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Injun

[ in-juhn ]
/ ˈɪn dʒən /
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noun Older Use: Often Offensive.
American Indian; Native American.
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Origin of Injun

First recorded in 1660–70 as ingins (plural); pronunciation spelling of Indian, with assibilated d;cf. Cajun

usage note for Injun

Injun is an informal, nonstandard spelling of Indian. This pronunciation and variant spelling are associated with inauthentic, white representations of Native cultures and speakers. Now considered dated and often offensive, this variant form of Indian is best avoided, except when used to comment on inauthenticity of representation, as in the “Hollywood Injun English” dialogue written for Native characters in older Westerns. See also honest Injun.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Injun in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for Injun

Injun
/ (ˈɪndʒən) /

noun
US an informal or dialect word for (American) Indian
honest Injun (interjection) slang genuinely; really
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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