inutilis

Forms

inūtilis (neuter inūtile, superlative inūtilissimus, adverb inūtiliter); third-declension two-termination adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Latin in- (“not”) + ūtilis (“useful”).^[2][1][3] ⟨Ūtilis⟩ is from ūtor (“to use”), which de Vaan traces to Proto-Italic *oite/o- (“to use”), with Oscan úíttiuf (“use”); following Tichy he finds attractive a link with Ancient Greek οἴσω (oísō, “I will fetch”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃eyt- (“to take along”), with a shift from fetching for oneself to using.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan gives Plautus as its first author.^[3] In the Asinaria a contract lets a woman sell any picture she finds useless (inūtilis).^[2]

Semantic evolution

It is unfit for use or action, disabled, as Virgil's Anchises, who lingers on useless through the years, and serving no good purpose, useless, of things and of persons, as Plautus' worthless cook.^[2][4] In law it is void, of wills and contracts (Gaius).^[2][1] It is also inexpedient or disadvantageous, in moral philosophy the opposite of the useful (Lucilius), harmful to oneself or others, as Cicero's citizen useless to himself and ruinous to his country, and of things harmful, as Celsus' poisonous mushrooms.^[2]

Church Latin glosses it “useless, worthless, impractical, injurious”.^[5] In medieval Latin it also meant unfit or incapable, unskilful, and ill-intentioned or dangerous.^[6]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus of useless pictures and a worthless cook.^[2][3][7]
• c. 180–102 BC – Lucilius in moral philosophy.^[2][7]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero of harmful citizens.^[2][7]
• 140–180 AD – Gaius of void wills.^[2][7]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Unfit for use, unserviceable; disabled.^[2][1][4]
2. Useless, profitless, (of persons) worthless.^[2][1][5]
3. (law) void, invalid.^[2][1]
4. Inexpedient, disadvantageous; harmful, injurious.^[2][1][5]
5. (Medieval Latin) Incapable, unskilful; ill-intentioned, dangerous.^[6]

Word family

• inūtilitās

Related words

• ūtilis
• ūtor
• ūsus

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
4. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b c Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
6. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
7. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de