Negritos
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
 India(Andaman and Nicobar Islands)  Malaysia(Peninsular Malaysia)  Philippines(Luzon, Palawan, Panay, Negros, and Mindanao)  Thailand(Southern Thailand) |
|
| Religion | |
| Animism, ethnic religions |
The Negrito (/nɪˈɡriːtoʊ/) are several ethnic groups who inhabit isolated parts of Southeast Asia. Their current populations include Andamanese peoples of the Andaman Islands, the Semang of Malaysia, the Maniq people of Thailand, and the Aeta people, Ati people, and 30 other ethnic groups in the Philippines.
The Negrito peoples show strong physical similarities with the Pygmy peoples of Africa but are genetically closer to other Southeast Asian populations. They may be descended from ancient Australoid-Melanesian settlers of Southeast Asia, or represent an early split from the southern coast migrants from Africa.
The word "Negrito" is the Spanish diminutive of negro, used to mean "little black person". This usage was coined by 16th-century Spanish missionaries operating in the Philippines, and was borrowed by other European travellers and colonialists across southeast Asia to label various peoples perceived as sharing relatively small physical stature and dark skin. Contemporary usage of an alternative Spanish epithet, Negrillos, also tended to bundle these peoples with the pygmy peoples of Central Africa, based on perceived similarities in stature and complexion. (Historically, the label Negrito has occasionally been used also to refer to African Pygmies.)
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