Vanum

Vanum is the neuter form of the Latin adjective vanus, meaning empty, void, or vain. In classical Latin it functions as an attributive descriptor and, less commonly, as a substantive meaning "the empty thing" or "the void." It can describe objects, actions, or discourse that lacks substance, content, or significance.

Etymology: Vanum derives from vanus, from Proto-Italic roots of debated origin. The term is typically translated as "empty" or "futile" and shares semantic space with related Latin terms such as vacuus (empty) and vanitas (vanity), though vanum remains specific to the neuter form.

Usage in literature: In Latin poetry and prose, vanum appears in contexts of emptiness, hollowness, or futility—often to critique rhetoric, promises, or deeds that amount to little. In theological and philosophical Latin, the word is used to condemn vain pursuits and to contrast appearances with genuine substance.

Modern usage: Today vanum is chiefly of philological interest. It is encountered in Latin dictionaries, grammars, and commentaries analyzing classical style or rhetoric. The concept it expresses resonates with later stages of European thought, especially the idea of vanitas, but the terms differ in nuance and provenance.

See also: vanus, vanitas, vacuus.