vain etymology

Etymology

The word "vain" is derived from the Middle English "vain," which in turn comes from the Old French "vain," meaning "empty" or "worthless." The ultimate origin of the word is the Latin "vanus," meaning "empty."

Meaning

• Adjective:
  • Without worth or value; useless or futile.
  • Having an exaggerated sense of one's own importance or attractiveness.
  • Lacking substance or significance; empty.
• Noun:
  • An artery or vein in the body.
  • A seam in a piece of coal.

Origin

• The word "vain" has been in continuous use since the 12th century.
• Its original meaning was "empty" or "worthless," and it was often used to describe things that were of no value or that were ineffective.
• Over time, the meaning of the word expanded to include the idea of "conceit" or "vanity," as well as the anatomical sense of a blood vessel.

vain relate terms

• vainglory

  Etymology The word vainglory is derived from two Latin words vanus meaning empty

• vain

  Etymology The word vain is derived from the Middle English vain which in turn comes

• glory

  Etymology From Middle English glorie from Old French gloire ultimately from Latin glor

• avoid

  Usage The word serendipity has an interesting etymology However for the purposes o

• devastation

  Etymology From Old French devastation from Late Latin devastatio from the verb devast

• devoid

  Etymology From Middle English devet devoyde from Old French devoidier from Late Lati

• evacuate

  Etymology From Latin evacuo meaning to empty or to make vacant Derived from the pr

• evanescent

  Etymology Latin ēvānescere to vanish disappear ē ex out away vānēscere

• vacant

  Etymology and Origin of Vacant The word vacant originates from the Latin word vacans

• vacate

  Etymology The word vacate comes from the Latin word vacare which means to be empty

• vacation

  Etymology Latin vacātiō meaning a being free leisure exemption from duty Proto

• vacuity

  Etymology Latin vacuus empty void Proto Indo European wesḱo empty void

• vacuole

  Etymology The word vacuole is derived from the Latin word vacuus meaning empty or

• vacuous

  Etymology Vacuous derives from the Latin word vacuus meaning empty void unoccupi

• vacuum

  Etymology The word vacuum originates from the Latin word vacuus meaning empty or

• vain

  Etymology The word vain is derived from the Middle English vain which in turn comes

• vanish

  Etymology Old French vanisher to vanish disappear 13th century Late Latin evanes

• vanity

  Etymology From Middle English vanite from Old French vanité from Latin vanitas emp

• vaunt

  Etymology The word vaunt comes from the Middle English word vanten which itself deri

• void

  Etymology The word etymology is derived from the Greek words etymon meaning true se

• wane

  Etymology Middle English wanien wanen to decline diminish from Old English wanian

• want

  Etymology Want From Old English wantan meaning lacking deficient or destitut

• waste

  Etymology The word waste comes from Middle English waste which is derived from Old

• swollen

  Etymology Swollen comes from the Old English word swellan meaning to enlarge or b

• frustration

  Etymology The word frustration derives from Latin frustrare meaning to deceive

• idleness

  Etymology Old English idelnes Proto Germanic idilaz meaning empty vain Proto Ind

• idle

  Etymology Idle comes from the Old English word idel which originally meant empty

• intramercurial

  Etymology The word intramercurial is derived from two Latin words Intra meaning w

• strut

  Etymology Middle English strutte from Old English strutian to rove about ramble G

• rodomontade

  Etymology Old French rodomontade Spanish rodomontada Italian rodomontade Late Latin Rod

• vein

  Etymology The word vein comes from the Latin word vena meaning vessel or channel

• garden

  Etymology of Garden The word garden has its origins in the Proto Indo European root

• miasma

  Etymology Ancient Greek μίασμα miasma meaning pollution defilement or