nativitas

Forms

nātīvitās f (genitive nātīvitātis); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Latin nātīvus + -tās.^[2] The adjective nātīvus (“native, original”) is derived from nāscor (“to be born”) and its participle nātus¹,^[3][4] which go back to Proto-Italic *gnāto- (“born”) and Proto-Indo-European *ǵnh₁-to- (“born”).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is post-Classical;^[5] Tertullian (c. 160–220 AD) is the earliest dated author to use it, speaking of the ianua nativitatis, the gateway of birth.^[5][6]

Semantic evolution

In Christian writers it meant the condition of being born, mortal and bound to sin, and secunda nativitas was rebirth.^[7][4] Tertullian also uses it for a generation (usque ad quartam nativitatem, “to the fourth generation”),^[4] the Vulgate speaks of the vultus nativitatis, a man's natural face,^[5] and the Digest says that birth or adoption makes someone a citizen of a town.^[5] Terentianus Maurus uses it for the origin of a sound.^[2] It is rare in poetry.^[7]

In Medieval Latin nativitas Domini was the Nativity of Christ and Christmas, and a saint's nativitas was the anniversary of their death.^[8] It also meant the status a person had by birth, serfdom, a horoscope and even cultivated crops.^[8] The TLL traces Spanish navidad, the feast of Christ's birth, and Old French naité to it.^[7] English nativity appears in the early 12th century for the feast of Christmas.^[9]

Timeline

• c. 160–220 AD – Tertullian uses it for birth and for a generation.^[5][6]
• 390–406 AD – The Vulgate speaks of the vultus nativitatis, the natural face.^[5][6]
• 533 AD – The Digest says that birth or adoption makes a citizen.^[5][6]
• early 12th century – English has Nativite for the feast of Christmas.^[9]

Meanings

Noun

1. Birth, nativity.^[2][5]
2. (transferred) Origin.^[2]
3. A generation.^[5][4]
4. (Ecclesiastical Latin) secunda nativitas: rebirth, regeneration.^[4]
5. (Medieval Latin) The Nativity of Christ; Christmas.^[8][1]
6. (Medieval Latin) The anniversary of a saint's death.^[8]
7. (Medieval Latin) Status determined by birth; serfdom.^[8]
8. (Medieval Latin) A horoscope.^[8]
9. (Medieval Latin) Cultivated crops.^[8]

Related words

• nāscor
• nātiō
• nātīvus
• English nativity

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
4. ^ a b c d e Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
7. ^ a b c Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
8. ^ a b c d e f g Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
9. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com