inanis Latin · revision 4875

+ {{infobox|confidence=unknown|attested=Naevius}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ɪˈnaː.nɪs]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [iˈnaː.nis]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''inānis''' (neuter ināne, comparative inānior, superlative inānissimus, adverb ināniter); third-declension two-termination adjective^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The origin is unknown.^(de Vaan 2008)^(OLD 2012)^(TLL) De Vaan notes that the sense “empty, devoid of” is attested before “hollow”, and so is probably older.^(de Vaan 2008) Wiktionary mentions a possible compound of [[in-|t=not]] and an unknown *ānis.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Naevius uses it.^(de Vaan 2008) Köbler dates Naevius c. 235–200 BC.^(Köbler 2010) In Plautus a pot is seen to become full and empty.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Classical Latin it was empty, containing nothing, as Cicero's empty vessel, house and ship, and hollow.^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016) It was used of deserted places, of bare walls, of people or ships carrying no load, of the poor and empty-handed, and of a lifeless body.^(OLD 2012) Figuratively it was vain, idle, worthless or foolish, and as a noun ''ināne'' was empty space, the void of the philosophers.^(Wiktionary)^(Lewis & Short 1879) Döderlein says it is the emptiness of what was once full, opposed to [[plēnus]], while [[vacuus]] is merely unoccupied.^(Döderlein 1874)

+

+ In medieval Latin the noun was also the open air.^(DMLBS) English ''inane'' is from it, first “empty, void”, and “silly” by 1819.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 235–200 BC – Naevius uses it.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero distinguishes an empty vessel from the philosophers' void.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 1660s – English ''inane'' is recorded as “empty, void”.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|Empty]], void.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ # [[m|en|Hollow]].^(OLD 2012)

+ # Deserted; bare, unfurnished.^(OLD 2012)

+ # Carrying no load; poor, empty-handed.^(OLD 2012)

+ # Lifeless.^(OLD 2012)

+ # Vain, worthless, idle; [[m|en|foolish]].^(Wiktionary)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[ināne]]

+ * [[ināniae]]

+ * [[inānilogista]]

+ * [[ināniloquium]]

+ * [[ināniloquus]]

+ * [[ināniō]]

+ * [[inānitās]]

+ * [[perinānis]]

+ * [[sēminānis]]

+ * [[subinānis]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[plēnus]]

+ * [[vacuus]]

+ * [[en|inane]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}