native

A person or a thing that is native to a place is original or claims to be original. This is a useful word for someone who moves to another country.

• What is your native country?
• What is the native language of the country that you come from?
• Sylvia’s native language is Spanish. She’s from Venezuela.
• Some native people living in Peru still follow a primitive lifestyle.
• There are several native plants and flowers in Gloria’s garden. They grow very easily.
• Lions and tigers are native to many different parts of Africa.

Bill took pictures of the native people when he visited South America last summer.

In the United States, the word "native" is often used with the word "American" when describing the people who were here before Europeans colonized North America. We used to use the word "indian." It’s much better to say "Native American."

• There are many Native Americans living in Minnesota.
• Native American folklore and history are very interesting, taking place over thousands of years.
• Several Native American languages are still spoken today.

It’s possible to use the word "native" as a noun. In this case, it’s used to describe a person:

• The natives of many countries around the world were denied political representation until recently.
• The natives are getting restless. (This is kind of an expression. It means that the people of an area are not satisfied with a situation.)

Note: Sometimes the words "indigenous" or "aboriginal" are used in place of "native" when describing native people or native species.

Click here to learn more words.

December 14, 2014