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.

Proper noun

Natal

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

Translations

capital of Rio Grande do Norte

• Russian: Ната́ль m (Natálʹ)

former British colony

Anagrams

• alant

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Indonesian

Etymology

Borrowed from Portuguese Natal.

Proper noun

Natal

1. Christmas

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Portuguese

Etymology

From Old Portuguese natal, nadal, from Latin nātālis [diēs Dominī] (“birthday of the Lord”).

Pronunciation

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /nɐ.ˈtaɫ/
• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /na.ˈtaw/
• Homophone: natal
• Hyphenation: Na‧tal
• Rhymes: -aw

Proper noun

Natal m (plural Natais)

1. Christmas (festival observed on December 25 commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ)
2. Natal (a municipality, the capital of the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil)
3. Natal (a former colony of the United Kingdom, in southern Africa)

Descendants

• Marathi: नाताळ (Nātāl)
• Gujarati: નાતાલ (Nātāl)
• Indonesian: Natal
• Tetum: Natál