inanis

Latin

Etymology

Unknown.

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /iˈnaː.nis/, [ɪˈnäːnɪs̠]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /iˈna.nis/, [iˈnäːnis]

Adjective

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

1. empty, void, hollow

   Synonyms: vacuus, vānus, irritus

   Antonyms: plenus, refertus, implētus, explētus, complētus, frequens

   • 405 CE, Jerome, Vulgate Genesis.1.2:

     Terra autem erat inānis et vacua, et tenebrae erant super faciem abyssī: et spīritus Deī ferēbātur super aquās.

     And the earth was void and empty, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the spirit of God moved over the waters.

2. vain
3. (figuratively) purposeless, meaningless, worthless, useless, fruitless, empty, idle

   Synonyms: vīlis, miser

   • 29 BCE – 19 BCE, Virgil, Aeneid 4.217–218:

     “[...] nōs mūnera templīs / quippe tuīs ferimus fāmamque fovēmus inānem.”

     “[Yet] we bring offerings to temples – yes, to yours – [only to] honor a meaningless reputation?”
     (Iarbas dares to question whether Jupiter/Hammon is attentive – and responsive – to human affairs.)

4. foolish, inane

Declension

Third-declension two-termination adjective.

Number	Singular			Plural
Case / Gender	Masc./Fem.	Neuter		Masc./Fem.	Neuter
Nominative	inānis	ināne		inānēs	inānia
Genitive	inānis			inānium
Dative	inānī			inānibus
Accusative	inānem	ināne		inānēs inānīs	inānia
Ablative	inānī			inānibus
Vocative	inānis	ināne		inānēs	inānia

Derived terms

• ināne
• ināniae
• ināniō
• inānitās

References

• “inanis”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “inanis”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• inanis in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• Carl Meißner, Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎^[2], London: Macmillan and Co.
  • to lose one's labour: inanem laborem suscipere
    
  • (ambiguous) rich in ideas: sententiis abundans or creber (opp. sententiis inanis)
    
  • (ambiguous) mere words; empty sound: inanis verborum sonitus
    
  • (ambiguous) senseless rant: inanium verborum flumen
    
  • (ambiguous) to be misled by a vain hope: inani, falsa spe duci, induci