Today's Word "autochthonous"
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Published in Vocabulary
autochthonous \aw-TAHK-thuh-nuss ("th" as in "think")\ (adjective) - Indigenous, native; formed or originating in the place where found.
"Though an avid bird enthusiast, Michael rails against species that aren't autochthonous, as they often have a tendency to crowd out native species."
Ancient Athenians considered their ancestors the primordial inhabitants of their land - consequently, their word for true-born Athenian, "autochthon," comes from "auto-," meaning "self," and "chthon," meaning "earth." Today the English adjective "autochthonous" is most likely to be used in scientific or anthropological writing.
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