inne-

German

Etymology

From Middle High German and Old High German inne, adverbial form of in.

An alternative adverb (chiefly in Upper German) was īn, whence modern ein-. These then came to be distinguished in such a way that the short-vowel form expressed stationary location (adverb of in + dative), while the long-vowel form expressed movement (adverb of in + accusative). This distinction is largely maintained in modern German (cf. darin vs. hinein). Accordingly the prefix inne- is generally used with stationary verbs.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɪnə/

Prefix

inne-

1. (rare, in verbs and deverbal nouns) in, inside, interior

   ‎inne- + ‎haben (“to have”) → ‎innehaben (“to hold, occupy”)

   ‎inne- + ‎halten (“to hold, stop”) → ‎innehalten (“to wait, pause”)

   ‎inne- + ‎wohnen (“to dwell”) → ‎innewohnen (“to indwell, be inherent”)

Alternative forms

• in- (in nouns)

Related terms

• ein-, inner-, binnen-