Verbum Hodiernum: NATURA

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NATURA Dictionary Entry

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Today's Latin word is the noun NATURA, which is very familiar, of course, from the English borrowing, "nature."

You might pause for a moment and see what other words in Latin nouns are formed in this same way, using the -ura suffix applied to a participial stem. Natura is from natus (from the verb nascor) just as creatura is from creatus (from the verb creo), statura is from status (from the verb sto), cultura is from cultus (from the verb colo), structura from structus (from the verb struo) pictura from pictus (from the verb pingo), scriptura from scriptus (from the verb scribo) etc. These all result in parallel English words, too: "nature," "creature," "stature," "culture," "structure," "picture," "scripture," etc.

Here are some sayings and proverbs that use today's word:

Natura morborum medicatrix.

Medicus curat, natura sanat.

Dux vivendi natura.

Naturae vis maxima.

Natura rerum omnium mater.

Omnes natura parit liberos.

Natura diverso gaudet.

Natura simplicibus gaudet.

Natura paucis contenta.

Omne vitium contra naturam pugnat.

Omne nimium est naturae inimicum.

Ars aemula naturae.

Ars imitatur naturam.

Natura abhorret a vacuo.

Ars est simia naturae.

Ars est ministra naturae.

Ars perficit naturam.

Ars vincit naturam.

Natura longe superat artem.

Natura docet homines omnes artes.

Usus fortior natura.

Consuetudo altera natura.

Natura non facit saltus.

Natura nihil temere facit.

Natura nihil agit frustra.

Deus et natura nil otiosum facit.

Naturam mutare difficile.

Natura mutari non potest.

Naturam fallere grave est.

Natura non nisi parendo vincitur.

Natura plus trahit septem bobus.

Natura maxime miranda in minimis.

Quod natura negat, labor praebet.

Frater est amicus quem donat natura.