Relating to the original people, animals, or plants of a land before others arrived; often used for Indigenous peoples of Australia.
From Latin *ab origine* meaning “from the beginning, from the origin.” It entered English through scientific and historical writing to describe original inhabitants.
The word literally means ‘from the very first beginning,’ which highlights how long Indigenous peoples have lived in their lands. It reminds us that history didn’t start with explorers or colonizers; others were already there with deep cultures and knowledge.
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