Etymologically
Log in

nascor

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 15 October 2026 at 19:30. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈnaːs.kɔr][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈnas.kor][1]

Forms

nāscor (present infinitive nāscī, perfect active nātus sum or gnātus sum); third conjugation, deponent[1] The old spelling with gn-, as gnatus, is found in early Latin and in poetry.[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *gnāsk-e/o- (“to be born”), inherited from Proto-Indo-European *ǵn̥h₁-sk-e/o- (“to be born”), with the inchoative suffix, from the root *ǵenh₁- (“to beget”).[4][1][5] The initial ⟨gn-⟩ was simplified to ⟨n-⟩.[1] gignō “to beget”, nātiō and nātūra come from the same root.[6][1]

Cognate with Sanskrit जात (jātá-, “born”) and Ancient Greek γίγνομαι (gígnomai, “to be born, become”).[4][6][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found from Plautus onwards,[4] as in the Menaechmi: “twin sons were born to him”.[6]

Semantic evolution

It meant to be born, and of plants and parts of the body to grow, as Horace's feathers sprouting on his fingers.[6] Stars were said to be born when they rose, and days when they dawned, as Virgil's “arise, Lucifer”.[6] Abstract things came into being, as Plautus' quarrel that “was born” between husband and wife.[6]

Natus gave a person's age, as Plautus' “more than thirty years old”, and crops, wines and animals were said to be born in a place or year.[6] Cicero calls natural law non scripta sed nata, “not written but born”.[6] It also expressed descent, origin and natural disposition, as Ovid's “you were not born for the horse”.[6] It survives as Romanian naște, Italian nascere, French naître and Portuguese nascer.[1] English nation and native come from its derivatives natio and nativus.[7]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it for being born and for age.[6][8]
  • 96–55 BC – Lucretius uses it for parts of the body forming.[6][8]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero speaks of law that is “born, not written”.[6][8]
  • 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it of the morning star rising.[6][8]
  • c. 1300 – English nation is first recorded.[7]
  • late 14th century – English native is first recorded.[7]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To be born.[6][3]
  2. To grow, spring up.[6][1]
  3. (of stars) To rise, (of day) to dawn.[6]
  4. To arise, come into being.[6][1]
  5. natus (with years) Aged, years old.[6][1]
  6. To be produced (naturally).[6]
  7. To spring (from), descend (from).[6]
  8. (perfect participle) To be born for, suited to.[6]

Word family

  • agnāscor
  • dēnāscor
  • ēnāscor
  • innāscor
  • internāscor
  • renāscor

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  3. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  4. ^ a b c de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  5. ^ a b Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  7. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  8. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de