The word "natural" is spelled as /ˈnætʃərəl/ in IPA phonetic transcription. The first syllable is pronounced with a short "a" sound as in "cat," followed by a "ch" sound and an "er" sound. The second syllable is pronounced with a short "a" sound again, followed by a "l" sound. The spelling of this word may be tricky due to the presence of the letters "t" and "u" in the first syllable, but they are not pronounced. It is important to remember that the correct pronunciation of a word may not always match the way it is spelled.
Natural is an adjective that describes something that exists or occurs without human intervention or modification. It refers to phenomena that are not made or influenced by mankind, but rather are innate to the environment or inherent in living beings. It is the opposite of artificial or man-made, encompassing elements that originate from the Earth, nature, or the universe.
The term "natural" can be applied to various contexts, including natural resources, substances, processes, or occurrences. For instance, natural resources are materials found in the environment, such as water, forests, minerals, or fossil fuels, that have not been altered by human actions. Natural substances denote compounds or elements that are derived from nature, like plants, animals, or naturally formed mineral deposits. Natural processes refer to the sequence of actions or events taking place in the environment that happen spontaneously without human intervention, such as the water cycle or natural selection.
Moreover, "natural" is also frequently employed in relation to living organisms, specifically animals and plants. It signifies characteristics, behaviors, or traits observed in species as a result of their genetic makeup and evolutionary development. It suggests inherent qualities or abilities possessed by organisms as opposed to those acquired or influenced by external factors.
Overall, the term "natural" emphasizes the origin, essence, or authenticity of something in its most innate, unadulterated state, free from human interference or alteration.
Normal, relating to nature; not artificial.
A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
• Produced or effected by nature; derived from nature; not acquired; not artificial; true to life; not forced or far-fetched; dictated by nature; happening in the ordinary course of things; not revealed, as religion.
• One born destitute of the ordinary powers of reason and understanding; an idiot; in music, a character, marked thus used to correct the previous power of a sharp or flat.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word "natural" originated from the Latin word "naturalis", which in turn is derived from the Latin word "natura". "Natura" combines the Latin words "natus", meaning "born" or "arisen", and "ura", meaning "process" or "result". Therefore, the etymology of "natural" can be traced back to the idea of something that is inherent or in accordance with the way things are "born" or "arisen" in nature.