internecine

in·ter·nec·ine  (ntr-nsn, -n, -nsn)

adj.

1. Of or relating to struggle within a nation, organization, or group.

2. Mutually destructive; ruinous or fatal to both sides.

3. Characterized by bloodshed or carnage.

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[Latin internecnus, destructive, variant of internecvus, from internecre, to slaughter : inter-, intensive pref.; see inter- + nex, nec-, death; see nek-¹ in Indo-European roots.]

Word History: When is a mistake not a mistake? In language at least, the answer to this question is "When everyone adopts it," and on rare occasions, "When it's in the dictionary." The word internecine presents a case in point. Today, it usually has the meaning "relating to internal struggle," but in its first recorded use in English, in 1663, it meant "fought to the death." How it got from one sense to another is an interesting story in the history of English. The Latin source of the word, spelled both internecnus and internecvus, meant "fought to the death, murderous." It is a derivative of the verb necre, "to kill." The prefix inter- was here used not in the usual sense "between, mutual" but rather as an intensifier meaning "all the way, to the death." This piece of knowledge was unknown to Samuel Johnson, however, when he was working on his great dictionary in the 18th century. He included internecine in his dictionary but misunderstood the prefix and defined the word as "endeavoring mutual destruction." Johnson was not taken to task for this error. On the contrary, his dictionary was so popular and considered so authoritative that this error became widely adopted as correct usage. The error was further compounded when internecine acquired the sense "relating to internal struggle." This story thus illustrates how dictionaries are often viewed as providing norms and how the ultimate arbiter in language, even for the dictionary itself, is popular usage.

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internecine [ˌɪntəˈniːsaɪn]

adj

1. mutually destructive or ruinous; maiming both or all sides internecine war

2. of or relating to slaughter or carnage; bloody

3. of or involving conflict within a group or organization

[from Latin internecīnus, from internecāre to destroy, from necāre to kill]

Thesaurus

Adj.	1.	internecine - (of conflict) within a group or organization; "an internecine feud among proxy holders" internal - happening or arising or located within some limits or especially surface; "internal organs"; "internal mechanism of a toy"; "internal party maneuvering"
	2.	internecine - characterized by bloodshed and carnage for both sides; "internecine war" bloody - having or covered with or accompanied by blood; "a bloody nose"; "your scarf is all bloody"; "the effects will be violent and probably bloody"; "a bloody fight"

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internecine

adjective destructive, bloody, deadly, fatal, mortal, exterminating, ruinous, exterminatory The episode has turned attention to the internecine strife here.

Translations

internecine [ˌɪntəˈniːsaɪn]

A. ADJ [strife, feud, warfare] → intestina

B. CPD internecine war N → guerra f de aniquilación mutua

internecine [ˌɪntə^rˈniːsaɪn] adj [conflict, war, quarrel] → mutuellement destructeur/trice

internecine

adj

(= mutually destructive) → für beide Seiten verlustreich; (= bloody) → mörderisch; internecine war → gegenseitiger Vernichtungskrieg

(= internal) quarrel, conflict → intern; internecine strife → innere Zerrissenheit

internecine [ˌɪntəˈnisaɪn] adj → distruttivo/a per entrambe le parti