inferno
UK[ɪnˈfɜːnəʊ]US[ɪnˈfɜːrnoʊ]
n
a very large and dangerous fire that is out of control
n
a place or situation that is extremely hot, chaotic, or hellish
Morpheme Breakdown
in
fern
o
in
in, into
fern
hell
o
noun suffix
Etymology
the word 'inferno' entered english directly from italian, where it means "hell". the italian term derives from the late latin word 'infernus', which was used in christian theology to denote hell, conceptualized as the place of the damned. this latin adjective 'infernus' originally meant "situated below, lower," stemming from the comparative form of the proto-indo-european root ndher- meaning "under". the semantic evolution is vividly logical: from the literal sense of "the place below" (the underworld), it came to signify the christian hell, and subsequently, by metaphorical extension, any place or state resembling hell in its intense heat and chaos, such as an uncontrollable fire.
Analysis
Structure: in (in, into) + fern (hell) + o (noun suffix)
- in: a latin prefix meaning "in, into, on, upon".
- fern: from italian 'inferno', from late latin 'infernus' meaning "hell, the underworld". the root is latin 'infernus' meaning "lower, below".
- o: a common noun suffix in english, often used in words borrowed from italian or spanish.
Examples
the raging inferno consumed the entire warehouse in hours.
the city center became an inferno of noise and confusion during the festival.
firefighters battled the inferno through the night.