Etymologically
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infernalis

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [ĩː.fɛrˈnaː.lɪs][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [iɱ.ferˈnaː.lis][1]

Forms

īnfernālis (neuter īnfernāle); third-declension two-termination adjective[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin īnfernus (“lower; of the underworld”) + -ālis.[2][3][4][5] The TLL compares adjectives such as ⟨aeternālis⟩ beside ⟨aeternus⟩.[2] Wiktionary takes it instead from the neuter plural noun īnferna (“the underworld, hell”).[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its first datable author is Prudentius, who calls Pluto the Iuppiter īnfernālis in his poem against Symmachus.[2][6][3][7] The epitome of Festus has diī īnfernālēs, the gods below, as opposed to those above,[2] and curse tablets address a power “who holds the infernal parts”.[2]

Semantic evolution

Christian writers made it the adjective of hell: Augustine speaks of infernal angels, sermons among his works and those of Caesarius of Arles of infernal flames, and Gregory of Tours of infernal death and torments.[2] From this it came to mean dire or damnable, as in “infernal works”.[2]

Medieval Latin kept the sense “of hell”, and the neuter plural īnfernālia meant hell itself.[8][9] Bede speaks of a man to be handed over to infernal torments.[10] It was also used of what is dark and gloomy, as a prison, of what brings ruin, as a wolf's open jaws in Alcuin, and of what is damnable, as flattery.[9] English infernal came from it through Old French in the late 14th century.[5]

Timeline

  • 348/49–c. 413 AD – Prudentius calls Pluto the infernal Jupiter.[2][6][7]
  • 354–430 AD – Augustine speaks of infernal angels.[2][7]
  • 538/539–594 AD – Gregory of Tours writes of infernal death and torments.[2][7]
  • first third of the 8th century AD – Bede writes of infernal torments.[10][7]
  • late 14th century – English infernal is recorded, through Old French.[5]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Of the underworld, of the lower regions;[2][6][3][1] diī īnfernālēs: the gods below.[2][6][3][1]
  2. (Ecclesiastical Latin) Of hell, hellish.[2][8][9][10][1]
  3. (Late Latin) Dire, damnable, wicked.[2][9]
  4. (Medieval Latin) Dark, gloomy; ruinous, deadly.[9]

Noun

  1. (Medieval Latin, neuter plural) īnfernālia: hell.[8]
  • English infernal

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  3. ^ a b c d Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  4. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  5. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  6. ^ a b c d Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  8. ^ a b c Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  9. ^ a b c d e Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  10. ^ a b c Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press