autochthon Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun the earliest known inhabitants of a region

WordNet

Au*toch"thon noun
Etymology
L., fr. Gr. , pl. , from the land itself; self + earth, land.
Wordforms
plural E Authochthons L Autochthones
Definitions
  1. One who is supposed to rise or spring from the ground or the soil he inhabits; one of the original inhabitants or aborigines; a native; -- commonly in the plural. This title was assumed by the ancient Greeks, particularly the Athenians.
  2. That which is original to a particular country, or which had there its origin.

Webster 1913