tribal

Etymology

From Latin tribālis; surface analysis tribe + -al, first attested in the 1630s.

adj

  1. Of or relating to tribes.
    social order through tribal law
  2. Based on or organized according to tribes.
    a tribal society

noun

  1. A design or image that has been influenced by indigenous peoples; especially such a tattoo.
  2. (India) A member of a tribe.
    This right had been accepted by relative tribals but misobeyed and effaced by non-tribals and foreign peasants. 1983, Human Science: Journal of the Anthropological Survey of India, page 141
    […] the legendary Adivasi leader Jaipal Singh Munda who came to represent the tribals not just of his native plateau, but also of all of India […] 2018, Vaijayanta Anand, Geeta Balakrishnan, Purnima George, Community Practices in India: Lessons from the Grassroots, page 66

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