Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Nihil
‖
Ni′hil
,Noun.
[L.]
Nothing.
Nihil album
[L., white nothing]
(Chem.)
, oxide of zinc.
See under Zinc
. – Nihil debet
[L., he owes nothing]
(Law)
, the general issue in certain actions of debt.
– Nihil dicit
[L., he says nothing]
(Law)
, a declinature by the defendant to plead or answer.
Tomlins.
Definition 2024
nihil
nihil
Latin
Alternative forms
Etymology
From nihilum, from ne- (“not”) + hilum (“a trifle, a bagatelle”).
Pronunciation
- (Classical) IPA(key): /ˈni.hil/, [ˈnɪ.hɪɫ]
- (Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): /ˈni.kil/
Pronoun
nihil n (indeclinable)
- indefinite nothing
- c. 185 BCE – 159 BCE, Publius Terentius Afer, Heauton Timorumenos 1.77
-
Homo sum, humani nihil a me alienum puto.
- I am a man, I consider nothing that is human alien to me.
-
Homo sum, humani nihil a me alienum puto.
- 63 BCE, Cicero, Catiline Orations Oratio in Catilinam Prima in Senatu Habita.8
-
Nihil agis, nihil moliris, nihil cogitas quod non ego non modo audiam sed etiam videam planeque sentiam.
- You do nothing, you plan nothing, you think of nothing which I not only do not hear, but which I do not see and know every particular of.
-
Nihil agis, nihil moliris, nihil cogitas quod non ego non modo audiam sed etiam videam planeque sentiam.
- Nihilne in mentem? ― Does nothing come to mind?
- Nihil est. ― It's nothing.
-
Declension
Not declined; used only in the nominative and accusative singular.
Case | Singular |
---|---|
nominative | nihil |
genitive | — |
dative | — |
accusative | nihil |
ablative | — |
vocative | — |
Related terms
References
- nihil in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
- nihil in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
- NIHIL in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition, 1883–1887)
- Félix Gaffiot (1934), “nihil”, in Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français, Paris: Hachette.
- Meissner, Carl; Auden, Henry William (1894) Latin Phrase-Book, London: Macmillan and Co.
- I cannot wait till..: nihil mihi longius est or videtur quam dum or quam ut
- nothing is more tiresome to me than..: nihil mihi longius est quam (c. Inf.)
- a wise man is in no way affected by this: hoc nihil ad sapientem pertinet
- to live a life free from all misfortune: nihil calamitatis (in vita) videre
- to afford no consolation: nihil habere consolationis
- to considerably (in no way) further the common good: multum (nihil) ad communem utilitatem afferre
- I will refuse you nothing: nihil tibi a me postulanti recusabo
- not to trouble oneself about a thing: nihil omnino curare
- there is nothing I am more interested in than..: nihil antiquius or prius habeo quam ut (nihil mihi antiquius or potius est, quam ut)
- to live as scrupulously moral a life as ever: nihil ex pristina virtute remittere
- to do no business with a man: nihil cum aliquo contrahere
- not to mention..: ut non (nihil) dicam de...
- but this is not to the point: sed hoc nihil (sane) ad rem
- there is something in what you say; you are more or less right: aliquid (τι) dicis (opp. nihil dicis)
- I cannot wait till..: nihil mihi longius est or videtur quam dum or quam ut