Where does “First Nation” come from?
First Nation (English) comes from English nation, from Middle English nacioun, from Old French nacion, from Latin nātiō, from Latin nātus, from Latin gnātus, from Proto-Italic gnātos, from Proto-Indo-European ǵn̥h₁tós — to produce, to beget, to give birth.
First Nation (English): A community of indigenous peoples of Canada (typically not including the Inuit or Metis), especially one officially recognized by the federal government
Definitions
- A community of indigenous peoples of Canada (typically not including the Inuit or Metis), especially one officially recognized by the federal government
Ancestry of “First Nation”, step by step
First Nation traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English nation
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | nation | A historically constituted, stable community of... |
| 2 | Middle English | nacioun | nation, country; people, race, tribe; People with... |
| 3 | Old French | nacion | birth; nation |
| 4 | Latin | nātiō | birth |
| 5 | Latin | nātus | born, arisen, made |
| 6 | Latin | gnātus | — |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | gnātos | born |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵn̥h₁tós | begotten, produced |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵenh₁- | to produce, to beget, to give birth |
via English First
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | First | Preceding all others of a series or kind; the ordinal of one; earliest |
| 2 | Middle English | first | first |
| 3 | Old English | fyrst | Alternative form of fierst; Alternative form of... |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | frestaz | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | pres- | to press |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |