aborīginēs
Unclear. The term is often suggested to derive from ab orīgine (“from the beginning”).[1][2][3] However, early Latin sources seem to treat it as the name of a specific people rather than a general term for original inhabitants of anywhere, so it may be the pre-Roman substratename of a specific tribe which was altered to resemble ab orīgine due to folk etymology.[3] (Roman authors also suggested several other possible origins, like aberrō or ab + Ancient Greek ὄρος (óros, “mountain”), none of which is considered probable.[3])
Pronunciation
- (Classical Latin) IPA(key): /a.boˈriː.ɡi.neːs/, [äbɔˈriːɡɪneːs̠]
- (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): /a.boˈri.d͡ʒi.nes/, [äboˈriːd͡ʒines]
Noun
aborīginēs m pl (genitive aborīginum); third declension
- aborigines (original inhabitants)
Declension
Third-declension noun, plural only.
| Case | Plural |
|---|---|
| Nominative | aborīginēs |
| Genitive | aborīginum |
| Dative | aborīginibus |
| Accusative | aborīginēs |
| Ablative | aborīginibus |
| Vocative | aborīginēs |