Aboriginally

Part of speech: adverb

Pronunciation: /ˌæb.əˈɹɪd͡ʒ.n̩.ə.li/

Definitions

1. In a manner that reflects the first or original state, often related to native populations and their cultural, historical, and geographical significance
2. Pertaining to the characteristics and existence of original inhabitants, especially in regards to their traditions and the foundational aspects of their culture
3. In a way that indicates the earliest known state or condition, often associated with indigenous peoples and their cultural heritage and beginnings

Etymology: "Aboriginally" is simply "aboriginal" with the adverb-forming suffix "-ly" added. The base word comes from Latin "aborigines," the name the Romans gave to the early inhabitants of Italy, built from "ab" (from) and "origo" (origin), so the sense is "from the beginning." Its ultimate ancestry reaches back to a prehistoric root meaning "to lie" or "to be low," but that is a distant ancestor rather than the word's real story in English. The suffix "-ly" has an equally long pedigree. It descends from an Old English ending, "-līċe," which was attached to adjectives to turn them into adverbs, and it has been doing that job in English ever since. Attaching it to "aboriginal" produces a word whose meaning is almost literal: "in the original state," or as things were at the very start.

Synonyms: originally, initially