nulla

Forms

nulla (invariable)^[1][2] An old dialect form is nula.^[3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Latin nūlla, the neuter plural of the Latin adjective for “no, none”;^[4][5][2][6] Wiktionary reads the form as both the feminine singular and the collective neuter plural,^[1] and Tommaseo explained it as the feminine with “thing” understood.^[7] The adjective, the source of nullo, is a compound of nē (“not”) and ūllus (“any”), a diminutive of ūnus (“one”).^[4][5][8]

The negative adjective goes back to Proto-Italic *noinolos, literally “not a little one”, built on the word for “one”, Proto-Indo-European *Hoi-no-.^[9][1] Among the Romance outcomes, French nul, Occitan nul and Catalan null are inherited, while Spanish nulo and Portuguese nullo are learned;^[5] Körting thought the adjective learned almost everywhere, since Romance speech prefers to negate the verb.^[10]

Earliest recorded meaning

DELI's first record of the pronoun “nothing” is in the Novellino, at the end of the 13th century;^[4] GRADIT dates it to the second half of the 13th century and Zingarelli to before 1250.^[2][11] Dante writes Lo trafitto 'l mirò, ma nulla disse (the one transfixed looked at him but said nothing, Inferno 25).^[12]

Semantic evolution

The word can stand alone at the head of a sentence (nulla mi sorprende), but after the verb it needs a second negation (non vedo nulla).^[2][8] In questions and doubtful clauses it means “anything”, as in hai sentito nulla?.^[2][6] As a noun it names non-being and nothingness, in philosophy and in Foscolo's nulla eterno, and also a trifle: si offende per un nulla.^[11][2]

Compounds were formed from phrases: nullaosta, after the chancery Latin formula nihil obstat, was a formula of permission by 1869 and a noun in Gramsci (1929–1935); nullatenente “owning nothing” dates from 1797, and fannullone “idler” from 1847.^[4][5] DIFIT records German Null “zero” from 1514 as a borrowing of the Italian mathematical term, and English null (1691) as from French or Italian.^[13]

Timeline

• Before 1250 – Zingarelli's date of first record.^[11]
• End of the 13th century – The Novellino uses it for “nothing”.^[4]
• 1514 – German Null is recorded.^[13]
• 1797 – Nulla tenente appears in Carlo Botta.^[4]
• 1847 – Fannullone is recorded.^[5]
• 1869 – Tommaseo–Bellini records nulla osta as a formula of permission.^[4]
• 1929–1935 – Gramsci uses nulla osta as a noun.^[4]

Meanings

Pronoun

1. nothing: non ho comprato nulla, nulla è cambiato.^[2][6][8]
2. In questions and doubtful clauses, anything: ti serve nulla?^[2][6][8]
3. In set expressions of reassurance: non è nulla, non fa nulla (it doesn't matter).^[2][14]
4. di nulla, you're welcome (in reply to thanks).^[6][14]

Noun

1. (invariable) nothingness, what does not exist: svanire nel nulla.^[2][11][6]
2. A trifle, a tiny amount: è bastato un nulla.^[11][6][8]
3. (philosophy) Non-being, the opposite of being.^[11][14][15]

Adverb

1. Not at all, per nulla, in no way: non è per nulla stanco.^[11][6][15]

Word family

• nullaosta
• nullatenente
• fannullone
• nonnulla
• nullaggine

Related words

• nullo
• niente
• annullare
• nullità
• Latin nūllus

Usage notes

Nulla and niente are interchangeable in most uses.^[8][6] Set phrases include buono a nulla (good-for-nothing), nulla di fatto (no result; in football, a goalless draw) and come se nulla fosse (as if nothing had happened).^[2][11][14]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
3. ^ Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca
4. ^ a b c d e f g h Cortelazzo, Manlio; Zolli, Paolo (1999), Dizionario etimologico della lingua italiana, 2nd ed. by Manlio Cortelazzo and Michele A. Cortelazzo, Bologna: Zanichelli
5. ^ a b c d e Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i Devoto, Giacomo; Oli, Gian Carlo; Serianni, Luca; Trifone, Maurizio (2026), Nuovo Devoto–Oli: il vocabolario dell'italiano contemporaneo, digital ed., Milano: Le Monnier
7. ^ Tommaseo, Niccolò; Bellini, Bernardo (1861–1879), Dizionario della lingua italiana, 4 vols., Torino: UTET
8. ^ a b c d e f Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
9. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
10. ^ Körting, Gustav (1907), Lateinisch-romanisches Wörterbuch: etymologisches Wörterbuch der romanischen Hauptsprachen, 3rd ed., Paderborn: Schöningh
11. ^ a b c d e f g h Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
12. ^ Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca, p. 11, 644
13. ^ a b Stammerjohann, Harro, et al. (2008), Dizionario di italianismi in francese, inglese, tedesco, Firenze: Accademia della Crusca; online at difit.italianisticaonline.it
14. ^ a b c d Vocabolario della lingua italiana Treccani (2011), Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana
15. ^ a b Gabrielli, Aldo (2020), Grande dizionario italiano, digital ed., Milano: Hoepli