innocuus

Latin

Etymology

From in- (“not”) +‎ nocuus (“harmful”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /inˈno.ku.us/, [ɪnˈnɔkuʊs̠]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /inˈno.ku.us/, [inˈnɔːkuːs]

Adjective

innocuus (feminine innocua, neuter innocuum); first/second-declension adjective

1. harmless, innocuous
2. blameless, innocent, guiltless
   • 8 CE, Ovid, Fasti 2.623:

     innocuī veniant.

     Let [those people who are] guiltless come [forth].
     (The ancient Roman festival Caristia united family members and encouraged reconciliation of their differences. Ovid, however, here writing satirically, uses the present active subjunctive verb veniant to invite only guilt-free relatives to gather. In the following verses, the poet tells the troublemakers to stay home! And Ovid's sly intent can be playfully translated with other meanings for innocuus listed here.)

3. unharmed, unhurt, uninjured

Declension

First/second-declension adjective.

	singular				plural
	masculine	feminine	neuter		masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	innocuus	innocua	innocuum		innocuī	innocuae	innocua
genitive	innocuī	innocuae	innocuī		innocuōrum	innocuārum	innocuōrum
dative	innocuō	innocuae	innocuō		innocuīs
accusative	innocuum	innocuam	innocuum		innocuōs	innocuās	innocua
ablative	innocuō	innocuā	innocuō		innocuīs
vocative	innocue	innocua	innocuum		innocuī	innocuae	innocua

Descendants

Descendants

• → Albanian: *nokë
• → Catalan: innocu (learned)
• → English: innocuous
• → Old Irish: ennac
  • Irish: eannach (obsolete)
  • Scottish Gaelic: eannach
• → Italian: innocuo (learned)
• → Portuguese: inócuo (learned)
• → Spanish: inocuo (learned)

References

• “innocuus”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “innocuus”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• innocuus in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.