naturalmente

Etymology

It is formed from Spanish natural + -mente.^[1][2] The adjective, recorded about 1140, is from Latin nātūrālis.^[3][4] The adverb ending continues -mente, -miente and -mientre, from Latin mente, the ablative of the Latin noun for “mind”.^[1] Echegaray gave Latin nātūrāliter as the source, and compared Italian naturalmente, French naturellement and Catalan naturalment.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The earliest record in the CDH is Berceo's Vida de Santo Domingo de Silos (about 1236, in a late 13th-century copy), as naturalmientre, “as nature does”: the saint saw his vineyard take root naturalmientre.^[6] The Libro de los doce sabios (about 1237) says that a king is feared naturalmente, “by nature”, while a regent is feared for his justice.^[6][7]

Semantic evolution

In Alfonso X's Lapidario the adverb means “by nature” (the magnet has the power to attract iron natural miente) and “in accordance with nature”.^[8] In the Setenario it means “by birth”: Fernando was nuestro padre naturalmiente.^[6] The Diccionario de Autoridades defined it as “by nature, properly, regularly, ingenuously”.^[9] The Academy added “probably, consequently” in 1869, and in 2001 it gave “without doubt” as the first sense.^[10][11] Today the DLE also records it as a reply of agreement, “of course”.^[12]

Timeline

• c. 1236 – Berceo writes naturalmientre.^[6]
• c. 1237 – the Libro de los doce sabios has the form naturalmente.^[7][6]
• c. 1250 – the Aragonese Vidal Mayor has naturalment.^[6]
• 1250–1279 – Alfonso X's Lapidario: “by nature”.^[8]
• c. 1495 – Nebrija glosses it with Latin natura in the ablative.^[13]
• 1535 – the first record in the Americas, in Tierra Firme, in a death sentence: hasta que muriesen naturalmente.^[14]
• 1734 – the Diccionario de Autoridades.^[9]
• 1869 – the Academy adds the sense “probably, consequently”.^[10]
• 2001 – “without doubt” is the first sense in the Academy's dictionary.^[11]

Meanings

Adverb

1. of course, certainly; also as a reply of agreement: —¿Me ayudarás? —Naturalmente.^[12][1][15]
2. By nature: Es naturalmente tímido.^[12][15]
3. naturally, without affectation.^[12]
4. In accordance with the laws of nature.^[12]

Related words

• naturaleza
• naturalidad

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ Barcia, Roque (1880–1883), Primer diccionario general etimológico de la lengua española, 5 vols., Madrid: Establecimiento Tipográfico de Álvarez Hermanos, p. 886
3. ^ Corominas, Joan (1973), Breve diccionario etimológico de la lengua castellana, 3rd ed., Madrid: Gredos, p. s.v. nacer
4. ^ Real Academia Española; Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española (2014–), Diccionario de la lengua española, 23rd ed., online version 23.8, https://dle.rae.es, p. s.v. natural
5. ^ Echegaray, Eduardo de (1887–1889), Diccionario general etimológico de la lengua española, 5 vols., Madrid: José María Faquineto, p. 468
6. ^ a b c d e f Real Academia Española (2013–), Corpus del Diccionario histórico de la lengua española (CDH), version 3.1, https://apps.rae.es/CNDHE
7. ^ a b Diccionario del Español Medieval electrónico (DEMel), data publication 2026 (CC BY-SA), Universität Rostock
8. ^ a b Kasten, Lloyd A.; Nitti, John J.; Gago Jover, Francisco (2002–), Diccionario de la prosa castellana del Rey Alfonso X, New York: Hispanic Seminary of Medieval Studies (electronic edition 2024), p. s.v. naturalmente
9. ^ a b Real Academia Española (1726–1739), Diccionario de la lengua castellana (Diccionario de Autoridades), 6 vols., Madrid: Francisco del Hierro, p. 4, 652
10. ^ a b Real Academia Española (1869), Diccionario de la lengua castellana, 11th ed., Madrid: Imprenta de Don Manuel Rivadeneyra, p. 533
11. ^ a b Real Academia Española (2001), Diccionario de la lengua española, 22nd ed., Madrid: Espasa-Calpe, p. s.v. naturalmente
12. ^ a b c d e Real Academia Española; Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española (2014–), Diccionario de la lengua española, 23rd ed., online version 23.8, https://dle.rae.es, p. s.v. naturalmente
13. ^ Nebrija, Antonio de (1513), Vocabulario español-latino, Salamanca, ed. Marina Vidal Díez (2007), Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes, p. 385
14. ^ Boyd-Bowman, Peter (2003), Léxico hispanoamericano 1493–1993, ed. Ray Harris-Northall and John J. Nitti, New York: Hispanic Seminary of Medieval Studies
15. ^ a b Moliner, María (2007), Diccionario de uso del español, 3rd ed., Madrid: Gredos, p. s.v. naturalmente