infans

in-fans ( infas, Momms. Inscr. R. N. 66; 5376; Inscr. Grut. 688, 2), fantis ( gen. plur. infantium, but infantum, Plin. Ep. 9, 20, 14), adj. [in-for], that cannot speak, without speech, mute, speechless (class.):

seu rubra Canicula findet Infantes statuas,

Hor. S. 2, 5, 40:

filius Croesi,

Gell. 5, 9, 1:

scribit Herodotus, Croesi filium, cum infans esset, locutum,

Cic. Div. 1, 53, 121.—

II.

Transf., not capable of speech, not eloquent:

infantes et insipientes homines,

Cic. Inv. 1, 3, 4.— Comp.: infantior, quam meus est mulio, Varr. ap. Non. 56, 11:

omnino nihil accusatore Lentulo subscriptoribusque ejus infantius,

Cic. Q. Fr. 3, 4 init. — Sup.:

ut timerem, si nihil dixissem, ne infantissimus existimarer,

incapable of speaking, Cic. Clu. 18, 51; cf.:

historia neque nimis infans, neque perfecte diserta,

id. Brut. 26, 101.—

B.

Not yet able to speak, young, little, infant:

infantes pueri,

Cic. de Or. 2, 39, 162; cf. Varr. L. L. 6, § 64 Müll.:

infantium puerorum incunabula,

Cic. Rosc. Am. 53, 153:

pupilla,

id. Verr. 2, 1, 58, § 153:

filius,

id. Clu. 9, 27:

filia,

Suet. Ner. 35.—

Of the young of the brute creation: pulli,

Plin. 10, 33, 49, § 92:

catuli,

id. 29, 5, 32, § 100.— Of a plant, little:

boletus,

Plin. 22, 22, 46, § 93:

ova,

fresh, Ov. M. 4, 518.—

III.

Esp. as subst.: infans, fantis, com. gen.

a.

In gen., a young or little child, an infant, babe:

natura movet infantem,

Cic. Fin. 2, 11, 33:

non mulieribus, non infantibus pepercerunt,

Caes. B. G. 7, 28:

parvi,

Lucr. 1, 184:

in Sabinis incertus infans natus, masculus an femina esset,

Liv. 31, 12 med.:

rusticus,

Juv. 3, 176; 9, 60:

crassus,

id. 13, 163; 14, 168:

infantem suam reportavit,

Quint. 6, 1, 39:

infantumque animae flentes,

Verg. A. 6, 427:

semestris,

Liv. 21, 62:

ab infante,

from infancy, Col. 1, 8, 2; so,

ab infantibus (of more than one),

Cels. 7, 7, 15.—

b.

Esp., of the unborn child:

infantem in utero matris Io triumphe clamasse,

Liv. 24, 10 fin. —

B.

Of or belonging to an infant, infantine:

pectoraque absorbent avidis infantia linguis,

Ov. F. 6, 145:

infantia ossa,

id. M. 4, 517:

guttura,

id. ib. 4, 229:

tutus ut infanti vagiat ore puer,

id. F. 4, 208:

manus,

id. H. 9, 86:

umbrae,

of departed infants, id. ib. 11, 119.—

C.

Childish, like a child. —Hence,

1.

Silly:

illa Hortensiana omnia fuere infantia,

Cic. Att. 10, 18, 1.—

2.

Speechless, not expressing itself in words:

pudor,

Hor. S. 1, 6, 57. —

IV.

For infandus, unutterable, unheard of (anteclass.): facinus, Att. ap. Non. 56, 12 (Trag. Fragm. v. 189 Rib.).