Natal

See also: natal and nätäl'

English

Etymology

From Portuguese Natal (“Christmas”), because the region in South Africa was discovered by the Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama on Christmas Day, 1497. Doublet of natal.

Proper noun

Natal

1. A former British colony and province of South Africa, itself beforehand the Natalia Republic. It is now called KwaZulu-Natal province.
2. A municipality, the state capital of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil

Derived terms

• Natal brown

Translations

former British colony

• Lithuanian: Natalis (lt) m
• Marathi: नाताल (nātāl)
• Portuguese: Natal (pt) m

Further reading

• Natal on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• alant

Indonesian

Etymology

From Malay Natal borrowed from Portuguese Natal (via any dialects in contact with the Portuguese like Ambonese, Ternate etc), from Old Galician-Portuguese Natal, from Latin nātālis [diēs Dominī] (“birthday of the Lord”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /na.tal/
• Hyphenation: Na‧tal
• Rhymes: -atal, -tal, -al

Proper noun

Natal

1. (Christianity) Christmas: A festival/holiday commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ and incorporating various Christian, pre-Christian, pagan and secular customs, which is celebrated on December 25 in most places.

Alternative forms

• natal

Synonyms

• Krismas (Malaysia except Malacca, and Singapore)

Further reading

• “Natal” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016.

Malay

Etymology

Borrowed from Portuguese Natal (via any dialects in contact with the Portuguese like Ambonese, Ternate etc) or creoles like Kristang, from Old Galician-Portuguese Natal, from Latin nātālis [diēs Dominī] (“birthday of the Lord”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /natal/
• Rhymes: -tal, -al
• Hyphenation: Na‧tal

Proper noun

Natal (Jawi spelling ناتل)

1. (Malacca, Christianity) Christmas; a festival/holiday commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ and incorporating various Christian, pre-Christian, pagan and secular customs, which is celebrated on December 25 in most places.

Synonyms

• Krismas (rest of Malaysia, Singapore)

Descendants

• Indonesian: Natal

References

• Wilkinson, Richard James (1932) “natal”, in A Malay-English dictionary (romanised), volume I, Mytilene, Greece: Salavopoulos & Kinderlis, page 167

Further reading

• “Natal” in Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu | Malay Literary Reference Centre, Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 2017.

Old Galician-Portuguese

Etymology

Inherited from Latin nātālis [diēs Dominī] (“birthday of the Lord”).

Noun

Natal m

1. Christmas

Related terms

• irmão (through PIE)
• nacença
• nacer
• nada
• nado
• natura
• natural
• natureza

 

Descendants

• Galician: Nadal
• Portuguese: Natal (see there for further descendants)

Further reading

• Universo Cantigas - "Natal"

Portuguese

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /naˈtaw/ [naˈtaʊ̯]

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /nɐˈtal/ [nɐˈtaɫ]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /nɐˈtal/ [nɐˈtaɫ]
  • (Southern Portugal) IPA^(key): /nɐˈta.li/

• Rhymes: (Portugal) -al, (Brazil) -aw
• Homophone: natal
• Hyphenation: Na‧tal

Etymology 1

Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese Natal, from Latin nātālis [diēs Dominī] (“birthday of the Lord”). Doublet of natal.

Compare Galician Nadal.

Proper noun

Natal m (plural Natais)

1. Christmas (festival observed on December 25 commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ)

Descendants

• → Gujarati: નાતાલ (nātāl)
• →⇒ Malay: Natal, Hari Natal
  • → Indonesian: Natal
• → Konkani: नाताळ (nātāḷ)
• → Marathi: नाताळ (nātāḷ), नाथाळ (nāthāḷ)
• → Sinhalese: නත්තල (nattala)
• → Tetum: Natál
• → Tamil: நத்தார் (nattār)

Etymology 2

From Natal (“Christmas”), because the region in South Africa was discovered by the Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama on Christmas Day, 1497.

Proper noun

Natal m

1. Natal (a former colony of the United Kingdom, in southern Africa)
2. A municipality, the state capital of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil

Descendants

• → English: Natal