insanus Latin · revision 6944

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=Plautus|origins=la sānus}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ĩːˈsaː.nʊs]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [inˈsaː.nus]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''īnsānus''' (feminine īnsāna, neuter īnsānum, comparative īnsānior, superlative īnsānissimus); first/second-declension adjective^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is from the negative prefix [[in-]] and [[sānus]] “healthy, sound”.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(TLL) Cicero remarks that the first syllable is long in ⟨īnsānus⟩, as in other compounds with ⟨in-⟩ before ⟨s⟩.^(TLL)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The OLD's earliest citations are from Plautus, of madness and of crazy behaviour.^(OLD 2012) Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It meant of unsound mind, mad, frenzied, as in Cicero and Juvenal, and in Ennius possessed by a god.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) It was used hyperbolically of people acting crazily, of conduct and emotions, and of things beyond reasonable limits, extravagant, as Cicero's mad expenses.^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016) Poets use it of raging winds and seas, as Virgil, and Ovid of what drives one mad.^(OLD 2012) The ''Īnsānī montēs'' were a mountain range in Sardinia, named by Livy.^(OLD 2012) Döderlein distinguishes ''āmēns'', without reason, from ''dēmēns'', acting against reason.^(Döderlein 1874)

+

+ In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant mad, insane, foolish.^(Stelten 1995) [[en|insane]] came in the 1550s, of persons, “mentally damaged”.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of madness.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it of divine possession.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it of raging winds.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 1550s – English ''insane'' is recorded.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Of unsound mind, [[m|en|mad]], frenzied; possessed.^(OLD 2012)

+ # Crazy, acting as if mad; of conduct, insane.^(OLD 2012)

+ # Extravagant, absurd, wild.^(OLD 2012)

+ # ''(poetic)'' Of winds or seas, raging, [[m|en|tempestuous]].^(OLD 2012)

+ # Maddening.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[īnsānia]]

+ * [[īnsāniō]]

+ * [[īnsānitās]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[sānus]]

+ * [[āmēns]]

+ * [[dēmēns]]

+ * [[en|insane]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}