LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
adjectivethird-declension two-termination adjective

īnstabilis

īnstabilis (neuter īnstabile)
Classical[ĩːˈsta.bɪ.lɪs]Ecclesiastical[inˈstaː.bi.lis]

Meaning

  1. two terminationunsteady, unstable, shaky
  2. two terminationinconstant, changeable, fickle

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

Declension

singular
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativeīnstabilisīnstabilisīnstabile
genitiveīnstabilisīnstabilisīnstabilis
dativeīnstabilīīnstabilīīnstabilī
accusativeīnstabilemīnstabilemīnstabile
ablativeīnstabilīīnstabilīīnstabilī
vocativeīnstabilisīnstabilisīnstabile
plural
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativeīnstabilēsīnstabilēsīnstabilia
genitiveīnstabiliumīnstabiliumīnstabilium
dativeīnstabilibusīnstabilibusīnstabilibus
accusativeīnstabilīs
īnstabilēs		īnstabilīs
īnstabilēs		īnstabilia
ablativeīnstabilibusīnstabilibusīnstabilibus
vocativeīnstabilēsīnstabilēsīnstabilia

in-stăbĭlis, e, adj.,
I. that does not stand fast, unsteady, unstable, tottering, not firm (mostly poet.; syn. varius, mutabilis, vagus; not in Cic.).
I. Lit.: sic erat instabilis tellus, Ov. M. 1, 16: locus ad gradum instabilis, Tac. A. 1, 64: (with lubricus) gradus, Curt. 8, 11, 13: ingressus, Liv. 24, 34, 15: vestigium, Plin. Pan. 22, 4: volutatio, Plin. 31, 6, 33, § 63: cymbae, Verg. G. 4, 195: naves, Curt. 4, 2, 9.—Transf., unsteady, i. e. that does not keep its ground: (with fluctuans) acies, Liv. 9, 35, 6: hostis, id. 27, 18, 14.—
II. Trop., unstable, inconstant, changeable, fickle: insanam aiunt (Fortunam), quia atrox, incerta instabilisque sit, Pac. ap. Auct. Her. 2, 23, 36: res maritimae celerem atque instabilem mo tum habent, Caes. B. G. 4, 23: nihil tam instabile ac fluxum est, quam fama, Tac. A. 13, 19: fortuna, id. H. 4, 47: conjugium, Juv. 9, 79: animus, Verg. G. 4, 105 (but read insatiabiles, Curt. 7, 8, 19). — Adv.: instă-bĭlĭter, unsteadily, Aug. Conf. 13, 20.

Origins

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

Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- Proto-Indo-European *-éh₁ti Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *-éh₁yeti Proto-Indo-European *sth₂éh₁yeti Proto-Italic *staējō Proto-Italic *staēō Proto-Indo-European *-dʰlom Proto-Italic *-ðlom Proto-Italic *-ðlis Proto-Italic *staðlis? Latin stabilis Latin īnstabilis From in- + stabilis.

Descendants
  • Frenchinstable
  • Germaninstabil
  • Italianinstabile
  • Spanishinestable

Quick answers

What does īnstabilis mean in Latin?
īnstabilis, a adjective, means “unsteady, unstable, shaky; inconstant, changeable, fickle”.
How do you pronounce īnstabilis?
In classical Latin, [ĩːˈsta.bɪ.lɪs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [inˈstaː.bi.lis].
Where does īnstabilis come from?
Proto-Indo-European *né → Proto-Indo-European *n̥- → Proto-Italic *n̥- → Latin īnstabilis.