birth
birth
Pronunciation
The IPA phonetic spelling for "birth" is /bɜːrθ/.
/b/ - as in bat
/ɜːr/ - as in bird
/θ/ - as in thin
Word Form Variations
Singular Noun: birth
Plural Noun: births
Verb (derived): give birth
Past Tense Verb (derived): gave birth
Past Participle Verb (derived): given birth
Present Participle Verb (derived): giving birth
Adjective (derived): natal (related to birth)
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
Definition 1: The act or process of being born, emerging from the womb or egg, or beginning existence.
Synonyms: delivery, parturition, natality, genesis, origin
Antonyms: death, demise, end, conclusion
Definition 2: The descent or lineage of a person, often referring to their social or familial background.
Synonyms: ancestry, lineage, pedigree, origin, heritage
Antonyms: (no direct antonyms for this sense, as it refers to a factual origin)
Definition 3: The beginning or initial stage of something non-biological, such as an idea, movement, or institution.
Synonyms: inception, genesis, origin, dawn, commencement
Antonyms: demise, end, termination, cessation
Verb (typically used in the phrase "to give birth")
Definition: To bring forth offspring; to produce or create something new.
Synonyms: deliver, bear, procreate, create, engender
Antonyms: abort, suppress, terminate (in the context of ending a pregnancy or creation)
Examples of Use
Books:
"It was a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife. However little known the feelings or views of such a man may be on his first entering a neighbourhood, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding families, that he is considered as the rightful property of some one or other of their daughters." (Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, 1813) - While not explicitly using "birth," the novel's central theme revolves around social standing and marriage, often implicitly tied to a person's birth and family background.
"Every story I have ever told, every book I have ever written, has been an attempt to understand the world, to make sense of the experiences that have shaped me since my birth." (Maya Angelou, Mom & Me & Mom, 2013) - Here, "birth" refers to the beginning of her life.
Newspapers:
"The hospital announced the birth of quintuplets early this morning, a rare and joyful event for the city." (Nairobi Standard) - This refers to the act of being born.
"Economists are debating whether the recent surge in AI development marks the birth of a new technological era." (New York Times) - Here, "birth" signifies the beginning or emergence of something.
Online Publications:
"From the birth of the internet to the rise of social media, digital communication has dramatically reshaped human interaction." (Wired.com, "A Brief History of Online Communication,") - This uses "birth" to denote the inception of the internet.
"Understanding your birth chart can offer insights into your personality and potential life path, according to astrologers." (Bustle.com, "What Your Birth Chart Says About You,") - "Birth chart" is a specific term in astrology, directly related to the time and place of one's birth.
Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Film: "The Lion King" (1994, Disney) - The iconic opening scene depicts the birth and presentation of Simba to the animal kingdom, symbolizing new life and destiny.
Television Series: "The Crown" (Netflix, Season 1) - The series often references Queen Elizabeth II's birth and lineage as a cornerstone of her claim to the throne and the traditions of the monarchy.
Music/Song Lyrics: "And you were the light, and I was the dark, And we were the fire, and we were the spark, And we were the birth of a thousand stars." (Coldplay, "A Sky Full of Stars," 2014) - This metaphorical use of "birth" refers to creation and beginning on a grand scale.
Video Games: Many role-playing games (RPGs) feature character creation that allows players to define their character's "origin" or "background," which is implicitly their birth story within the game's lore (e.g., The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim allows players to choose their race and starting location, influencing their in-game "birth" or beginning).
General Public Discourse:
"We celebrated the birth of my niece last week; she's absolutely beautiful." (Casual conversation) - This refers to the act of a baby being born.
"The entrepreneur attributed the success of his startup to the birth of a truly innovative idea." (Business conference presentation) - Here, "birth" signifies the origin or creation of the idea.
"They're campaigning for better maternity care, emphasizing the importance of safe birth for all mothers." (Public advocacy rally) - This refers to the process of childbirth.
"From his birth, he was destined for greatness." (Often used in biographical narratives or eulogies) - This speaks to a person's inherent qualities or fate from the very beginning of their life.
10 Famous Quotes Using Birth
"Every new birth of a child is the birth of a new hope." (Nelson Mandela, Conversations with Myself, 2010)
"The unexamined life is not worth living." (Socrates, often paraphrased from Plato's Apology) - While not using "birth," this quote speaks to the purpose of one's existence from its very beginning.
"We are all born for love. It is the principle of existence, and its only end." (Benjamin Disraeli, Sybil, 1845)
"To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment." (Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Self-Reliance," 1841) - This quote implicitly references the unique individual one is from birth.
"A mind is a terrible thing to waste." (United Negro College Fund slogan, 1972) - This slogan highlights the potential inherent from birth that should be nurtured.
"All sorrows can be borne if you put them into a story or tell a story about them." (Isak Dinesen, Out of Africa, 1937) - The act of telling a story can be seen as giving "birth" to understanding or meaning.
"Life is a full circle, widening as it moves. You may start out poor, but your birth does not define your future." (Maya Angelou, Letter to My Daughter, 2008)
"The day you plant the seed is not the day you eat the fruit." (African Proverb) - This proverb speaks to the patience required from the birth of an idea or project until its fruition.
"What we achieve inwardly will change outer reality." (Plutarch, Moralia) - This speaks to the internal "birth" of strength and character influencing the world.
"Great dancers are not great because of their technique; they are great because of their passion." (Martha Graham, Blood Memory, 1991) - Passion, often a quality present from a person's birth or early development, is highlighted here.
Etymology
The word "birth" has a long and interesting history, going all the way back to ancient times.
At its core, "birth" comes from a very old Indo-European root word, *bʰer-, which meant "to carry" or "to bear." Think about how a mother "bears" a child. This connection is still very much alive in the English verb "to bear" (as in, "to bear a child").
From this ancient root, the word evolved through various Germanic languages. In Old Norse, a language spoken by Vikings, it was byrðr or byrd. In Old English (the earliest form of English), it was ġebyrd. Both of these words already had the meaning of "birth" or "descent" (meaning where you come from, your family line).
The word we use today, "birth," largely comes from a Scandinavian influence during the Middle English period (around the 12th to 15th centuries), replacing the Old English form. The -th ending is a common English suffix that turns a verb (like "to bear") into a noun, indicating an action or process (like "death" from "die," or "growth" from "grow").
So, the first known meaning of the word "birth" (or its very old ancestors) was literally about the act of "bearing" or "carrying" a child, and then the emergence of new life. It also quickly came to mean "descent" or "lineage," referring to a person's family background, which is a natural extension of being born into a particular family. The use of "birth" to mean the beginning of something non-biological (like the birth of an idea) came much later, around the 17th century.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Birth
Birth control: Methods used to prevent pregnancy.
Birth certificate: An official document recording the details of a person's birth.
Birth chart: An astrological diagram showing the positions of the planets at the moment of a person's birth.
Birth mother/father: The biological mother/father of a child, especially in cases of adoption.
Birth rate: The number of live births per thousand people in a population over a given period.
Birth order: A person's positional order among their siblings (e.g., first-born, middle child, youngest).
Happy birthday! A common greeting on someone's anniversary of their birth.
Right of birth: A legal or traditional right inherited at birth.
Give birth to: To produce offspring; to create or originate something.
New birth: A spiritual or moral regeneration.
A matter of life and death: (Using a synonym for similar effect) A situation of extreme importance.
To be born with a silver spoon in one's mouth: To be born into a wealthy family.
The genesis of an idea: (Using a synonym for similar effect) The origin or beginning of an idea.
From cradle to grave: (Using a related concept) From birth until death.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of birth from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
