Etymologically
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nihilum

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [ˈni.(ɦ)ɪ.ɫũː][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [ˈniː.ki.lum][1]

Forms

nihilum n (genitive nihilī); second declension[1] The contracted nīlum appears in Terence, Lucretius, Cicero's letters and Horace.[2]

Etymology

It is formed from the negative ne- and hīlum (“a trifle”), “not a bit”, from ⟨*ne hīlom⟩.[2][3][1] nihil developed from it in unstressed position.[3] Wiktionary notes that both the lack of elision of the first vowel and the shortening of the second are unexpected; ⟨hīlum⟩ itself has no etymology.[1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Plautus, Mercator: hōrunc illa nihilum quicquam facere poterit, “she will be able to do none of these things”.[2][3]

Semantic evolution

Nihilum is “nothing”, with dē nihilō “without reason, for nothing”, and in philosophy that which does not exist: Cicero speaks of what arises from nothing or suddenly vanishes into nothing, and ad nihilum venīre is “to come to nothing”.[2] Its cases serve in fixed phrases: the genitive of value in nihilī pendere, facere or putāre, “to care nothing for” (Plautus), and nihilī “worthless”;[2] prō nihilō dūcere, “to count as nothing”; the ablative with comparatives, nihilō “by no degree” (nihilō sētius, “none the less”); and the accusative nihilum “not at all” (Horace).[2]

Church Latin glosses it “nothing”.[4]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus: nihilum quicquam and nihilī pendere.[2][5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero of what arises from nothing.[2][5]
  • 65–8 BC – Horace of fearing what is not to be feared at all.[2][5]

Meanings

Noun

  1. nothing;[2][1][4] dē nihilō, for no reason.[2][1][4]
  2. Nothingness, the non-existent;[2] ad nihilum venīre, to come to nothing.[2]
  3. nihilī pendere, facere, putāre: to care nothing for;[2] nihilī, worthless.[2]
  4. (ablative, with comparatives) By no degree: nihilō sētius, none the less.[2]
  5. (accusative, as adverb) Not at all.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  4. ^ a b c Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  5. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de