What is the Latin word for native?

The usual Latin words for “native” are indigena, vernāculus, nātīvus; also patria, nātālis. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“native” in Latin

indigenanative, indigenous vernāculusnative, domestic, indigenous, vernacular (originally of slaves)nātīvuscreated, made; inborn, innate, imparted by birth; natural, native, made by nature and not artificial patriafatherland, native land; home nātālisnatal (of one's birth)

The English word native itself goes back to Latin nātus, through nātīvus.

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

native

indigena; vernaculus (e.g., legio vernacula, Caes., ; vocabula vernacula, Varr.): nativus. The natives, indigenae; in ea terra nati (Cic.): one’s native land, patria (Cic.); terra patria (Verg.); solum patrium, natale. Also by circumlocution, solum in quo quis ortus et procreatus est (Cic., Legg., 2, 2, 4). Vid: also, NATURAL, INNATE.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for native?: The usual Latin words for “native” are indigena, vernāculus, nātīvus; also patria, nātālis. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.