This week's theme
Miscellaneous words

This week's words
tumid
primogeniture
recidivism
mien
autochthonous

This week's comments
AWADmail 591

Next week's theme
Eponyms

---

A.Word.A.Day

PRONUNCIATION:

(o-TOK-thuh-nuhs)

MEANING:

adjective:
1. Aboriginal; indigenous.
2. Formed or originating in the place where found.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Greek autochthon (of the land itself), from auto- (self) + chthon (earth, land). Ultimately from the Indo-European root dhghem- (earth), which also sprouted human, homicide, humble, homage, chamomile, exhume, inhume, chthonic, disinter, chameleonic, and Persian zamindar (landholder). Earliest documented use: 1804. The opposite of this term is allochthonous.

USAGE:

"As if this were a holy place, a shrine where the autochthonous tribes had gathered to worship."
T.C. Boyle; The Women; Viking; 2009.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: