natal

natal · adjective¹

1. Proto-Indo-European*ǵenh₁-
2. Proto-Indo-European*ǵn̥h₁tós
3. Proto-Italic*gnātos
4. Latingnātus
5. Latinnātus
6. Proto-Indo-European*h₂el-
7. Proto-Indo-European*h₂élisder.?
8. Latinnātālis
9. Middle Englishnatal
10. English todaynatal

From Middle English natal, natale (“native, one’s own; inherited; presiding over birthdays or births”), from Classical Latin nātālis (“natal”), from nātus, perfect active participle of nāscor (“to be born”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵenh₁-. Doublet of nada, Natal, née, and Noel.

natal · adjective²

From Classical Latin natis (“rump”) + -al.

Natal · proper noun³

1. Portuguese · borrowed fromNatal“Christmas”
2. English todayNatal

From Portuguese Natal (“Christmas”), because the region in South Africa was discovered by the Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama on Christmas Day, 1497. Doublet of nada, natal, née, and Noel.

Words from the same roots