A nativity is a birth, especially the birth of Christ. The Nativity, a nativity play, a nativity scene.
Capitalised it means the birth of Christ and nothing else, and the school nativity play is a British institution with a tea towel on every head. The word is a relative of native and of nature, all from the Latin for being born.
1nounnativityA birth, especially the birth of Christ.
“Every Christmas, the children act out the nativity in the village church.”
nativity is a birth.
Latin nativitas means birth, from nasci, to be born. Native, nation and nature are relatives.
Proto-Indo-European
*ǵenh₁-
Latin
nativitas — birth
Middle French
nativite
Anglo-Norman
nativite
Middle English
nativite
English, today
nativity
From Middle English nativite, from Anglo-Norman nativite, Middle French nativite, and their source, Latin nativitas (“birth”). by surface analysis, native + -ity. See also naïveté.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA