autochthon

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autochthon

/ɔːˈtɒkθ(ə)n/ UK
/ɔːˈtɒkθɒn/ UK
/ɔˈtɑkθ(ə)n/ US
/ɔˈtɑkˌθɑn/ US
/ɑˈtɑkθ(ə)n/ US
/ɑˈtɑkˌθɑn/ US

Where it comes from

From Ancient Greek αὐτόχθων (autókhthōn, “indigenous”), from αὐτός (autós, “self”) + χθών (khthṓn, “earth, soil”).

noun autochthons · autochthones · autocthon

formal The earliest inhabitant of an area; an indigenous person. The Foreigner by his Intercourse with an Autocthon has an Autocthon Progeny. Wherever a type is found in the population of a country, there it is still found in spite of innumerable crossings; […]
A large mass of rock in the place of its original formation, rooted to its basement (foundation rock) as opposed to an allochthon or nappe which has shifted from the place of formation; an autochthonous rock formation. These rocks are lithically identical with the Normanskill in the allochthon but differ from the correlative Hortonville or Walloomsac Slates […] of the autochthon. […] In the light of Warthin's findings and the absence of evidence to the contrary, the pelitic rocks that geometrically overlie the Cam
A term referring to mortals and immortals who have sprung, fully-formed, from the soil, rocks and trees. Mythical characters, such as Erichthonius (a son of Hephaestus and Gaia, and raised by Athena), and Cecrops I, are two most well-known examples.

Translations

Every language

noun earliest inhabitant

Español	autóctono
中文	土著人 tǔzhùrén, 原住民 yuánzhùmín
Français	autochtone
Ελληνικά	αυτόχθονας aftóchthonas
Română	autohton
Русский	автохто́н avtoxtón

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MLA

"autochthon." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/autochthon. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

autochthon. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/autochthon

Chicago

"autochthon." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/autochthon.

BibTeX

@misc{autochthon_2026,
  title = {autochthon},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/autochthon},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}