. found in a locality in which it originates, as an infectious disease.

3. Psychology. of or relating to ideas that arise independently of the individual's own train of thought and seem instead to have some alien or external agency as their source.

4. Geology. (of rocks, minerals, etc.) formed in the region where found.

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autochthonous British  

/ ˌɔːtɒkˈθɒnɪk, ɔːˈtɒkθənəs /

adjective

1. (of rocks, deposits, etc) found where they and their constituents were formed Compare allochthonous

2. inhabiting a place or region from earliest known times; aboriginal

3. physiol (of some functions, such as heartbeat) originating within an organ rather than from external stimulation

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Other Word Forms

• autochthonism noun
• autochthonously adverb
• autochthonousness noun
• autochthony noun

Etymology

Origin of autochthonous

First recorded in 1795–1805; autochthon + -ous

Explanation

Use the adjective autochthonous to say that something is native to an area. If kane toads originated in your area, then they’re an autochthonous species. The root of the word autochthonous traces back to the Greek word autokhthon, meaning literally “sprung from the land itself.” Something that’s autochthonous doesn’t have to really spring from the land, but it might seem like it’s been there forever, almost as long as the land. The word is often used for people, like the autochthonous groups of Australia, but it can refer to other things as well, such as autochthonous cultural traditions or an autochthonous species.

Example Sentences

Here we develop a novel chimaeric mouse model of mCRPC to efficiently test combination therapies in an autochthonous setting.

From Nature • Mar. 19, 2017

Florida first had dengue autochthonous transmission in 2009–10, with the Department of Health tallying a total of 88 cases “associated with Key West,” the southernmost part of the state.

From Science Magazine • Dec. 15, 2016

Florida first had dengue autochthonous transmission in 2009-2010, with the Department of Health tallying a total of 88 cases “associated with Key West,” the southernmost part of the state.

From Science Magazine • May 13, 2016

The European charter for regional or minority languages calls them "autochthonous", which strictly means native, but now also carries the suggestion of a language that's been displaced in importance by a more popular newcomer.

From The Guardian • Dec. 11, 2010

Intentionally, and to a certain extent, Rimsky's work is autochthonous.

From Musical Portraits Interpretations of Twenty Modern Composers by Rosenfeld, Paul