Standard Lemma guide

autochthon

noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ɔːˈtɒkθ(ə)n/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ɔːˈtɒkθɒn/
  • Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /ɔˈtɑkθ(ə)n/
  • General-American: /ɔˈtɑkˌθɑn/
  • General-American: /ɑˈtɑkθ(ə)n/
  • General-American: /ɑˈtɑkˌθɑn/

1

noun

Meaning 1

The earliest inhabitant of an area; an indigenous person.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: formal

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

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.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: geography, geology, natural-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

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.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: human-sciences, mysticism, mythology, philosophy, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

the earliest known inhabitants of a region

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: primitive, primitive person

History

Etymology

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

Across languages

Translations

19 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: autòcton — earliest inhabitant
  • Chinese Mandarin: 土著人 (tǔzhùrén) — earliest inhabitant
  • Chinese Mandarin: 原住民 (yuánzhùmín) — earliest inhabitant
  • Dutch: autochtoon — earliest inhabitant
  • Esperanto: indiĝeno — earliest inhabitant
  • Esperanto: aŭtoĥtono — earliest inhabitant
  • Esperanto: aŭtoktono — earliest inhabitant
  • Finnish: alkuasukas — earliest inhabitant
  • Finnish: autoktoni — earliest inhabitant
  • French: autochtone — earliest inhabitant
  • Greek: αυτόχθονας (aftóchthonas) — earliest inhabitant
  • Kazakh: автохтон (avtoxton) — earliest inhabitant
  • Kyrgyz: автохтон (avtohton) — earliest inhabitant
  • Polish: autochton — earliest inhabitant
  • Polish: autochtonka — earliest inhabitant
  • Romanian: autohton — earliest inhabitant
  • Russian: автохто́н (avtoxtón) — earliest inhabitant
  • Spanish: autóctono — earliest inhabitant
  • Polish: autochton — geology