nihilum

Latin

Etymology

Univerbation of ne- +‎ hīlum; both the lack of elision of the first vowel and the shortening of the second are unexpected.

Alternative forms

• nīlum
• nichilum (Late & Medieval Latin)

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈni.hi.lum/, [ˈni(ɦ)ɪɫ̪ʊ̃ˑ]
• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈniː.lum/, [ˈniːɫ̪ʊ̃ˑ]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈni.ki.lum/, [ˈniːkilum]

Noun

nihilum n (genitive nihilī); second declension

1. nothing

   • Et possidebunt illam onocrotalus et ericius et ibis et corvus habitabunt in ea et extendetur super eam mensura ut redigatur ad nihilum et perpendiculum in desolationem

     The bittern and ericius shall possess it: and the ibis and the raven shall dwell in it: and a line shall be stretched out upon it, to bring it to nothing, and a plummet, unto desolation. Isaias 34:11.

2. (of) no value (in the genitive singular)

Declension

Second-declension noun (neuter).

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	nihilum	nihila
Genitive	nihilī	nihilōrum
Dative	nihilō	nihilīs
Accusative	nihilum	nihila
Ablative	nihilō	nihilīs
Vocative	nihilum	nihila

Derived terms

• nihil
• nihilōminus
• nōnnihilō

Further reading

• nihilum in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• nihilum in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• nihilum in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré Latin-Français, Hachette
• Carl Meißner; Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎^[1], London: Macmillan and Co.
  • a thing costs nothing: aliquid nihilo or gratis constat
    
• Morwood, James. A Latin Grammar. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999.