Amerindian

Part of speech: noun, adjective

Definitions

1. A member of a variety of indigenous peoples native to the Americas, often referring specifically to those in North, Central, and South America
2. An individual belonging to the original inhabitants of the American continent, encompassing diverse cultures and languages across the regions
3. Pertaining to the cultural and ethnic groups that are the descendants of the first peoples of the Americas, with rich histories and traditions

Etymology: "Amerindian" is a blend of "American" and "Indian," joined together to name the Indigenous peoples of the Americas without the confusion that "Indian" alone can cause. The term was first attested around 1900, so it is a relatively modern coinage rather than an ancient word that drifted into English. The blend works by fusing the two words into one, a pattern that makes a compound with a single clear reference. "American" supplies the geographic sense of the Western Hemisphere, while "Indian" carries the older, now-contested name that Europeans gave to the people they encountered in the late 1400s, when Columbus believed he had reached the East Indies. The combined form keeps the geographic anchor and drops the mistaken assumption about India.

Synonyms: native american, indigenous american, first nations, aboriginal american