Etymologically
Log in

ullus

This is an old revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 18 October 2026 at 18:46. It may differ significantly from the current version. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Current version Changes in this edit History

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈuːl.lʊs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈul.lus][1]

Forms

ūllus (feminine ūlla, neuter ūllum); first/second-declension determiner (pronominal declension)[1]

Etymology

It is a diminutive of ūnus (“one”), from *oinelos, a diminutive of *oinos (“one”), from Proto-Indo-European *óynos.[1][2] Lewis & Short reconstruct ⟨*unulus⟩.[2] The OLD considers it probably a later formation than nūllus, which goes back directly to ⟨*ne-oinolos⟩.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found from Plautus on: numquam ecastor ūllō diē rīsī adaequē “never on any day have I laughed so much”.[4][3]

Semantic evolution

Ūllus means “any, any at all”; it is used chiefly in negative sentences, questions and conditions, while aliquis is used in affirmative ones.[3][2] In comparisons it means “any you care to name” (magis quam ūllus “more than anyone”).[3]

Its genitive is ūllīus;[3][2] Plautus also has ūllī.[3][2]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – First found in Plautus.[4]
  • 190–159 BC – Terence: neque lītēs ūllae inter eās.[3][4]

Meanings

Determiner

  1. any, any at all (in negative, interrogative and conditional sentences).[3][2]
  2. Any you care to name (in comparisons).[3]
  3. (as noun) Anyone.[2]

Word family

  • ūllātenus
  • necullus

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de