Re:Surprising Shared Word Etymologies
by thaumasiotes on Saturday June 12, 2021 @10:37AM
(#27484781)
> It comes from Latin vanus, meaning "empty". More obvious with the "in vain" meaning
Fun fact: the Latin word for "in vain" is frustra.
I've always loved the same thing—finding hidden connections between everyday words. I recently did this with "vain". It comes from Latin vanus, meaning "empty". More obvious with the "in vain" meaning, but the modern day comes from the idea of an exaggerated self image, with no substance behind it. It has a ton of "empty" cognates: vanish, evanescence, vanity (table), vaunt, vacuous, vacuum, vacation, void, devastate, wanton, wane