Infant Means Unable to Speak
An infant is a very young child. The Latin word means not speaking, and English law gives it a much wider definition.
An infant is a very young child. The Latin *infans* means not speaking, from *in-*, not, and *fari*, to speak. English law long stretched the term far beyond babies: an infant was anyone under the age of majority, so a nineteen-year-old could be an infant in a legal document. *Infantry* comes from the same word, through young foot soldiers.
- A very young child. *A newborn infant.*
- A minor (legal). *An infant in law.*
- Infant school — for children aged five to seven in Britain. *At infant school.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | infant | A sleeping infant. |
| Plural | infants | Two infants. |
| Adjective | infantile | Infantile behaviour. |
| Noun | infancy | In its infancy. |
| Related | infantry | Light infantry. |
How it is used in a sentence
- The technology is in its infancy.Early stage.
- Infantry means foot soldiers.From young men serving on foot.
- Infant means unable to speak.Latin.
Words from *fari*, to speak
- Infant — not speaking
- Fate — what has been spoken
- Fame — what is spoken about
- Preface — spoken beforehand
- Ineffable — that cannot be spoken
From Latin *infans*, not speaking, from *in-* and *fari*, to speak. *Infantry* came through Italian, from young men serving on foot.
Are infant and infantry related?
Yes. Infantry came from Italian words for a youth or foot soldier, ultimately from the same Latin root.
Are fate and fame related to it?
Yes. Both come from Latin *fari*, to speak: fate is what has been spoken, fame what is spoken about.