Indigenate

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To take on characteristics of indigenous culture or native customs; to adopt a way of life that embodies the features of a particular local community or population; to integrate oneself into the traditions and practices of the original inhabitants of a place
2. To become rooted in the cultural practices typical of a native group; to embrace and cultivate the heritage that belongs to a specific locale; to align deeply with the ways and norms of the indigenous people in a region
3. To assimilate into local customs that define a native group; to make one's life consistent with the lifestyle and values of the original settlers; to engage in the traditional practices unique to a particular indigenous community

Etymology: The root of this rare verb is Latin "indigena," a native, built from "indu," an older form of "in," and "gignere," to beget or produce. That same root gives English "genus," "generate," and "gene," so a native is, etymologically, someone produced within a place. English formed "indigenate" from the adjective "indigenous" with the verb-making ending "-ate," on the same pattern as older verbs like "fascinate." It is a rare and specialized word, used mainly in historical and academic writing, and it lacks the everyday currency of its relative "indigenous."