As a conslusion, we compare the semantic clusters stemming from these analyses with the contemporary scientific vision of nature in conservation science, in order to see how this semantic diversity can be an obstacle or a chance for the global conservation of вЂњnatureвЂќ. Such ambiguity may constitute the very source of many raging debates among ecologists, such as the вЂњbalance of natureвЂќ debate (Simberloff, 2014) and many others. In this study, we analyze the origins and evolution of the word вЂњnatureвЂќ in European languages, from its ancient Greek equivalent to Latin and then to modern meanings, showing that this word, already deemed vague and ambiguous since its most ancient uses, overwhelmingly changed in meaning several times in its history, which is at the basis of its current vagueness and ambiguity. Moreover, some punctual studies showed that, as for вЂњwildernessвЂќ (Callicott, 2000), the word вЂњnatureвЂќ does not always have a translation in other languages (Philippe Descola, 2005), or can embody different meanings within a language. Nevertheless, these works have already stressed out that the word вЂњnatureвЂќ is very difficult to define, and has gone through many changes of meaning during its history (Lenoble, 1969). Hence, studying the concept of вЂњnatureвЂќ itself and its relationship with practical objects and social projects is crucial for conservation sciences and derived policies: many linguists, philosophers, and historians have already shown that its meaning is far from being unified or self-evident (LarrГЁre and LarrГЁre, 2015), but such works have had little popularization in biological sciences so far.

$another word for things found in nature$

However, вЂњnatureвЂќ is not such an easy word, and it actually fits the definition of an abstract concept, hence a mental construction rather than a concrete notion, which is situated both historically and geographically, and needs definition in context (Ellen, 1996), just like what has been done about вЂњwildernessвЂќ (Rolston III, 1997, Callicott & Nelson, 1998, Callicott, 2008a) or more recently about the idea of a вЂњbalance вЂќ (Simberloff, 2014). Many close and successful new technical words have been born in the same lexical field, such as вЂњecosystemвЂќ, вЂњbiodiversityвЂќ, вЂњbiosphereвЂќ, and even вЂњGaiaвЂќ, but none of them ever really supplanted вЂњnatureвЂќ, even in scientific literature, and it is still the title of one of the most important scientific journals. As scientific knowledge of nature is (and will always remain) incomplete, scientists have to rely on mental representations and theoretical concepts, but these must be identified as such, and clearly defined (Demeritt, 2002). However, the appealing concept of вЂњnatureвЂќ has never been really theorized during all this time, and has been used to name more and more diverse things, as well as their opposite, at the risk of becoming another meaningless panchreston (Simberloff, 2014). Intense debates, significant thinkers and prominent scientific advances have made this field one of the most important socially in contemporary science, having a strong influence on national and international politics. Since early whistle-blowers such as John Muir or Rachel Carson to the theorization of a whole scientific discipline coined as вЂњconservation biologyвЂќ (SoulГ©, 1985), the conservation of nature has reached both wide popular concern and scientific maturity. Since at least the 1970s, a wide scientific, political, and public consensus has emerged about the crucial necessity of вЂњprotecting natureвЂќ (Worster, 1994).

Nature preservation ought to take into account this semantic diversity when proposing policies, integrating the relativity and potential inaccuracy of the currently dominating occidental definition. One of the main present occidental meanings of вЂњnatureвЂќ, designating what is opposed to humans, currently used in public policies, conservation science, or environmental ethics, hence appears rare and recent, and contradictory with most other visions of nature, including former European representations and contemporary foreign ones. It appears that this word aggregated successively different and sometimes conflicting meanings throughout its history. We examine here the origins, etymology, and historical semantics of this word and its different meanings in contemporary European languages. However, while nature preservation has become a major social concern, the idea of nature remains elusive.

The idea of вЂnatureвЂ™ is at the very core of science, considered as its flagship and deepest link with human societies.

Another word for things found in nature