Where does “national” come from?

national (German) comes from French national, from French nation, from Middle French nation, from Old French nacion, from Latin nātiō, from Latin nātus, from Latin gnātus, from Proto-Italic gnātos — to produce, to beget, to give birth.

national (German): national; nationwide, national; nationalist

Definitions

  1. national; nationwide, national; nationalist

Ancestry of “national”, step by step

national traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via French national

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchnationalnational
2Frenchnationnation
3Middle Frenchnationnation
4Old Frenchnacionbirth; nation
5Latinnātiōbirth
6Latinnātusborn, arisen, made
7Latingnātus
8Proto-Italicgnātosborn
9Proto-Indo-Europeanǵn̥h₁tósbegotten, produced
10Proto-Indo-Europeanǵenh₁-to produce, to beget, to give birth

via New Latin nationalis

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1New Latinnationalisnational
2Latinnatiobirth; nation, country, people; race, class
3Latinnatusborn, arisen, made; son, birth, age, years;...
4Latinnascipresent active infinitive of nāscor; to be born,...
5LatinnascorI am born, begotten; I arise, proceed; I grow,...
6LatingnascorAlternative form of nāscor; be born

Words derived from “national

Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵenh₁-
national — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer