Etymologically
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inferus

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈĩː.fɛ.rʊs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈiɱ.fe.rus][1]

Forms

īnferus (feminine īnfera, neuter īnferum, comparative īnferior, superlative īnfimus or īmus, adverb īnfrā); first/second-declension adjective[1] Cato has the nominative infer.[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *enþero- (“lower”), inherited from Proto-Indo-European *n̥dʰero- (“lower”).[2][1] The /f/ is irregular inside a word, and is explained either as a dialectal form, as Faliscan suggests, or as treatment as if word-initial after *en- was analysed as a prefix.[2][1] Cognate with Faliscan ifra (“beneath”), Sanskrit अधर (ádhara, “lower”), Gothic 𐌿𐌽𐌳𐌰𐍂 (undar, “under”) and English under.[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Plautus uses it of the threshold as the lower part of a doorway.[3][2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

In Classical Latin it was lower, situated below, in astronomy more southerly, and Varro sets the lower regions of the earth against the upper ones of the sky.[3] It was of the underworld, especially of its gods, and the plural īnferī were the dead and the underworld.[3][1]

In Christian Latin īnferī was hell.[5] Its comparative īnferior gave English inferior, and īnfernus through Late Latin īnfernālis gave infernal.[6]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of a door-sill.[3][4]
  • 234–149 BC – Cato uses the form infer.[3][4]
  • late 14th century – English infernal is recorded.[6]
  • early 15th century – English inferior is recorded.[6]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Lower, below, (astronomy) more southerly.[3][7]
  2. Of the underworld, infernal.[3]
  3. (masculine plural) The dead.[1]
  4. (neuter plural) The underworld, (Christian) hell.[1][5]

Word family

  • īnferior
  • īnfernus
  • īnfrā
  • īmus
  • English under
  • English inferior
  • English infernal

Usage notes

Isidore says the underworld is so called because it is below.[8]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  6. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  7. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  8. ^ Isidore of Seville, Etymologiarum sive Originum libri XX, ed. W. M. Lindsay (Oxford, 1911).