indios
indigenous people
noun EEN-dyos Rare
Origin: From Spanish indios (Indians), used specifically for native peoples of Latin America.
Usage Note
Indios is an invariable borrowing from Spanish used in Italian to refer specifically to indigenous peoples of Latin America (as distinct from indiani, which can mean Indian subcontinent or Native American in other contexts). It is always plural and treated as masculine plural.
Examples
"Gli indios difendevano la loro terra dalla deforestazione."
Natural Translation
The indigenous people were defending their land from deforestation.

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