Lewis & Short

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ĭnānis, e, adj. [etym. dub.; cf. 2. in-], empty, void (opp. plenus; freq. and class.).

  1. I. Physically: cum vas inane dicimus, non ita loquimur ut physici, quibus inane esse nihil placet, sed ita, ut verbi causa sine aqua, sine vino, sine oleo vas esse dicamus, Cic. Fat. 11, 24: aqualis inanis (opp. plena), Plaut. Mil. 3, 2, 41: tune inane quicquam putes esse, cum ita completa et conferta sint omnia, ut, etc., Cic. Ac. 2, 40, 125: quae spatium pleno possint distinguere inane, Lucr. 1, 527: domum ejus exornatam et instructam, fere jam iste reddiderat nudam atque inanem, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 34, § 84: granum inane cassumque, Plin. 18, 17, 45, § 161: quae (naves) inanes ad eum remitterentur, Caes. B. G. 5, 23, 4; so, naves (opp. onustae), id. B. C. 3, 8, 3; 3, 40, 4; Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 50, § 131; cf.: inde navigia inania et vacua hinc plena et onusta mittantur, Plin. Pan. 31, 4: lagenae, Cic. Fam. 16, 26, 2: mensa, Plaut. Pers. 3, 1, 26: vix incedo inanis, ne ire posse cum onere existimes, without a burden, id. Am. 1, 1, 174; cf.: ego bajulabo: tu, ut decet dominum, ante me ito inanis, id. As. 3, 3, 70: janitor ad dantes vigilet: si pulset inanis Surdus, etc., emptyhanded, without presents, Prop. 4 (5), 5, 47: hic homo est inanis, without money, without fortune, Plaut. Most. 3, 1, 44; id. Bacch. 3, 6, 2; id. Trin. 3, 2, 75: misera in civitate et inani, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 66, § 160: egentes inanesque discedere, id. ib. 2, 2, 9, § 25 fin.: structores ad frumentum profecti inanes redierunt, id. Att. 14, 3, 1; cf. id. Off. 3, 2, 6: equus, without a rider, id. Verr. 2, 2, 66, § 160; cf.: quid, quod omnes consulares … simul atque assedisti partem istam subselliorum nudam atque inanem reliquerunt? id. Cat. 1, 7, 16: absint inani funere neniae, without a corpse, Hor. C. 2, 20, 21: parasitus, unfed, hungry, Plaut. Stich. 1, 3, 78: venter, hungry, Hor. S. 1, 6, 127; cf.: siccus, inanis Sperne cibum vilem, id. ib. 2, 2, 14: quod inani sufficit alvo, Juv. 5, 7: laeva, without rings, Hor. S. 2, 7, 9: litterae, empty, Cic. Fam. 6, 22, 1: paleae, empty, light, Verg. G. 3, 134: nubila, id. ib. 4, 196: venti, id. A. 6, 740: tum ebur ex inani corpore extractum (a transl. of the Platon. ἀπολελοιπότος ψυχὴν σώματος), lifeless, dead, Cic. Leg. 2, 18, 45 Mos.: corpus, Ov. H. 15, 116; id. Am. 3, 9, 6; cf. in the foll.: vulgus, i. e. the shades, Stat. Th. 1, 93; cf. umbra, Ov. Tr. 3, 11, 25: imago, id. F. 5, 463: regna Ditis, Verg. A. 6, 269: Tartara, Ov. M. 11, 670: leo, a lion’s hide, Stat. Th. 1, 483; so, tigris, id. ib. 6, 722: vultus, i. e. blind, Sen. Phoen. 43: Gaurus, i. e. hollow (an extinct volcano), Juv. 9, 57.
          1. (β) With abl., gen., or ab (the last rare): nulla epistula inanis aliqua re utili, Cic. Att. 2, 8, 1: Agyrinensis ager centum septuaginta aratoribus inanior est, id. Verr. 2, 3, 52, § 121: sanguinis atque animi pectus inane, Ov. H. 3, 60: corpus animae, id. M. 13, 488; 2, 611; Prop. 3, 18 (4, 17), 32: lymphae dolium, Hor. C. 3, 11, 26: pectus deorum, Sil. 2, 309: inanis a marsupio, Prud. στεφ. 2, 104.
    1. B. Subst.: ĭnāne, is, n., an empty space, a void (most freq. in Lucr.): scilicet hoc id erit vacuum quod inane vocamus, Lucr. 1, 439: namque est in rebus inane, id. 1, 330 sq.; cf. id. 1, 569; 2, 236: ita nullum inane, nihil esse individuum potest, Cic. N. D. 1, 23, 65: plus esse inanis, Lucr. 1, 365: inani, ib. 524: inane, id. 1, 369; 426; 507; 514 et saep.: ad inane naturae, Plin. 30, 1, 4, § 13: per inane, through the air, Lucr. 1, 1018; 2, 65 et saep.; Verg. E. 6, 31; id. A. 12, 906; Plin. 8, 43, 68, § 169 et saep.
      Abl.: inani, Lucr. 1, 742; 1009: ab inani, id. 1, 431: in inani, id. 1, 1078; 2, 122: sine inani, id. 1, 510; 532; 538: per inania, id. 1, 223; Ov. M. 2, 506.
  2. II. Trop.
    1. A. In gen., empty, useless, worthless, vain, unprofitable: aures ipsae, quid plenum, quid inane sit judicant, Cic. Brut. 8, 34: quod honestum nos et laudabile esse dicamus, id illi cassum quiddam et inani vocis sono decoratum esse dicant, id. Tusc. 5, 41, 119; cf.: honesti inane nomen esse, id. Ac. 2, 22, 71: sin vera visa divina sunt, falsa autem et inania humana, id. Div. 2, 62, 127: voces inanes fundere, id. Tusc. 3, 18, 42; cf. elocutio, id. de Or. 1, 6, 20: damnatus inani judicio, Juv. 1, 47: vox, Quint. 11, 3, 32: verba, id. 8, 2, 17; 9, 3, 100; cf. verborum torrenti, id. 10, 7, 23: crimen, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 72, § 177: o inanes nostras contentiones! id. de Or. 3, 2, 7: o spes fallaces et cogitationes inanes meae! id. Mil. 34, 94; cf.: inani et tenui spe te consolaris, id. Rosc. Com. 14, 42: spes, Verg. A. 10, 627: religio, Cic. Rep. 1, 15 fin.: delectari multis inanibus rebus, ut gloriā, etc., id. Lael. 14, 49; 23, 86: cupiditates, id. Fin. 1, 13, 46: causas nequidquam nectis inanes, Verg. A. 9, 219: minae, Hor. Epod. 6, 3: tempus inane peto, requiem spatiumque furori, vacant, leisure, Verg. A. 4, 433; so, ternpora (with morae), Val. Fl. 3, 657: tempora, in prosody, i. q. the Gr. κενὸς χρόνος, the use of a short syllable for a long one, Quint. 9, 4, 51 Spald.
          1. (β) With gen.: omnia plena consiliorum, inania verborum, poor in words, Cic. de Or. 1, 9, 37: quae inanissima prudentiae reperta sunt, id. Mur. 12, 26.
    2. B. Of persons, vain, worthless, petty: Graii, Lucr. 1, 639: homo inanis et regiae superbiae, Sall. J. 64, 5: imagines, quibus inanissimi homines serviunt, Lact. 2, 17, 8: inanes Hoc juvat, Hor. S. 1, 4, 76; Liv. 45, 23, 16; Lucr. 1, 639: hi pressi et integri, contra inflati illi et inanes, Quint. 12, 10, 16; cf.: illud vero pusilli animi et inanis, Cic. Fam. 2, 17, 7: non negaverim totam Asiae regionem inaniora parere ingenia, Liv. 45, 23, 16.
    3. C. As subst.: ĭnāne, is, n., that which is empty or vain; emptiness, vanity, inanity: o curas hominum! o quantum est in rebus inane! Pers. 1, 1: inane abscindere soldo, Hor. S. 1, 2, 113.
      Plur.: dum vitat humum, nubes et inania captet, id. A. P. 230: inaina famae, idle reports, Tac. A. 2, 76: inania belli, id. ib. 2, 69.
      Hence, adv.: ĭnānĭter, vainly, idly, uselessly: exsultare, Cic. Tusc. 4, 6, 13: moveri, id. Ac. 2, 15, 47; cf. id. ib. 2, 11, 34: pectus angere, Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 211: medicas exercet inaniter artes, Ov. M. 2, 618.