English → Latin
“inimitable” in Latin
Velleiusof or pertaining to the gens Velleia.calamusa reed, cane; an object made from a reed, such as a reed pen, arrow, or fishing rod; a stalk, straw, blade
The English word inimitable itself goes back to Latin ĭn-ĭmĭtābĭlis, through inimitabilis.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
inimitable
nemini imitabilis, or quod nulla ars (or nulla manus, nullus opifex) consequi potest imitando. Homer imitated nobody, and is himself inimitable, neque ante Homerum, quem ille imitaretur, neque post illum, qui eum imitari posset, inventus est (Velleius): Calamis made a chariot and pair that has hitherto remained inimitable, Calamis fecit bigas cum equis semper sine aemulo expressis (Plin., 34, 8, 19).
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for inimitable?
- The usual Latin words for “inimitable” are Velleius, calamus. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.