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

Translations

former British colony

• Portuguese: Natal (pt) m

capital of Rio Grande do Norte

• Russian: Ната́ль m (Natálʹ)

Further reading

• Natal on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• alant

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Indonesian

Etymology

Borrowed from Portuguese Natal.

Proper noun

Natal

1. Christmas

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Portuguese

Pronunciation

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

Etymology 1

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

Proper noun

Natal m (plural Natais)

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

Descendants

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

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 in the United Kingdom, in southern Africa)
2. A municipality, the state capital of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil

Descendants

• → English: Natal