 The word "nature" derives from Latin "nātūra", a philosophical term derived from the verb for birth, which was used as a translation for the earlier (pre-Socratic) Greek term "phusis", derived from the verb for natural growth.Already in classical times, philosophical use of these words combined two related meanings which have in common that they refer to the way in which things happen by themselves, "naturally", without "interference" from human deliberation, divine intervention, or anything outside what is considered normal for the natural things being considered.Understandings of nature depend on the subject and age of the work where they appear.