nasci

Nasci is a Latin verb meaning "to be born." It is a deponent verb, which means its forms are passive in appearance but its meaning is active when translated into English. As a result, nasci and its finite tenses use passive morphology, yet they convey ideas of birth, origin, or emergence rather than a true passive voice.

The conventional principal parts are nascor, nasci, natus sum. From these, the verb is conjugated through the standard Latin system with passive endings in the present, imperfect, and future tenses, while translations render the sense as “I am born,” “you are born,” or “he is born,” often simply implying birth or origin. The perfect system employs the participle natus (born) with forms of sum to express “I was born,” “we were born,” and so forth. The infinitive is nasci, with the participle natus used in adjectival or periphrastic constructions.

Etymology traces nasci to Proto-Italic *nasci and ultimately to the Proto-Indo-European root *gene- “to be born, to be produced.” The Latin word has contributed to English derivatives such as nascent (in the sense of coming into being) and natal (relating to birth) through related formations in Latin.

In classical Latin usage, nasci appears in discussions of origin, birth, or emergence and can occur in genealogical descriptions, mythological narratives, or philosophical contexts addressing becoming and the origins of beings. Its deponent character distinguishes it from non-deponent verbs, as the form and grammar reflect birth rather than a literal passive action.

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