infirmus

Latin

Alternative forms

• īnfirmis (post-classical)

Etymology

From in- (“not”) +‎ firmus (“strong, firm”), from Proto-Italic *en- from Proto-Indo-European *n̥- (“not”) + Proto-Italic *fermos from root Proto-Indo-European *dʰer- (“to hold, support”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /inˈfir.mus/, [ĩːˈfɪrmʊs̠]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /inˈfir.mus/, [iɱˈfirmus]

Adjective

īnfirmus (feminine īnfirma, neuter īnfirmum, comparative īnfirmior, superlative īnfirmissimus, adverb īnfirmiter); first/second-declension adjective

1. weak, feeble

   Synonyms: dēbilis, impotēns, invalidus, aeger, fessus, mollis, tenuis, frāctus, languidus, valētūdinārius

   Antonyms: constans, dūrus, firmus, fortis, potēns, valens, validus

2. unhealthy, infirm, indisposed, sick

   Synonyms: īnsānus, insalūbris, fessus, aeger, languidus, miser, valētūdinārius

   Antonyms: salvus, sānus, salūber, salūtāris, valēns, validus

3. inconclusive

Declension

First/second-declension adjective.

Number	Singular				Plural
Case / Gender	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	īnfirmus	īnfirma	īnfirmum		īnfirmī	īnfirmae	īnfirma
Genitive	īnfirmī	īnfirmae	īnfirmī		īnfirmōrum	īnfirmārum	īnfirmōrum
Dative	īnfirmō		īnfirmō		īnfirmīs
Accusative	īnfirmum	īnfirmam	īnfirmum		īnfirmōs	īnfirmās	īnfirma
Ablative	īnfirmō	īnfirmā	īnfirmō		īnfirmīs
Vocative	īnfirme	īnfirma	īnfirmum		īnfirmī	īnfirmae	īnfirma

Related terms

• īnfirmitās

Descendants

• Italo-Romance:
  • Italian: infermo
  • Sicilian: infirmu
• Northern Gallo-Romance:
  • Bourguignon: éfierme
  • Franc-Comtois: infierme
  • Old Franco-Provençal: enferm
  • Old French: enferm, enferme
• Southern Gallo-Romance:
  • Old Catalan: enferm
  • Old Occitan: eferm, enferm
• Ibero-Romance:
  • Asturian: enfermu
  • Mirandese: anfermo
  • Mozarabic: انڢرم (anfərmə)
  • Old Galician-Portuguese: enfermo
    • Galician: enfermo
    • Portuguese: enfermo
  • Spanish: enfermo
• Borrowings:
  • → English: infirm
  • → French: infirme
  • → Italian: infirmo

References

• “infirmus”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “infirmus”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• infirmus in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette, page 814.
• infirmus in Georges, Karl Ernst, Georges, Heinrich (1913–1918) Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th edition, volume 2, Hahnsche Buchhandlung, column 243
• Walther von Wartburg (1928–2002) “ĭnfĭrmus”, in Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch (in German), volume 4: G H I, page 670