- 1
If people, plants, or animals are indigenous, they belong to that place from the start. Nobody brought them there later. Indigenous people were already home; an indigenous plant grew there on its own, not in a garden pack from somewhere else.
If people, plants, or animals are indigenous如果人、植物或動物是indigenous的， they belong to that place from the start就表示他們從一開始就屬於那個地方。 Nobody brought them there later不是後來被誰帶過去的。 Indigenous people were already home原住民本來就住在那裡； an indigenous plant grew there on its own indigenous的植物是自己長在那裡的， not in a garden pack from somewhere else不是從別的地方運來種的。
We say it of plants, animals, languages, and peoples. In careful English today, Indigenous is often written with a capital I when we mean the peoples, as a mark of respect — more like a name than a plain describing word. It is a formal word.
We say it of plants, animals, languages, and peoples我們會用這個詞講植物、動物、語言和民族。 In careful English today在現在講究的英文裡， Indigenous is often written with a capital I when we mean the peoples指民族的時候常會把I大寫， as a mark of respect表示尊重—— more like a name than a plain describing word比較像一個名稱，而不只是普通的形容詞。 It is a formal word這是個正式的詞。
In everyday talk people also say native, though native is looser and can sound awkward about people. You will meet indigenous in news, school, and law.
In everyday talk在日常對話裡， people also say native大家也會說native， though native is looser and can sound awkward about people不過native的意思比較鬆，用在講人的時候可能聽起來怪怪的。 You will meet indigenous in news, school, and law你會在新聞、學校和法律裡遇到indigenous這個詞。
Though actually, “always been there” is tidier than real history. Groups move. The point of the word is: they were not planted there by later or by a ship.
Though actually不過其實， "always been there" is tidier than real history「一直都在那裡」這個說法比真實的歷史要整齊乾淨。 Groups move族群是會遷徙的。 The point of the word is這個詞真正的重點是： they were not planted there by later settlers or by a ship他們不是後來被殖民者或船隻「種」到那裡的。
And despite the look of it, this word has nothing to do with Indian.
And despite the look of it雖然看起來很像， this word has nothing to do with Indian這個詞跟Indian一點關係都沒有。
組成Borrowed from Late Latin indigenus (“native, born in a country”): indi- / indu- (an old form of in, “in”) + gen- (the root of Latin gignō, “give birth to”) + English -ous. Not related to Indian.
同家族的字
- indigenesame Latin: a native person (rare now)
- endogenousa separately formed doublet from the same “born inside” pieces, mostly in science
原始詞典資料5 筆記錄
以下是外部詞典記錄的用法，原文照列，我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的；有些用法可能上面已經講過了。
indigenousadj/ɪnˈdɪdʒɪnəs/
- 1
Native to a land, especially before colonization.
- The Aboriginals were indigenous to Victoria before the World War.
- Not only the Indian, but many indigenous insects, birds, and quadrupeds, welcomed the apple-tree to these shores.
- 2
Native to a land, especially before colonization.
- The Ainu are the indigenous ethnic group of Japan's Hokkaido Island.
- About 98 per cent of Taiwan's inhabitants are Han Chinese, a diverse mix of ethnic and linguistic groups, including Hakka, Cantonese and Fujianese, who came from China's southern coast. Taiwan's other two per cent are from one of the nine indigenous tribes, which are scattered throughout the island but largely concentrated along the east coast and in the Central Mountain Range.
- 3
Innate, inborn.
- She was a native and essential cook, as much as Aunt Chloe,—cooking being an indigenous talent of the African race.
- He had all the tricks of a newspaper boy indigenous in him.
- 4
Original to a geographical area.
- That style of pottery is indigenous to that region.
資料來源：英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary（CC BY-SA 4.0）。 原文照列，未經改寫。