nonnative
|non-na-tive|
🇺🇸
/ˌnɑːnˈneɪtɪv/
🇬🇧
/ˌnɒnˈneɪtɪv/
not originally from here
Etymology
'nonnative' originates from the English prefix 'non-' and the word 'native', where 'non-' meant 'not' and 'native' comes from Latin 'nativus' meaning 'born'.
'native' came into English via Old French/Latin: Latin 'nativus' (from 'nasci' meaning 'to be born') passed into Old French (e.g. 'natif') and then into Middle English as 'native', and modern English formed the compound with the productive prefix 'non-' to create 'nonnative'.
Initially, the root 'native' meant 'born' or 'natural to a place'; over time it came to mean 'originating in a place or naturally occurring there', and 'nonnative' developed to indicate the opposite—'not originally from here' or 'not a native speaker.'
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a person who is not native to a place or whose first language is not the local language; a non-native person or speaker.
A nonnative joined the discussion to offer a different perspective.
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Adjective 1
not native; not originally from a particular place, country, or language (often used of a person or a speaker).
She is a nonnative speaker of English.
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Last updated: 2025/12/11 03:56