LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
adjectivefirst/second-declension adjective

īnfernus1

īnfernus (feminine īnferna, neuter īnfernum)
Classical[ĩːˈfɛr.nʊs]Ecclesiastical[iɱˈfɛr.nus]

Meaning

  1. adjectiveof the lower regions
  2. adjectiveinfernal, hellish

Declension

singular
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativeīnfernusīnfernaīnfernum
genitiveīnfernīīnfernaeīnfernī
dativeīnfernōīnfernaeīnfernō
accusativeīnfernumīnfernamīnfernum
ablativeīnfernōīnfernāīnfernō
vocativeīnferneīnfernaīnfernum
plural
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativeīnfernīīnfernaeīnferna
genitiveīnfernōrumīnfernārumīnfernōrum
dativeīnfernīsīnfernīsīnfernīs
accusativeīnfernōsīnfernāsīnferna
ablativeīnfernīsīnfernīsīnfernīs
vocativeīnfernīīnfernaeīnferna

infernus, a, um, adj. infer,
I. lower, that which lies beneath (mostly poet. and postAug.).
I. In gen.: hic sese infernis de partibus erigit Hydra, from beneath, Cic. poët. N. D. 2, 44, 114: superi infernique Di, Liv. 24, 38, 8: stagna, id. 8, 24, 3: auster, Plin. 2, 47, 48, § 128: mare, the Tuscan Sea, Luc. 2, 400.—
II. In partic., underground, belonging to the Lower Regions, infernal: rex, Pluto, Verg. A. 6, 106: Juno, Proserpine, id. ib. 6, 138: sedes, id. ib. 8, 244: tenebrae, id. ib. 7, 325: infernas umbras carminibus elicere, to raise the dead by magical incantations, Tac. A. 2, 28: palus, the Styx, Ov. F. 2, 610: ratis, Charon's boat, Prop. 3, 5, 14 (4, 4, 14 Müll. infernas rates): rota, Ixion's wheel, id. 1, 9, 20: sorores, the Furies, Claud. ap. Ruf. 1, 27: aspectus, Tac. G. 43.—
B. Substt.
1. infernum, i, n., the depths of the earth: ex inferno audiri, Jul. Obseq. 105 al.—
2. infernus, i, m., hell (eccl. Lat.), Ambros. in Psa. 48, §§ 22, 24; Vulg. Job, 17, 13; id. Psa. 9, 18. —
3. inferni, ōrum, m., the shades below: Theseus infernis, superis testatur Achilles, Prop. 2, 1, 37; 2, 28, 49.—
4. inferna, ōrum, n.
a. The lower parts of the body, the abdomen, Plin. 25, 5, 21, § 51.—
b. The infernal regions, Tac. H. 5, 5; Sol. 43, 2; Sen. Herc. Fur. 428.—In eccl. Lat. = infernus, hell, Lact. 6, 3, 11; Vulg. Job, 21, 13. —Hence, adv.: infernĕ, below, beneath (a favorite word of Lucr.), Lucr. 6, 597 (opp. superne); id. 6, 764; 187.

Origins

From īnferus, by analogy with supernus.

Elsewhere
  • Catalaninfern
  • Italianinferno
  • Englishinfernofrom Italian inferno
  • GermanInfernofrom Italian inferno
  • Romanianinfernfrom Italian inferno
  • Frenchenferfrom Old French enfer
  • Occitaninfèrnfrom Old Occitan enfern
  • Occitanin·hèrnfrom Old Occitan enfern
  • Portugueseinfernofrom Old Galician-Portuguese inferno
  • Spanishinfiernofrom Old Spanish infierno
Old Leonese
  • Asturianinfiernu
Rhaeto-Romance
  • Friulianinfiêr
  • Romanshenfiern
noun · masculinesecond declension
īnfernus2
īnfernus m (genitive īnfernī)
Classical[ĩːˈfɛr.nʊs]Ecclesiastical[iɱˈfɛr.nus]

Meaning

  1. the underworld, the netherworld
  2. the hell

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativeīnfernusīnfernī
genitiveīnfernīīnfernōrum
dativeīnfernōīnfernīs
accusativeīnfernumīnfernōs
ablativeīnfernōīnfernīs
vocativeīnferneīnfernī

Origins

A clipping of the phrase īnfernus locus ("the nether place")

Quick answers

What does īnfernus mean in Latin?
īnfernus, a adjective, means “of the lower regions; infernal, hellish”.
How do you pronounce īnfernus?
In classical Latin, [ĩːˈfɛr.nʊs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [iɱˈfɛr.nus].