unmeaning

* * *

vānus, a, um, adj. [etym. dub.; cf. vaco], that contains nothing, empty, void. vacant.

Lit. (rare;

not in Cic.): sed illos Exspectata seges vanis elusit aristis,

Verg. G. 1, 226:

leve ac vanum granum,

Col. 2, 9, 13:

ne vana urbis magnitudo esset,

Liv. 1, 8, 5:

vanior jam erat hostium acies,

id. 2, 47, 4:

videtis ordines raros, cornua extenta, mediam aciem vanam et exhaustam,

Curt. 4, 14, 14:

vanam aciem esse ratus,

i. e. thin, weak, id. 4, 14, 8: non vanae redeat sanguis imagini, i. e. to the shade of the dead (so called as being without a body), Hor. C. 1, 24, 15; 3, 27, 41.—

Trop., empty as to purport or result, idle, null, groundless, unmeaning, fruitless, vain (freq. and class.): omnes dant consilium vanum, Enn. ap. Front. Ep. 2, 13 (Trag. Rel. v. 419 Vahl.):

falsum aut vanum aut fictum (opp. vera),

Ter. Eun. 1, 2, 24:

oratio,

Cic. Lael. 26, 98: vana quaedam atque inania polliceri. id. Planc. 42, 101:

vana falsaque,

Plin. 30, 2, 5, §

14: res tumida, vana, ventosa,

Sen. Ep. 84, 11:

orationi vanae crediderunt,

idle, delusive, Cic. Rosc. Am. 40, 117:

non bellum sed vanam imaginem belli insedisse,

Liv. 3, 16, 5:

verba,

Ov. M. 13, 263:

convicia,

id. ib. 9, 303:

historiae,

Quint. 1, 8, 20:

argumentum,

id. 7, 2, 34:

error,

Lucr. 1, 1068:

agitatio armorum,

Liv. 7, 10, 8:

metus,

Hor. C. 1, 23, 3; Ov. H. 16, 342:

gaudia,

Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 188:

spes,

Ov. M. 14, 364:

ira,

Val. Fl. 8, 374; Liv. 1, 10, 4:

fides,

Verg. A. 4, 12:

omen,

Ov. M. 2, 597:

vox auguris,

id. ib. 3, 349:

cuspis,

id. ib. 8, 346:

pila omnia,

Liv. 7, 23, 8:

pleraque tela,

id. 30, 10, 13:

ensis,

id. 7, 10, 9:

ictus,

id. 34, 39, 2:

promissa,

Tac. A. 3, 16:

vana et irrita testamenta,

Suet. Calig. 38:

vaniore dicendi genere inflata (gens),

Quint. 12, 10, 17:

sententiarum vanissimus strepitus,

Petr. 1.—With abl.:

postquam equestris pugna effectu quam conatibus vanior erat,

Liv. 7, 7, 8:

oratio non suis vana laudibus, non crimine alieno laeta,

id. 4, 41, 1.—

Subst.: vānum, i, n., emptiness, nothingness, naught:

ad vanum et irritum redacta victoria,

brought to nothing, Liv. 26, 37, 8:

nec tota ex vano criminatio erat,

i. e. groundless, without cause, id. 33, 31, 4:

ex vano habere spem,

id. 27, 26, 1:

cedit labor in vanum,

Sen. Hippol. 182. — Plur.:

haud vana adtulere,

Liv. 4, 37, 6.— Neutr. plur. adverb.:

ut vidit (Arruntem) laetantem animis ac vana tumentem,

i. e. vainly, with vain show, Verg. A. 11, 854.—With gen.:

corruptus vanis rerum,

Hor. S. 2, 2, 25:

vana rumoris,

Tac. A. 4, 59.—

Vanum est, with subject-clause:

vanum arbitror esse circa canis ortum angues candidos membranam eam exuere,

Plin. 30, 3, 8, § 25.—

Transf., of persons, false, lying, deceptive, delusive, untrustworthy:

vanus et perfidiosus et impius,

false, Cic. Quint. 6, 26:

vanus mendaxque,

Verg. A. 2, 80:

haruspices,

Cic. Div. 1, 19, 36:

haec mihi non vani (neque erat cur fallere vellent) Narravere senes,

i. e. veracious, Ov. M. 8, 721; cf.:

ingenium dictatoris,

Liv. 1, 27, 1:

vane Ligus frustraque animis elate superbis,

Verg. A. 11, 715:

vir omnium vanissimus,

Vell. 2, 30, 1:

invidia vulgi vanum ingenium dictatoris corrupit,

weak, wavering, Liv. 1, 27, 1:

ne irrisus ac vanus iisdem castris assideret, etc.,

in vain, Tac. H. 2, 22 fin. —With gen.:

aut ego (i. e. Juno) veri Vana feror,

Verg. A. 10, 631:

voti vanus,

i. e. deceived, Sil. 12, 261:

turba vana sanctitudinis,

App. de Deo Socr. p. 43, 1.—

Esp., vainglorious, ostentatious, boastful, vain:

Cn. Lentulus perincertum stolidior an vanior,

Sall. H. 4, 35 Dietsch ad loc.:

laudare se vani, vituperare stulti est,

Val. Max. 7, 2, ext. 8.—With abl.:

hunc ingenio vanum Aetoli inpulerant in spem regni,

Liv. 35, 47, 7.—Hence, adv.: vānē, idly, vainly (post-class.):

vane gaudere,

Tert. Apol. 49:

vanius excogitatum,

App. Mag. p. 300, 41:

praecavere vanissime,

Tert. Pud. 1.

vānus, a, um, adj. [etym. dub.; cf. vaco], that contains nothing, empty, void. vacant.

Lit. (rare;

not in Cic.): sed illos Exspectata seges vanis elusit aristis,

Verg. G. 1, 226:

leve ac vanum granum,

Col. 2, 9, 13:

ne vana urbis magnitudo esset,

Liv. 1, 8, 5:

vanior jam erat hostium acies,

id. 2, 47, 4:

videtis ordines raros, cornua extenta, mediam aciem vanam et exhaustam,

Curt. 4, 14, 14:

vanam aciem esse ratus,

i. e. thin, weak, id. 4, 14, 8: non vanae redeat sanguis imagini, i. e. to the shade of the dead (so called as being without a body), Hor. C. 1, 24, 15; 3, 27, 41.—

Trop., empty as to purport or result, idle, null, groundless, unmeaning, fruitless, vain (freq. and class.): omnes dant consilium vanum, Enn. ap. Front. Ep. 2, 13 (Trag. Rel. v. 419 Vahl.):

falsum aut vanum aut fictum (opp. vera),

Ter. Eun. 1, 2, 24:

oratio,

Cic. Lael. 26, 98: vana quaedam atque inania polliceri. id. Planc. 42, 101:

vana falsaque,

Plin. 30, 2, 5, §

14: res tumida, vana, ventosa,

Sen. Ep. 84, 11:

orationi vanae crediderunt,

idle, delusive, Cic. Rosc. Am. 40, 117:

non bellum sed vanam imaginem belli insedisse,

Liv. 3, 16, 5:

verba,

Ov. M. 13, 263:

convicia,

id. ib. 9, 303:

historiae,

Quint. 1, 8, 20:

argumentum,

id. 7, 2, 34:

error,

Lucr. 1, 1068:

agitatio armorum,

Liv. 7, 10, 8:

metus,

Hor. C. 1, 23, 3; Ov. H. 16, 342:

gaudia,

Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 188:

spes,

Ov. M. 14, 364:

ira,

Val. Fl. 8, 374; Liv. 1, 10, 4:

fides,

Verg. A. 4, 12:

omen,

Ov. M. 2, 597:

vox auguris,

id. ib. 3, 349:

cuspis,

id. ib. 8, 346:

pila omnia,

Liv. 7, 23, 8:

pleraque tela,

id. 30, 10, 13:

ensis,

id. 7, 10, 9:

ictus,

id. 34, 39, 2:

promissa,

Tac. A. 3, 16:

vana et irrita testamenta,

Suet. Calig. 38:

vaniore dicendi genere inflata (gens),

Quint. 12, 10, 17:

sententiarum vanissimus strepitus,

Petr. 1.—With abl.:

postquam equestris pugna effectu quam conatibus vanior erat,

Liv. 7, 7, 8:

oratio non suis vana laudibus, non crimine alieno laeta,

id. 4, 41, 1.—

Subst.: vānum, i, n., emptiness, nothingness, naught:

ad vanum et irritum redacta victoria,

brought to nothing, Liv. 26, 37, 8:

nec tota ex vano criminatio erat,

i. e. groundless, without cause, id. 33, 31, 4:

ex vano habere spem,

id. 27, 26, 1:

cedit labor in vanum,

Sen. Hippol. 182. — Plur.:

haud vana adtulere,

Liv. 4, 37, 6.— Neutr. plur. adverb.:

ut vidit (Arruntem) laetantem animis ac vana tumentem,

i. e. vainly, with vain show, Verg. A. 11, 854.—With gen.:

corruptus vanis rerum,

Hor. S. 2, 2, 25:

vana rumoris,

Tac. A. 4, 59.—

Vanum est, with subject-clause:

vanum arbitror esse circa canis ortum angues candidos membranam eam exuere,

Plin. 30, 3, 8, § 25.—

Transf., of persons, false, lying, deceptive, delusive, untrustworthy:

vanus et perfidiosus et impius,

false, Cic. Quint. 6, 26:

vanus mendaxque,

Verg. A. 2, 80:

haruspices,

Cic. Div. 1, 19, 36:

haec mihi non vani (neque erat cur fallere vellent) Narravere senes,

i. e. veracious, Ov. M. 8, 721; cf.:

ingenium dictatoris,

Liv. 1, 27, 1:

vane Ligus frustraque animis elate superbis,

Verg. A. 11, 715:

vir omnium vanissimus,

Vell. 2, 30, 1:

invidia vulgi vanum ingenium dictatoris corrupit,

weak, wavering, Liv. 1, 27, 1:

ne irrisus ac vanus iisdem castris assideret, etc.,

in vain, Tac. H. 2, 22 fin. —With gen.:

aut ego (i. e. Juno) veri Vana feror,

Verg. A. 10, 631:

voti vanus,

i. e. deceived, Sil. 12, 261:

turba vana sanctitudinis,

App. de Deo Socr. p. 43, 1.—

Esp., vainglorious, ostentatious, boastful, vain:

Cn. Lentulus perincertum stolidior an vanior,

Sall. H. 4, 35 Dietsch ad loc.:

laudare se vani, vituperare stulti est,

Val. Max. 7, 2, ext. 8.—With abl.:

hunc ingenio vanum Aetoli inpulerant in spem regni,

Liv. 35, 47, 7.—Hence, adv.: vānē, idly, vainly (post-class.):

vane gaudere,

Tert. Apol. 49:

vanius excogitatum,

App. Mag. p. 300, 41:

praecavere vanissime,

Tert. Pud. 1.