As an adjective, it means belonging to a place by birth or origin. As a noun, it refers to a person or thing that comes from a particular place.
From Latin 'nativus' meaning 'innate, produced by birth', from 'nasci' meaning 'to be born'. It entered English through Old French in the Middle Ages.
The word 'native' is closely related to 'nature' and 'nation'—all tied to ideas of being born and belonging. Thinking of 'native' as 'birth-connected' helps explain why we use it for languages, plants, animals, and people.
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