Indian

From the subcontinent

Indian refers to a person from India or a descendant of such people, or to anything relating to India: Indian cuisine, Indian cinema, the Indian subcontinent.

Indian also historically designated indigenous peoples of the Americas—a misnomer from Columbus's belief he had reached India.

While American Indian remains in use, particularly among some indigenous groups themselves, Native American or specific tribal names are often preferred.

Context usually clarifies which meaning applies: She's Indian might need specification, but the Indian Ocean or the Indian reservation do not. (Lowercase indian is nonstandard.)

culture

Bollywood

Indian film industry

yogaMind-body exercise discipline
sariWrapped South Asian dress
DiwaliHindu festival of lights

Holi · Ayurveda · karma · dharma · guru · mantra · Hinduism · puja · Vedic · Sanskrit

cuisine

curry

Aromatic South Asian dish

biryaniSpiced layered rice dish
tandooriIndian clay-oven method
masalaIndian spice blend

naan · dal · samosa · paneer · chutney · dosa · roti · vindaloo · korma · thali

American

Native American

Original inhabitants of America

tribeSocial group sharing ancestry
reservationAdvance arrangement to hold
CherokeeIndigenous Southeastern nation

Navajo · Sioux · Apache · Iroquois · powwow · headdress · tribal sovereignty · First Nations · Lakota · Ojibwe

heritage

Ganges

India's holiest river

HimalayasAsia's highest range
VedasHindu canonical texts
GandhiIndian independence leader

Mughal · Rajput · Varanasi · Jaipur

ethnicity

Punjabi

Indo-Aryan language, Pakistan's majority

TamilSouth Indian language
BengaliLanguage of Bangladesh
GujaratiIndo-Aryan western language

Marathi · Telugu · Kannada · Assamese · Kashmiri · Rajasthani · Sikh · Muslim · Jain

nationality

citizen

Legal national member

passportGovernment-issued travel credential
diasporaScattered population sharing origins
expatriateOne living abroad permanently

naturalization · consulate · embassy · visa · repatriation · immigration · tricolor · rupee · sovereignty · Republic

diaspora

expatriate

One living abroad permanently

immigrantOne who resettles abroad
communityCollective of connected people
remittanceFunds sent elsewhere

homeland · heritage · second-generation · abroad · settlement · cultural preservation

Categories

cuisinesItalian cuisine, French cuisine, Chinese cuisine, Japanese cuisine, Mexican cuisine
NationalitiesAmerican, Australian, Brazilian, British, Canadian
DemonymsAmerican, Australian, Canadian, British, Chinese
food originsAmerican, European, Asian, African, Mexican
Geographic AdjectivesAmerican, Asian, African, European, Australian
Proper AdjectivesAmerican, British, Chinese, French, German

Opposites

colonial/indigenous status

One who colonizes territory

European · colonist · white · paleface · immigrant

NATIONAL/REGIONAL IDENTITY (South Asian)

IndianPakistani

From Lahore's homeland

British · European · Western · Chinese · American

HIERARCHICAL ROLE (historical American context)

Indiancowboy

Mounted cattle herder

chief · cavalry · settler · soldier · frontiersman

Phrases

Indian cuisineSouth Asian culinary tradition
Indian inkCarbon-based black ink
Indian foodSubcontinental culinary tradition
British IndiaCrown-ruled subcontinent territory
East IndiesSoutheast Asian archipelago
India pale aleHop-forward beer style

Family

India, Hindi, Indiana, Indians, Indianapolis, Indies, Indian summer, Indian paintbrush, South Indian

Familiarity: Top 100,000
Profile: Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Everyday, not technical · Rated G