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infans

Etymology and origin of the Latin word infans

History

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈĩː.fãːs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈiɱ.fans][1]

Forms

īnfāns (genitive īnfantis, comparative īnfantior, superlative īnfantissimus); third-declension one-termination adjective[1]

Etymology

It is formed from the negative prefix in- (“not”) and fāns, the present participle of fārī “to speak”.[2][3][1] The literal sense is “not speaking”, and Varro explains that children are so called before they can speak.[3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found from Plautus onwards,[5] who speaks of nurses looking after baby boys at home.[2]

Semantic evolution

As an adjective it meant unable to speak, of a child or of statues, and unable to express oneself, tongue-tied, as Cicero says of an accuser with no eloquence.[2][6] Its main sense was newly born, very young, and as a noun a little child, strictly one not yet able to talk.[2][6] Accius uses it once for something unspeakable.[2]

In later Latin it was used of older children, and canon law defined an infans as a minor under seven.[7][4] Medieval texts use it for a son or daughter and for a young prince.[8] It gave French enfant “child”,[1] and through Italian infante “youth, foot soldier” and infanteria it is the source of English infantry; English infant itself was borrowed in the late 14th century.[5][4]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of baby boys.[2][5]
  • 170–c. 90 BC – Accius uses it of dumb animals.[2][5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it for a speechless child and for a poor speaker.[2][5]
  • Middle Ages – It means a young prince.[8]
  • late 14th century – English borrows it as English infant.[4]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Unable to speak; tongue-tied, not eloquent.[2][6]
  2. Newly born, very young; of a baby.[2]
  3. Unspeakable.[2]

Noun

  1. An infant, little child.[2][6]
  2. (canon law) A minor under seven years.[7]
  3. (Medieval Latin) A son or daughter; a young prince.[8]
  • for
  • English infant
  • English infantry

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  4. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b c d Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  8. ^ a b c Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
Cite this entry

“Infans.” Etymologically, 10 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/infans. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on .