iniquus

Latin

Etymology

From in- (“not”) +‎ aequus (“equal, even, fair”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /iˈniː.kʷus/, [ɪˈniːkʊs̠]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /iˈni.kwus/, [iˈniːkwus]

Adjective

inīquus (feminine inīqua, neuter inīquum, comparative inīquior, superlative inīquissimus); first/second-declension adjective

1. unjust, unfair
   • c. 52 BCE, Julius Caesar, Commentarii de Bello Gallico 1.44:

     Si iterum experiri velint, se iterum paratum esse decertare; si pace uti velint, iniquum esse de stipendio recusare, quod sua voluntate ad id tempus pependerint.

     If they chose to make a second trial, he was ready to encounter them again; but if they chose to enjoy peace, it was unfair to refuse the tribute, which of their own free-will they had paid up to that time.

2. unequal, uneven

   Synonyms: dispār, inaequālis, impār

   Antonyms: aequālis, pār, plānus, aequus

3. unfavourable, disadvantageous
4. unkind, hostile

   Synonyms: hostīlis, inimīcus, oblīquus, īnfēnsus, adversus, āversus, dīversus, īnfestus

   Antonyms: affābilis, amīcābilis, facilis, benevolēns

5. unsuitable

Declension

First/second-declension adjective.

	singular				plural
	masculine	feminine	neuter		masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	inīquus	inīqua	inīquum		inīquī	inīquae	inīqua
genitive	inīquī	inīquae	inīquī		inīquōrum	inīquārum	inīquōrum
dative	inīquō	inīquae	inīquō		inīquīs
accusative	inīquum	inīquam	inīquum		inīquōs	inīquās	inīqua
ablative	inīquō	inīquā	inīquō		inīquīs
vocative	inīque	inīqua	inīquum		inīquī	inīquae	inīqua

Descendants

• French: inique
• Italian: iniquo
• Portuguese: iníquo
• Spanish: inicuo, inicua

References

• “iniquus”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “iniquus”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• iniquus in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
• iniquus in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• Carl Meißner, Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎, London: Macmillan and Co.
  • friend and foe: aequi iniqui
    
  • in a favourable position: idoneo, aequo, suo (opp. iniquo) loco