nomadic people; nomadic tribe
Refers to ethnic groups or tribes that move from place to place, typically herding livestock. Often used in historical or anthropological contexts.
The nomadic people of Mongolia live while moving with the seasons.
遊牧民族の文化は、定住農耕民族とは大きく異なる。
The culture of nomadic tribes differs greatly from that of settled agricultural peoples.
The nomadic peoples of the Mongolian plateau make a living raising sheep and horses.
The nomadic tribes in this region move around, grazing their livestock with the seasons.
With modernization, many nomadic peoples have come to settle in cities.
遊牧民 usually refers to nomadic individuals or a nomadic group, while 遊牧民族 stresses the whole ethnic tribe or people as a collective identity.
部族 is a general word for a tribe or ethnic group regardless of lifestyle, whereas 遊牧民族 specifically means a tribe that lives a nomadic, herding life.
農耕民族 refers to peoples who settle and farm the land, in contrast to 遊牧民族 who move seasonally with their herds.
Compound of 遊牧 (nomadic herding) + 民族 (ethnic group, people). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term is a straightforward modern combination.