nature

nature
\ \ [13] Etymologically, someone’s nature is the qualities they were ‘born’ with. The word comes via Old French nature from Latin nātūra, a derivative of the verb nāscībe born’ (source of English nation, native, etc). This originally meant simply ‘birth’, but by classical times it had developed to the ‘innate properties or qualities of something or someone’, and hence to the ‘inherent course of things’, the ‘way things are in the world’. The common English sense ‘physical world’ (as in nature study) first began to emerge in the 16th century.
\ \ Cf.NATIVE

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • nature — [ natyr ] n. f. • 1119; lat. natura I ♦ 1 ♦ (Qualifié) La nature de... Ensemble des caractères, des propriétés qui définissent un être, une chose concrète ou abstraite, généralement considérés comme constituant un genre. ⇒ essence; entité. « on… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Nature — еженедельный научный журнал Обложка журнала от 15 февраля 2001 года Специализация …   Википедия

  • nature — Nature. s. f. Tout l Univers, toutes les choses creées. Dieu est l autheur & le maistre de la nature. l ordre qui regne dans toute la nature. il n y a rien de si beau dans toute la nature, dans toute l estenduë de la nature que le soleil. toute… …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • Nature — • Has reference to the production of things, and hence generally includes in its connotation the ideas of energy and activity. Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Nature     Nature    …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • nature — Nature, Natura. La nature et maniere de faire, qu un chacun a de nature, Ingenium. Bonne nature, Bonitas ingenij, Bonum ingenium. Nature pleine de vices, Mendosa natura. La nature et vertu des arbres et des herbes, Arborum atque herbarum natura.… …   Thresor de la langue françoyse

  • Nature — Beschreibung Fachzeitschrift Fachgebiet Naturwissenschaften Sprache Englisch …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Nature — Na ture (?; 135), n. [F., fr. L. natura, fr. natus born, produced, p. p. of nasci to be born. See {Nation}.] 1. The existing system of things; the universe of matter, energy, time and space; the physical world; all of creation. Contrasted with… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • nature — (n.) late 13c., restorative powers of the body, bodily processes; powers of growth; from O.Fr. nature nature, being, principle of life; character, essence, from L. natura course of things; natural character, constitution, quality; the universe,… …   Etymology dictionary

  • nature — The phrase of a…nature, with an adjective before nature, should be used sparingly and only when the adjective by itself will not serve for some reason. For example, a theologian of an enigmatic nature could easily be rephrased as an enigmatic… …   Modern English usage

  • nature — [nā′chər] n. [OFr < L natura < natus, born, produced: see GENUS] 1. the essential character of a thing; quality or qualities that make something what it is; essence 2. inborn character; innate disposition; inherent tendencies of a person 3 …   English World dictionary

  • nature — ► NOUN 1) the physical world, including plants, animals, the landscape, and natural phenomena, as opposed to humans or human creations. 2) the inherent qualities or characteristics of a person or thing. 3) a kind, sort, or class: topics of a… …   English terms dictionary

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