Aboriginal
/əˈbɔːdʒɪnəl/
adjectiveIntermediateCommonGeneral
Meaning
Question
Definitions
1
Relating to the people, culture, or language of the original or earliest known inhabitants of a region.
/əˈbɔːdʒɪnəl/
adjectiveneutralIntermediate
General
Original or early; first
The aboriginal language is still spoken by some of the oldest communities in the region.
How It's Used
General
"The aboriginal people of this land have a rich and diverse culture."
From Latin 'aborigines' meaning 'original inhabitants', from 'ab-' meaning 'from' and 'origo' meaning 'beginning, source, origin'.
First attested in English in the late 18th century, aboriginal and its derivatives are mostly used in the context of Australia, Canada, and other regions with indigenous populations.
Memory tip
Think of the word's origin from 'aborigines' which means 'original inhabitants'.
Practice
Base: aborigine
aborignalaborigonalaborigineal
Usage
60%Spoken
40%Written