LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
prefix

in-1

Classical[ɪn]Ecclesiastical[in]

Meaning

  1. morphemeun-, non-, not

Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.

in- an inseparable particle
cf. Gr. ἀ-, ἀν-; Germ. and Eng. un-, which, prefixed to an adj., negatives or reverses the meaning: impar, unequal: intolerabilis, unbearable: immitis, ruthless. —In tmesis: Hanc . . . Inque salutatam linquo, V. In composition 2 in- has the same forms as the praep. 1 in, but loses the n before gn-.

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*né
  2. Proto-Indo-European*n̥-
  3. Proto-Italic*n̥-
  4. Latinin-

From Proto-Italic *n̥-, from Proto-Indo-European *n̥- (“not”), zero-grade form of the negative particle *né (“not”). Akin to ne-, nē, nī.

Descendants
  • Italianin-
  • Catalanin-
  • Catalani-
  • Catalanim-
  • Frenchin-
  • Englishin-from Middle English in-
  • Englishir-from Middle English in-
  • Englishil-from Middle English in-
  • Englishim-from Middle English in-
  • Portuguesein-
prefix
in-2
in-
Classical[ɪn]Ecclesiastical[in]

Meaning

  1. morphemein, within, inside
    in- + hālō (“to breathe”) → inhālō (“to breathe in, inhale”)
  2. morphemeagainst; into; on, upon; to, towards
    in- + gradior (“to step, go”) → ingredior (“to go into, enter”)
    in- + nūbō (“to marry”) → innūbō (“to marry into”)
  3. morphemeUsed as an intensifier.
    in- + crepō (“to rattle”) → increpō (“to rattle, rebuke”)
  4. morphemeAttached to inchoative verbs, can express the sense of a change being started or reaching partial completion
    in- + ārēscō (“to be drying, am growing drier”) → inārēscō (“to start becoming dry, become somewhat dry”)

Origins

Inherited from Proto-Italic *en-. Prefixation of the preposition in.

Descendants
  • Catalanen-
  • Englishin-
  • Frenchen-
  • Italianin-
  • Italianen-
  • Portugueseen-
  • Romanianîn-
  • Spanishen-
  • Aromanianãn-
  • Aromaniann-
prefix
in-3
in-
Classical[ɪn]Ecclesiastical[in]

Meaning

  1. morphemeafter

Origins

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”).

Quick answers

What does in- mean in Latin?
in-, a prefix, means “un-, non-, not”.
How do you pronounce in-?
In classical Latin, [ɪn]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [in].
Where does in- come from?
Proto-Indo-European *né → Proto-Indo-European *n̥- → Proto-Italic *n̥- → Latin in-.