insignis

English

Etymology

From Latin īnsignis (“remarkable”), in reference to its rapid growth. Compare remarkable pine.

Noun

insignis

1. The Monterey pine (Pinus radiata, syn. Pinus insignis). (Can we verify⁽⁺⁾ this sense?)

Derived terms

• insignis pine/insignis-pine

Latin

Etymology

From in- (“within”) +‎ signum (“a sign, an emblem”) +‎ -is (suffix forming an adjective); so formed because the subject qualified by this adjective has been revealed, specifically by means of a sign, to be exceptional relative to ordinary examples of its kind.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /inˈsiɡ.nis/, [ĩːˈs̠ɪŋnɪs̠]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /inˈsiɲ.ɲis/, [inˈsiɲːis]

Adjective

īnsignis (neuter īnsigne, comparative īnsignior, superlative īnsignissimus, adverb īnsigniter); third-declension two-termination adjective

1. extraordinary

   Synonyms: eminens, extraordinarius, illustris, notabilis, eximius

   • (Can we date this quote?), Cicero Ad Quintum Fratrem Dialogi Tres: De Oratore, Libri Tres 237

     Nam nec insignis improbitas, et scelere iuncta, nec rursus miseria insignis agitata ridetur...

     "For neither remarkable wickedness, such as involves crime, nor, on the other hand, exceptional wretchedness is assailed by ridicule..."

   • (Can we date this quote?), Cicero De Oratore, Libri Tres 244

     ...in aliquo insigni ad inridendum vitio reperiantur.

     "...they are discovered to possess some striking and ridiculous failing."

   • (Can we date this quote?), Cicero Laelius sive De Amicitia Dialogus

     ...insignis virtus Scipionis...

     "...the extraordinary manliness of Scipio..."

2. obvious

   Synonyms: apparens, conspicuus, manifestus, obvius, discernibilis, notorius, conspectus, exhibitus, manifestatus, indicatus, significatus

   • (Can we date this quote?), Livy Ab Urbe Condita (History of Rome) 34

     ...uxores insignes auro et purpura...

     "...the wives conspicuous in gold and purple..."

   • (Can we date this quote?), Cicero Laelius sive De Amicitia Dialogus 102

     Mihi quidem Scipio, quamquam est subito ereptus, vivit tamen semperque vivet; virtutem enim amavi illius viri, quae exstincta non est; nec mihi soli versatur ante oculos, qui illam semper in manibus habui, sed etiam posteris erit clara et insignis.

     "Indeed, to me, Scipio, though he was suddenly snatched away, lives and will always live; the goodness of he that I loved, that is not dead; nor to me is he only moving before my eyes, he is always within my reach, but later will also be clear and discernible."

   • (Can we date this quote?), Vergil Georgics 3.56

     Nec mihi displiceat bos maculis insignis et albo...

     "Nor might a dull white bull marked with spots displease me..."

   • (Can we date this quote?), Horace Satires, Book 2, Satire 1, lines 41-6:

     ...o pater et rex/ Jupiter, ut pereat positum rubigine telum,/ Nec quisquam noceat cupido mihi pacis! at ille,/ Qui me commorit, (melius non tangere, clamo)/ Flebit, et insignis tota cantabitur Urbe.

     "...Oh, Father, Oh king/ Jupiter, (rather than that I should injure any man) may my spear be eaten away by rust,/ Nor may any man do harm to me who am so desirous of peace! But should he,/ He who shall be made to die with me (I declare that he had better not)/ He shall lament, he (his character defects or his lack of virtue) shall be made obvious, ridiculed (literally "sung about") by the entire city."

3. distinguished, famous

   Synonyms: conspicuus, distinctus, praecipuus, famosus, secretus, nobilis, ēgregius

   • (Can we date this quote?), Seneca the Younger De Beneficiis III, 4

     Utrum maius beneficium dedit M. Agrippae pater ne post Agrippam quidem notus, an patri dedit Agrippa navali corona insignis, unicum adeptus inter dona militaria decus...

     "Which was the greater benefit: what Marcus Agrippa received from his father, who was unknown even after having had a son like Agrippa, or what the father received from Agrippa, who, distinguished by a naval garland, obtained an honor uncommon among military presents..."

   • (Can we date this quote?), Tacitus, Annals Book VI, 29

     ...Mamercus Scaurus, insignis nobilitate et orandis causis, vita probrosus.

     "...Mamercus Scaurus, distinguished by birth and by his talent as an advocate, but in life a reprobate."

   • (Can we date this quote?), Ovid Metamorphoses

     Phoebus insignis crinibus...

     "Phoebus celebrated for his locks...","Phoebus noted for his locks...", or "Phoebus distinguished by his locks..."

4. aristocratic, highborn

   Synonyms: generosus, optimas, patricius

   • (Can we date this quote?), Tacitus, Annals Book XIII, 32

     Et Pomponia Graecina insignis femina...ac superstitionis externae rea, mariti iudicio permissa.

     "Pomponia Graecina, a noblewoman (alternately "a noble woman", "a highborn woman", "a woman of the aristocracy", "a woman of high family" or "a woman of noble rank")...yet arraigned for foreign superstition, was delivered to the jurisdiction of her husband."

5. infamous, notorious

   Synonym: infamis

   • (Can we date this quote?), Tacitus, Annals Book XIII, 45

     Non minus insignis eo anno impudicitia magnorum rei publicae malorum initium fecit.

     "In that same year a profligacy no less infamous (or, "equally notorious") caused the beginning of tremendous iniquities to the republic."

   • c. 52 BCE, Julius Caesar, Commentarii de Bello Gallico 1.12:

     Ita sive casu sive consilio deorum immortalium quae pars civitatis Helvetiae insignem calamitatem populo Romano intulerat, ea princeps poenam persolvit.

     Thus, whether by chance or by the design of the immortal gods, that part of the Helvetian state which had brought a signal calamity upon the Roman people, was the first to pay the penalty.

Declension

Third-declension two-termination adjective.

Number	Singular			Plural
Case / Gender	Masc./Fem.	Neuter		Masc./Fem.	Neuter
Nominative	īnsignis	īnsigne		īnsignēs	īnsignia
Genitive	īnsignis			īnsignium
Dative	īnsignī			īnsignibus
Accusative	īnsignem	īnsigne		īnsignēs īnsignīs	īnsignia
Ablative	īnsignī			īnsignibus
Vocative	īnsignis	īnsigne		īnsignēs	īnsignia

Derived terms

• īnsigne (“a distinctive mark”, noun)
• īnsigniō (“to mark”, verb)
• īnsigniter (“remarkably”, adverb)

Descendants

• → Catalan: insigne
• → English: insignis
• → English: insignia
• → French: insigne
• → Galician: insigne
• → Italian: insigne
• → Portuguese: insigne
• Sicilian: nzigni
• → Spanish: insigne

Further reading

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