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Revised 2024 More entries for Indo-

Indo-combining form1

Quotations

Earlier version

  1. 1.
    Forming adjectives and nouns with the sense ‘Indian ——; Indian and ——’. Also: (in later use esp. in political contexts) combined with adjectives (and occasionally nouns) relating to the names of countries, nations, etc., with the senses ‘between the Indians and ——’, ‘jointly Indian and ——’, ‘of mixed Indian and —— descent, nature, or characteristics’.
    Typically referring to India or to South Asia more generally (cf. Indian subcontinent n.), but sometimes (as in quot. 1891) referring to Indigenous peoples of North, Central, and South America (cf. Indian adj. A.2, Indian n. B.I.2a). The latter usage, while still current, is now increasingly likely to be avoided in favour of other terms: see discussion at Indian n. B.I.2a.
    Frequently in geological, ecological, and ethnological contexts.
    1. 1826
      At the Calcutta grammar-school..are two exhibitions expressly supported by some wealthy and benevolent individuals of the mixed or Indo-Briton stock.
      R. Heber, Letter 18 February in A. Heber, Life of Reginald Heber (1830) vol. II. xxvii. 384
    2. 1857
      This year I commenced at Jáfirábád, under the hospitable roof of the Indo-Abyssinian Governor of the place, Sídí Mohamed.
      E. B. Eastwick, Autobiogr. Lutfullah xii. 353
    3. 1861
      He indicates an original source purely Greek,..another Indo-Egyptian.
      J. G. Sheppard, Fall of Rome xii. 675
    4. 1884
      In Europe, before the introduction of the algorithm or full Indo-Arabic system with the zero.
      Encyclopædia Britannica vol. XVII. 627/1
    5. 1891
      In Paraguay [etc.]..the mass of the population is Indo-Spanish.
      Times 8 January 9/2
    6. 1902
      We talk glibly of Indo-European, Indo-Chinese, Indo-Malayan, Indo-Arabian, and Indo-Oriental Floras.
      J. D. Hooker, Letter 2 March in L. Huxley, Life & Letters Hooker (1918) vol. II. 390
    7. 1954
      Indian words in English: a study in Indo-British cultural and linguistic relations.
      G. S. Rao (title)
    8. 2021
      A man of some refinement, who came to us from Lucknow—a city that is a metonym for high Indo-Islamic culture.
      New York Times (National edition) 16 May (T Style Magazine) 73
  2. 2.
    Linguistics. Forming adjectives and nouns referring to (proposed) language families which include the family of languages to which Sanskrit, Hindi, Bengali, etc., belong (cf. Indo-Aryan adj. & n., Indic adj.1). Occasionally also: forming adjectives and nouns referring to (proposed) language families including the Indo-European languages (see Indo-European adj.1 B.2a).
    See also Indo-Hittite n. & adj., Indo-Iranian adj. & n.
    In such words, Indo- sometimes expresses the southern or eastern limit of the language family's geographical range in pre-modern times, the second element (e.g. Celtic, Germanic) expressing the northern or western limit.
    1. 1850
      A more extensive examination of the Indo-Teutonic languages.
      H. L. Mansel in North Brit. Review November 26/2
    2. 1884
      The great group of nations which has been variously called Aryan, Indo-European, Indo-Germanic, Indo-Celtic, and Japhetic.
      J. Rhŷs, Celtic Britain 1
    3. 1938
      The primeval ways of the ‘Indo-Teutonic North’.
      Burlington Magazine November 231/1
    4. 2001
      Some linguists believe that these two language stocks developed from a common mother language spoken deep in the Palaeolithic (this is called the Indo-Uralic hypothesis).
      Archaeology March 82/2
    linguistics
  3. 3.
    With combining forms and related words, forming nouns and adjectives adverbs to which Indo- is in objective relation, as in Indology n., Indophile n. & adj., etc.