1870 E. C. Brewer 406/1 Hill tribes, the barbarous tribes dwelling in remote parts of the Deccan or plateau of Central India.
1946 6 July 35/1 Any hill-tribe tends to lead a more or less segregated life.
1972 Feb. 271/1 Although often labeled as a ‘hill tribe’, Thailand's Karens occupy both upland and lowland villages.