indian
indian Lexical Profile
• adjective
Relating to the Republic of India, the Indian subcontinent, its people, or its cultures.
"The culinary festival featured a wide array of traditional Indian spices and regional dishes."
Relating to the indigenous peoples of North, Central, or South America (excluding the Inuit, Yupik, and Aleut), their languages, or their cultures.
"The museum's new wing highlights historic Indian pottery and basketry from the American Southwest."
• noun
A native, citizen, or inhabitant of the Republic of India, or a person of Indian descent.
"Millions of Indians around the world celebrate the festival of Diwali each autumn."
A member of any of the indigenous peoples of North, Central, or South America, excluding the Inuit, Yupik, and Aleut.
"Early European explorers documented their trade encounters with the Plains Indians."
Any of the indigenous languages spoken by the native peoples of the Americas.
"The linguist spent decades recording grammar patterns in several endangered Indian dialects."
Word Nuance & Usage
To avoid ambiguity between people of the Republic of India and the indigenous peoples of the Americas, terms such as 'Native American', 'American Indian', 'First Nations', or 'Indigenous' are frequently preferred in modern North American usage when referring to the latter.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from Late Latin 'Indianus', from Latin 'India' and Ancient Greek 'Indía', ultimately tracing back to the Old Persian 'Hinduš' and Sanskrit 'Sindhu', the native name for the Indus River. Its application to the indigenous peoples of the Americas stems from Christopher Columbus's 1492 geographical misconception that he had reached the East Indies.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.