infans

Infans is a Latin noun meaning infant or young child. It is masculine and belongs to the third declension; its principal forms include infans (nominative singular), infantis (genitive singular), infanti (dative singular), infantem (accusative singular), infante (ablative singular); and infantes (nominative plural), infantium (genitive plural), infantibus (dative plural), infantes (accusative plural), infantibus (ablative plural). The term was used in classical and medieval Latin to designate a child who had not reached puberty, in contrast with puer (boy) and puella (girl). The related noun infantia denotes infancy or childhood.

Etymology and sense of the term reflect its core meaning. Latin infans is traditionally interpreted as stemming from a prefix meaning “not” and a verb root related to speaking, yielding a sense akin to “not speaking” or “unable to speak.” In use, infans often referred specifically to very young children or babies, rather than to older youths.

In scholarly contexts, infans is encountered in discussions of Latin syntax, morphology, and historical texts. It also appears in the study of Latin translations and paleography, where precise terminology for developmental stages is relevant. The related term infantia designates infancy or early childhood more generally and is used in both Latin and modern philological discussions.

In modern English-language writing, infans is largely confined to Latin dictionaries, linguistic or historical works, or scholarly translations. Everyday usage typically employs infant or infant- as appropriate, with infantia serving as a Latin loanword for infancy.