naturel French · revision 16645

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1119, Philippe de Thaon, Comput (naturalz)|origins=la nāscor}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /na.ty.ʁɛl/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''naturel''' (feminine naturelle, masculine plural naturels, feminine plural naturelles)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French ''natural'' (1119), ''naturel'' from about 1130 (''Eneas'').^(GLLF 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|nātūrālis|t=by birth; belonging to nature; innate]], from [[m|la|nātūra|t=nature]] (see [[nature]]), from [[m|la|nāscor|t=to be born]].^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(GLLF 1989)^(FEW|7, 49a)^(Wiktionary) Wiktionary also analyses it as [[af|fr|nature|-el]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ Compare [[oc|natural]], [[es|natural]] and [[it|naturale]].^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Philippe de Thaon's ''Comput'' (1119) has ''naturalz jurz'', the astronomical day of 24 hours, “belonging to nature”.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) An Anglo-Norman lapidary (first half of the 12th century) uses it for what nature alone produces: ''glace natural''.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ ''Mort naturelle'' is recorded in 1256.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) In the 13th century it meant innate (''Dolopathos'', about 1210) and suited to a person's own nature (Jean de Meun); a ''seignor natural'' was one's lawful lord.^(TLFi)^(Littré 1873) ''Enfant naturel'' “born out of wedlock” dates from 1398, Littré notes that it once meant a legitimate child as well.^(TLFi)^(Littré 1873) Robert Estienne (1538) has it for “in keeping with reason and common usage”, whence ''il est naturel de'' (1580, Montaigne).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ In the 17th century it described an unaffected manner (La Rochefoucauld, 1664).^(DHLF 1992) Mathematics has ''nombres naturels'' (1675).^(DHLF 1992) As a noun, ''le naturel'' is a person's temperament (1538), a lack of affectation (1671, Madame de Sévigné) and ''au naturel'' “true to life; plain” (1540); ''les naturels'' are the natives of a country (1587).^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1119 – ''Naturalz jurz'', Philippe de Thaon.^(TLFi)

+ * 1256 – ''Mort naturelle''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1398 – ''Enfant naturel''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1538 – ''Le naturel'' “temperament”, Robert Estienne.^(TLFi)

+ * 1580 – ''Il est naturel de'', Montaigne.^(TLFi)

+ * 1587 – ''Les naturels'' “natives”, La Noue.^(TLFi)

+ * 1675 – ''Nombres naturels''.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|natural]], of nature: ''phénomènes naturels'', ''sciences naturelles'', ''mort naturelle''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Not artificial: ''gaz naturel'', ''soie naturelle'', ''produit naturel''.^(TLFi)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Innate: ''une disposition naturelle''.^(TLFi)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # Normal, to be expected: ''c'est tout naturel'', ''il est naturel que…''.^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # Unaffected, spontaneous: ''rester naturel''.^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''Enfant naturel'': a child born out of wedlock.^(TLFi)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(mathematics)'' ''Nombre naturel, entier naturel'': a natural number.^(DHLF 1992)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # Temperament, character: ''un naturel jaloux''.^(TLFi)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # Naturalness, lack of affectation: ''avec beaucoup de naturel''.^(TLFi)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''Au naturel'': plain, unseasoned: ''thon au naturel''; true to life.^(TLFi)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''(dated)'' A native: ''les naturels du pays''.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[naturellement]]

+ * [[surnaturel]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[nature]]

+ * [[naturaliste]]

+ * [[naturaliser]]

+ * [[la|nātūrālis]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}