indarno

Italian

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Adverb

indarno (literary)

1. in vain
2. fruitlessly
3. unnecessarily
4. needlessly

Adjective

indarno (feminine indarna, masculine plural indarni, feminine plural indarne) (literary)

1. vain, useless

   Synonyms: vano, inutile

   • 1336–1374, Francesco Petrarca, “CXXVIII — Italia mia, benché ’l parlar sia indarno”, in Il Canzoniere, lines 1–3; republished as Daniele Ponchiroli, editor, Turin: publ. Giulio Einaudi, 1964:

     Italia mia, benché ’l parlar sia indarno / a le piaghe mortali / che nel bel corpo tuo sì spesse veggio […]

     My dear Italy, although speaking is useless to [cure] the mortal wounds that in your beautiful body I see so many […]

Anagrams

• androni, diranno, ridanno