English

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Etymology 1

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PIE word
*h₁én

From Middle English in-, from Old English in- (in, into, prefix), from Proto-Germanic *in, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁én. More at in.

Alternative forms

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Pronunciation

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Prefix

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in-

  1. in, into, towards, within.
    inhold, inmove, intake, inthrill
    inborn, inbound
    infield, infighting, insight, intalk, inwork
    1. Inward (direction)
      inbeat is occurring on an inward beat, inbend is to bend or curve inwards, incave is to cave inward
    2. Within (position)
      inbreed is to produce or generate within, inburning is burning within, incircle is a circle within a polygon
Synonyms
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Antonyms
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Derived terms
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terms derived from in-: toward
Translations
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Etymology 2

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From Middle English in-, borrowed (in words of Latinate origin) from Latin in-, from Latin in, from Proto-Indo-European *en (cognate to Germanic in-, above). Often borrowed from French in- (e.g. incise, incite, incline, indication), or as French en-, originally from Latin in.

Prefix

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in-

  1. in, into
    Note: Before certain letters, in- becomes:
    1. Into
      imband is to form into a band or bands, imbar is to bar in, imbarn is to store in a barn
    2. Doing; forming verbs.
      inblind is to make blind, incloister is to cloister
    3. Having, possessing
      imbannered is having banners, inaureole is to have a halo, incarnate is be crimson
Usage notes
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Synonyms
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Antonyms
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Derived terms
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terms derived from in-: direction
terms derived from in-: tendency

Etymology 3

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PIE word
*ne

From Middle English in-, borrowed (in words of latinate origin) from Latin in- (not). Sometimes the Latin word has passed through French before reaching English (e.g. incapable, incertainty, inclement, incompatible). Doublet of un-.

Prefix

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in-

  1. (non-productive) Used with certain words to reverse their meaning.
    Note: Before certain letters, in- becomes:
    1. (non-productive) Added to adjectives to mean not.
      inedible
      inaccurate
    2. Added to nouns to mean lacking or without.
      incredulity
      ineptitude
    3. Cannot, unable.
      inannihilable is that cannot be annihilated, inappellable is that cannot be appealed against, inassimilable is that cannot be assimilated
Synonyms
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Derived terms
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terms derived from in-: reversing meaning
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Translations
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See also

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Anagrams

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Catalan

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Etymology

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Borrowed from Latin in- (un-, not).

Prefix

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in- (before l il-, before b, m, or p im-, before r ir-)

  1. in-; un- (reversal of meaning or lack of an attribute)

Derived terms

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Dutch

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Etymology

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From in.

Pronunciation

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Prefix

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in-

  1. prepended to a noun or adjective, it reinforces the quality signified thereby
  2. prepended to an adjective to negate its meaning; occurs mostly in borrowed terms from French: in-, un-

Derived terms

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French

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Etymology

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    Borrowed from Latin in-, from Proto-Italic *ən-, from Proto-Indo-European *n̥-, from *ne.

    Pronunciation

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    • IPA(key): (before a consonant) /ɛ̃/, (before a vowel) /in/
    • Audio:(file)

    Prefix

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    in-

    1. in-; un- (indicates negation)

    Derived terms

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    References

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    German

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    Pronunciation

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    Etymology 1

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    Ultimately from Proto-Germanic *in, from Proto-Indo-European *en. More at in and inne-.

    Prefix

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    in-

    1. (rare, only in nouns) in, inside, interior
      in- + ‎Land (land) → ‎Inland (domestic territory)
      in- + ‎Schrift (writing) → ‎Inschrift (inscription)
      in- + ‎Sasse (someone who sits) → ‎Insasse (passenger, inhabitant)
      in- + ‎Begriff (concept) → ‎Inbegriff (embodiment)
    Usage notes
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    Alternative forms
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    Etymology 2

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    Borrowed from Latin in-.

    Prefix

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    in-

    1. (rarely productive, only with Latinate stems) in, into
      in- + ‎filtrieren (to filter) → ‎infiltrieren (to infiltrate)

    Etymology 3

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    Borrowed from Latin in-.

    Prefix

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    in-

    1. (rarely productive, only with Latinate stems) in-, un- (indicates negation)
      Synonyms: un-, nicht-
      in- + ‎konsequent (consistent) → ‎inkonsequent (inconsistent)
    Derived terms
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    Further reading

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    • in-” in Duden online
    • in-” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

    Gothic

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    Romanization

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    in-

    1. Romanization of 𐌹𐌽-

    Indonesian

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    Etymology

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    From Dutch in-, from French in-, from Latin in- (un-, not).

    Pronunciation

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    • IPA(key): [ɪn]
    • Hyphenation: in

    Prefix

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    in-

    1. in-: used with certain words to reverse their meaning.

    Derived terms

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    Further reading

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    Irish

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    Etymology 1

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    From Old Irish in- (-able).

    Prefix

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    in-

    1. (productive) able to, -able (+ past participle)
      Antonym: do-
      in- + ‎ite → ‎inite (edible)
      in- + ‎déanta → ‎indéanta (doable)
    2. able to, -able, fit for, fit to be (+ genitive of a (verbal) noun)
      in- + ‎feidhm (function) → ‎infheidhme (able to function, serviceable)
      in- + ‎aistear (journey) → ‎inaistir (seaworthy)
      in- + ‎leigheas (healing) → ‎inleighis (curable)

    Etymology 2

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    A prefixed form of the preposition i (in). Partly inherited from Old Irish in- (in), e.g. in- + ‎ceann (head) → ‎inchinn (brain), but most words with this suffix are loans or loan translations of ultimately Latin or Greek origin, e.g. ionscóp (endoscope)ionsoilsigh (illuminate).

    Prefix

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    in-

    1. en-, in-, il-, im-, ir-
    2. endo-
    3. intra-
    Alternative forms
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    Derived terms

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    Mutation

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    Mutated forms of in-
    radical eclipsis with h-prothesis with t-prothesis
    in- n-in- hin- t-in-

    Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Modern Irish.
    All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

    Further reading

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    • Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “in-”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
    • in-”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013-2024

    Italian

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    Alternative forms

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    • im- (assimilated form before b-/m-/p-)
    • il- (assimilated form before l-)
    • ir- (assimilated form before r-)

    Pronunciation

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    • IPA(key): /in/
      • Hyphenation: in-
    • IPA(key): [iɱ] (before f or v)
    • IPA(key): [iŋ] (before c or g)

    Etymology 1

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    From Latin in-, a prefixation of in (in, into), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁én.

    Prefix

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    in-

    1. (forms verbs) used to denote derivation
    2. (obsolete, rare) used as an intensifier
    Usage notes
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    • The prefix is used together with a verbal ending suffix to derive causative verbs from adjectives or nouns:
    Examples:
    in- + ‎arido (dry”, “arid) → ‎inaridire (to parch”, “to dry up)
    in- + ‎fiamma (flame) → ‎infiammare (to enflame”, “to kindle)
    • When used with verbs, it's usually a reflection of derivation in Latin, and retains the original meaning of “into”, “inside”:
    Example:
    in- + ‎fondere → ‎infondere (to infuse”, “to instill) (cfr. Latin īnfundere)
    • In some cases, the meaning of “into” can also be found in verbs of modern derivation:
    Example:
    in- + ‎carcere (jail”, “prison) → ‎incarcerare (to imprison”, “to incarcerate)

    Etymology 2

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    From Latin in- (un-, not), from Proto-Indo-European *n̥-, zero grade form of the sentence negative *ne.

    Prefix

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    in-

    1. used to denote negation or opposition or privation; un-; in-; a-
    Usage notes
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    • The suffix is usually found in adjectives (and nouns therefrom derived):
    Examples:
    in- + ‎coerente (coherent”, “consistent) → ‎incoerente (incoherent”, “inconsistent)
    in- + ‎abile (able”, “capable) → ‎inabile (unable”, “incapable)
    in- + ‎felice (happy) → ‎infelice (unhappy)
    in- + ‎desiderabile (desirable; advisable) → ‎indesiderabile (undesirable, unwelcome)
    • More rarely, it is found in adjectives derived from nouns:
    Example:
    in- + ‎colore (colour/color) → ‎incolore (uncoloured/uncolored)
    Derived terms
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    Anagrams

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    Latin

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    Pronunciation

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    Etymology 1

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      From Proto-Italic *ən-, from Proto-Indo-European *n̥- (not), zero-grade form of the negative particle *ne (not). Akin to ne-, , .[1]

      Prefix

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      in-

      1. un-, non-, not
      Usage notes
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      Affixed primarily to adjectives.

      The pronunciation or spelling of the prefix may be changed in some situations:

      • Before b, p or m, it may become im-. The spelling in- is also found in this context.
        in- + ‎barba (beard) → ‎imberbis (beardless) or inberbis.
        in- + ‎patiēns (patient) → ‎impatiēns (impatient) or inpatiēns.
        in- + ‎mātūrus (mature) → ‎immātūrus (immature) or inmātūrus.
      • Before l or r, it may become il- or ir-, respectively. These assimilations only became usual in post-Augustan Latin: until a late date, the usual Roman spellings were inl- and inr-.[2]
        in- + ‎labōrātus (worked, toilsome) → ‎illabōrātus (unworked, uncultivated) (post-Augustan) or inlabōrātus.
        in- + ‎reverēns (reverent) → ‎irreverēns (irreverent) (post-Augustan) or inreverēns.
      • Before gn and sometimes n, it becomes ig- (pronounced [ɪŋ-]).
        in- + ‎gnārus (knowlegable) → ‎ignārus (ignorant)
        in- + ‎nōmen (name) → ‎ignōminia (dishonor)
      • Before f or s, it becomes īn- (pronounced [ĩː-]).
        in- + ‎fīnītus (finite) → ‎īnfīnītus (endless, infinite)
        in- + ‎sānus (healthy, sane) → ‎īnsānus (mad, insane)
      • Before g, c or q, the spelling remains in-, but the pronunciation becomes [ɪŋ-].
      Derived terms
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      Descendants
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      • Catalan: in- (sometimes i-, or im- before p, b and m)
      • French: in-
      • Italian: in-
      • Middle English: in-
      • Portuguese: in- (im- before p or b, i- before l, n, or m, and ir- before r)
      • Romanian: in- (im- before p or b, and i- before l, m, or r)
      • Sicilian: n- (m- before p, b or m, il- before l, and ir- before r)
      • Spanish: in- (im- before p or b, i- before l, and ir- before r)

      Etymology 2

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        Prefixation of the preposition in.[3]

        Alternative forms

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        Prefix

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        in-

        1. Prepositional prefix, generally attached to verbs to derive new verbs with a range of meanings.
          1. in, within, inside
            in- + ‎hālō (breathe) → ‎inhālō (breathe in, inhale)
          2. against; into; on, upon; to, towards
            in- + ‎gradior (step, go) → ‎ingredior (go into, enter)
            in- + ‎nūbō (marry) → ‎innūbō (marry into)
            in- + ‎cadō (fall) → ‎incidō (fall into, fall upon)
            in- + ‎pangō (set, fix, settle, fasten) → ‎impingō (fasten upon, dash against, strike against)
            in- + ‎flīgō (strike) → ‎īnflīgō (strike on, strike against, inflict, impose upon)
            in- + ‎vocō (call) → ‎invocō (call on, call upon, invoke)
          3. Used as an intensifier.
            in- + ‎crepō (I rattle) → ‎increpō (I rattle, rebuke)
          4. Attached to inchoative verbs, can express the sense of a change being started or reaching partial completion
            in- + ‎ārēscō (I am drying, am growing drier) → ‎inārēscō (I start becoming dry, become somewhat dry)[4]
        Usage notes
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        Affixed primarily to verbs.

        The same spelling rules apply as for Etymology 1 above; see the usage notes there.

        Not to be confused with Etymology 1 above, which means "not".

        Derived terms
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        Descendants
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        Etymology 3

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        From Proto-Indo-European *énu (along, after). Cognate with Sanskrit अनु (ánu-, after), Avestan 𐬀𐬥𐬎 (anu, after; corresponding to), Old Persian 𐎠𐎵𐎺 (a-nu-v /⁠anuv⁠/), and Gothic 𐌹𐌽𐌿 (inu, without) (whose meaning developed “along” > “past” > “without”).[5]

        Alternative forms

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        Prefix

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        in-

        1. after
        Derived terms
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        References

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        1. ^ Walde, Alois, Hofmann, Johann Baptist (1938) “1. in-”, in Lateinisches etymologisches Wörterbuch (in German), 3rd edition, volume 1, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, page 676f.
        2. ^ William Gardner Hale and Carl Darling Buck, 1903. Latin Grammar, page 25
        3. ^ Walde, Alois, Hofmann, Johann Baptist (1938) “2. in”, in Lateinisches etymologisches Wörterbuch (in German), 3rd edition, volume 1, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, page 677f.
        4. ^ Haverling, Gerd. "On Prefixes and Actionality in Classical and Late Latin." Acta Linguistica Hungarica, vol. 50, no. 1–2, 2003, pp. 113–35, http://www.jstor.org/stable/26189816. Accessed 6 Apr. 2022. Page 117
        5. ^ Dunkel, George E. (2014) Lexikon der indogermanischen Partikeln und Pronominalstämme [Lexicon of Indo-European Particles and Pronominal Stems] (Indogermanische Bibliothek. 2. Reihe: Wörterbücher) (in German), volume 2: Lexikon, Heidelberg: Universitätsverlag Winter GmbH Heidelberg, →ISBN, pages 241-44

        Further reading

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        • in-”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
        • De Vaan, Michiel (2008) Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 301

        Malay

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        Etymology

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        PIE word
        *ne

        From English in-, from Middle English in-, from Latin in- (not).

        Pronunciation

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        • IPA(key): [in-]
        • Hyphenation: in-

        Prefix

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        in- (Jawi spelling اين-)

        1. (non-productive) Used with certain words to reverse their meaning; in-.
          informalinformal

        Derived terms

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        Maltese

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        Pronunciation

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        Article

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        in-

        1. Alternative form of il-

        Usage notes

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        • Used before the letter n. For details on usage, see the main lemma.

        Northern Ndebele

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        Etymology

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        From Proto-Bantu *jɪ̀-n-.

        Prefix

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        in-

        1. Class 9 noun prefix.

        Usage notes

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        The variant form im- is used before stems beginning with a labial consonant (b, f, m, p, v).

        Ojibwe

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        Initial

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        in- (root)

        1. Alternative form of iN-

        Prefix

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        in-

        1. Alternative form of nin-

        See also

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        Old English

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        Pronunciation

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        Etymology 1

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        From in (in). More at in.

        Prefix

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        in-

        1. in, into
          in- + ‎ēþung (breathing) → ‎inēþung (inspiration)
        2. internal, inside
          in- + ‎coþu (disease) → ‎incoþu (internal disease)
          in- + ‎weorc (work) → ‎inweorc (indoor work)
        Descendants
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        • Middle English: in-

        Etymology 2

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        From Proto-Germanic *in- (strong, adj), from Proto-Indo-European *indʰro- (swelling; strong), from *oyd- (to swell).

        Prefix

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        in-

        1. (intensifying) very
          in- + ‎frōd (wise) → ‎infrōd (very wise)
          in- + ‎dryhten (noble) → ‎indryhten (very noble)
        Derived terms
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        Old Irish

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        Etymology 1

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        From conflated Proto-Celtic *en- and Proto-Celtic *eni-; these two are variants of the same prefix. Prefix form of i. Conflated with ind- quite early.

        Alternative forms

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        Prefix

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        in-

        1. in
        Usage notes
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        Very frequently replaced by ad- in pretonic position in verbs where the meaning ‘in’ is not transparent, e.g.:

        Sometimes replaced by as- in pretonic position in verbs where the meaning ‘in’ is not transparent, e.g.:

        Derived terms
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        References

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        Etymology 2

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        (This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

        Prefix

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        in-

        1. able to, -able (+ past participle)
          in- + ‎ad·gair (to sue) → ‎inaccartha (to be sued for)
          in- + ‎mescaigid (to intoxicate) → ‎inmescaigthe (able to intoxicate)
        2. able to, -able, fit for, fit to be (+ noun, an o- and a-stems usually yields an i-stem adjective)
          in- + ‎bés (custom) → ‎inbésa (customary)
          in- + ‎comlann (fight) → ‎incomlainn (able to fight)
          in- + ‎galar (sickness) → ‎ingalair (sick)

        Etymology 3

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        From Proto-Celtic *an-. In is the regular outcome of *an before voiced stops unless lowered to an via a-affection.

        Prefix

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        in-

        1. Alternative form of an- (un-, not)
        Usage notes
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        Used before d and g and occasionally other sounds.[1]

        Derived terms
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        Etymology 4

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        Prefix

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        in- (class C infixed pronoun)

        1. Alternative form of id-

        References

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        1. ^ Thurneysen, Rudolf (1940) D. A. Binchy and Osborn Bergin, transl., A Grammar of Old Irish, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, →ISBN, § 872, page 544; reprinted 2017

        Further reading

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        • Pedersen, Holger (1913) Vergleichende Grammatik der keltischen Sprachen [Comparative Grammar of the Celtic Languages] (in German), volume II, Göttingen: Vandenhoeck und Ruprecht, →ISBN, page 11

        Portuguese

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        Alternative forms

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        • im- (before p or b)
        • ir- (before r)
        • i- (before m, n or l)

        Etymology

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        Borrowed from Latin in- (un-, not).

        Prefix

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        in-

        1. un-; not

        Derived terms

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        Spanish

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        Alternative forms

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        • im- (before p or b)
        • ir- (before r)
        • i- (before l)

        Etymology

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        Borrowed from Latin in- (un-, not).

        Prefix

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        in-

        1. not (negation)

        Derived terms

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        Further reading

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        Swazi

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        Etymology

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        From Proto-Bantu *jɪ̀-n-.

        Prefix

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        in-

        1. Class 9 noun prefix.

        Usage notes

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        The variant form im- is used before stems beginning with a labial consonant (b, f, m, p, v).

        Tagalog

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        Pronunciation

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        Prefix

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        in- (Baybayin spelling ᜁᜈ᜔)

        1. prefix form of -in-

        Derived terms

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        Anagrams

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        Xhosa

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        Etymology

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        From Proto-Bantu *jɪ̀-n-.

        Prefix

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        in-

        1. Class 9 noun prefix.

        Usage notes

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        The variant form im- is used before stems beginning with a labial consonant (b, f, m, p, v).

        Zulu

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        Etymology

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        From Proto-Bantu *jɪ̀-n-.

        Prefix

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        ín-

        1. Class 9 noun prefix.

        Usage notes

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        The variant form im- is used before stems beginning with a labial consonant (b, f, m, p, v). Before l, m or n, the prefix becomes i-.

        References

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          NODES
        Done 15
        eth 1
        see 7