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autochthon

[ aw-tok-thuhn ]

noun

, plural au·toch·thons, au·toch·tho·nes [aw-, tok, -th, uh, -neez].
  1. an aboriginal inhabitant.
  2. Ecology. one of the indigenous animals or plants of a region.
  3. Geology. a geological formation formed in the region where found.


autochthon

/ -θɒn; ɔːˈtɒkθən /

noun

  1. often plural one of the earliest known inhabitants of any country; aboriginal
  2. an animal or plant that is native to a particular region
“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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Word History and Origins

Origin of autochthon1

First recorded in 1640–50; from Greek autóchthōn “of the land itself,” equivalent to auto- auto- 1 + chthṓn “the earth, land, ground”
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Word History and Origins

Origin of autochthon1

C17: from Greek autokhthōn from the earth itself, from auto- + khthōn the earth
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Example Sentences

Tchekoff is a true product of Russian literature, an autochthon plant, nourished by his natal sap.

He is earth-born, autochthon, and holds possession by descent.

To the elder of the third pair of twins he gave the name Mneseus, and Autochthon to the one who followed him.

There I called them (p. 89) "Autochthon-morphological" and "adaptive-morphological characters."

Autochthon, aw-tok′thon, n. one of the primitive inhabitants of a country: an aboriginal:—pl.

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autochromeautochthonous