To disappear suddenly or gradually, becoming no longer visible or present. Can refer to both physical disappearance and metaphorical concepts fading away.
From Old French 'evaniss-,' extended stem of 'evanir' meaning to disappear, from Latin 'evanescere' (to vanish away). The 'e-' was dropped in Middle English, and the word entered English in the 14th century.
The word 'vanish' is related to 'evanescent' and shares roots with 'vain' and 'vanity'—all connected to the Latin concept of emptiness or worthlessness. This etymological connection suggests that disappearing and being insubstantial were conceptually linked in ancient thinking about reality and permanence.
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