Sunday, April 10, 2011

Verbum Hodiernum: NULLUS



Today's word is the adjective NULLUS. For the most part, this is a first-second declension adjective, but note the genitive singular: nullius and the dative nulli. The word is a contraction in Latin of ne- and the adjective ullus, "any," so nullus means "not any."

We get the word "null" from this Latin word, and likewise "nullify." We also get the verb "annul," which is from the late Latin verb annullare, "to make nothing."

Here are some examples of today's word in Latin sayings and proverbs; for more information, see the page at the Scala Sapientiae, which contains notes on some of the proverbs cited below, as well as additional proverbs:

Unius dictum, dictum nullius.

Qui sibi malus, nulli bonus.


Nullus agenti dies longus est.


Vir quidem unus, nullus est.


Malum quidem nullum sine aliquo bono.


Nulli malum pro malo.


Nullus omnia scire potest.


Nec nulli sis amicus, nec omnibus.


Multus amicus, nullus amicus.


Amici nec multi, nec nulli.


Vox unius, vox nullius.


Nulli secundus.


Fortuna nulli plus quam consilium valet.


Lex mala, lex nulla.


Veri amoris nullus est finis.


Scribendi nullus finis.


Ratio fatum vincere nulla valet.


Nulli malum pro malo reddete.


Aut Caesar aut nullus.


Cedo nulli.

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