Where does “nature” come from?
Nature comes from Middle English nature, from Old French nature, from Latin natura meaning "essential qualities," derived from natus, the past participle of nascor meaning "to be born," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ǵenh₁- meaning "to give birth."
nature (English): The natural world; that which consists of all...
Definitions
- The natural world; that which consists of all...
Ancestry of “nature”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | nature | The Universe, existence, creation; nature, the... |
| 2 | Old French | nature | nature |
| 3 | Latin | nātūra | the nature, quality, substance or essence of a thing |
| 4 | Latin | nātus | born, arisen, made |
| 5 | Latin | gnātus | — |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | gnātos | born |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵn̥h₁tós | begotten, produced |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵenh₁- | to produce, to beget, to give birth |