Nihil
Translation
Nothing is more destructive than war.
Details
Nihil (n, indeclinable, nom. or acc. only—here nom.): nothing. Est: is. Bellō is the ablative singular form of bellum, bellī (2n): war (an ablative of comparison). Fūnestior/fūnestior/ fūnestius (3): more connected with death or mourning; deadlier, more destructive; more grievous; more sinister—the comparative form of fūnestus/fūnesta/fūnestum (1/2): connected with death or mourning; deadly, destructive; grievous; sinister.
Translation
Nothing is enough for greed.
Details
Cupiditātī is the dative singular form of cupiditās, cupiditātis (3f): desire, longing, craving; lust; greed, cupidity. Nihil (n, indeclinable, nom. or acc. only—here nom.): nothing. Satis (n, indeclinable, nom. or acc. only—here nom): enough. Est: is.
Translation
(Chicago:) I do not ask you for anything.
More literally: I request nothing.
Details
Nihil (n, indeclinable, nom. or acc. only—here acc.): nothing. Rogō, rogāre, rogāvī, rogātum (1): to ask (for), request.
Translation
(Chicago:) The sage does nothing unwillingly.
Details
Nihil (n, indeclinable, nom. or acc. only—here acc.): nothing. Invītus /invīta/invītum (1/2): unwilling, acting against one’s will. Facit is the third person singular form of faciō, facere, fēcī, factum (3, –iō): to do; make. Sapiēns, sapientis (3m): wise man, sage.
Translation
That “something” is nothing.
Details
Is/ea/ id (adj.): this, that. Aliquis/aliqua/ aliquid (pron.): someone, something. Nīl (contraction of nihil; n, indeclinable, nom. or acc. only—here nom.): nothing. Est: is.
Translation
Therefore none of these things happen in order to do us wrong.
More literally: Therefore nothing of these things happens for our injury.
Details
Nihil (n, indeclinable, nom. or acc. only—here nom.): nothing. Ergō (particle): therefore, so, then. Hōrum is the m/n (here n) genitive plural form of hic/haec/hoc (pron.): this, this one; he, she, it (of these things). In (prep.): (with abl.) in; (with acc.) into; toward; for; against. Nostram is the feminine accusative singular form of noster/nostra/nostrum (1/2): our, ours. Iniūriam is the accusative singular form of iniūria, iniūriae (1f): injurious treatment, injustice, wrong, injury. Fit is the third person singular form of fīō, fierī, —, — (irreg.): to be done; be made; happen; come into being; become.
In that last example, nihil is modified by a partitive genitive—the neuter genitive plural pronoun hōrum. Nihil hōrum = nothing out of these things, none of these things. Nihil (or nīl) can also take a partitive genitive in other ways. The combination of nihil/nīl + partitive genitive can create a meaning similar to nothing in the way of X, no amount of X, or simply no X.
Translation
There’s no danger.
More literally: There is nothing (in the way) of danger.
Details
Nīl (contraction of nihil; n, indeclinable, nom. or acc. only—here nom.): nothing. Perīclum, perīclī (2n—also perīculum): test; danger, risk, peril. Est: there is.
The partitive genitive can also be a substantive adjective; the phrase nihil + partitive genitive then expresses the idea nothing of a certain type (nothing good, nothing bad, nothing new, etc.).
Translation
The new year had brought nothing new.
More literally: . . . nothing of the new, nothing (in the way) of (a) new (thing).
Details
Nihil (n, indeclinable, nom. or acc. only—here acc.): nothing. Novī is the m/n (here n) genitive singular form of novus/nova/novum (1/2): new. Novus /nova/novum (1/2): new. Annus, annī (2m): year. Attulerat is the third person singular pluperfect form of afferō, afferre, attulī, allātum (3, irreg.): to bring.
But that only happens with adjectives of the 1/2 variety. A classical author wouldn’t have said nihil difficilis for nothing (of the) difficult, for instance. Here the only option would have been to make the adjective agree with nihil: nihil difficile. (With 1/2 adjectives, both constructions are usually viable, though sometimes one of them will be more common; nihil novī is a common phrase, for example, while nihil novum isn’t.)
Nihil is sometimes used adverbially to mean in respect to nothing, in nothing, in no respect, to no extent, in no way, not at all. Often this use can also be described as nihil being an “internal accusative object,” especially when it’s combined with verbs (like prōsum or prōficiō) that are otherwise intransitive but often take nihil and other similar neuter words (such as aliquid, quicquam, quid, etc.) as a kind of object. Whatever you call it, it doesn’t change the meaning.
Translation
It will do no good.
Alt. : It will not help in any way.
More literally: It will avail nothing (it will be useful in nothing/in no respect).
Details
(Talking about anger—īra, īrae (1f).) Nihil (n, indeclinable, nom. or acc. only—here acc.): nothing; (accusative used adverbially) in nothing, in no respect, to no extent, in no way, not at all. Prōfutūrus/ prōfutūra /prōfutūrum (1/2) is the future active participle (going to be of use) of prōsum, prōdesse, prōfuī, prōfutūrus (irreg.): to be of use, be useful, help, benefit, do good, avail (an intransitive verb; when mentioned, the recipient of the benefit goes in the dative). Est: it is.
Translation
Therefore let us refrain from tears that will achieve nothing.
More literally: Therefore let us refrain from tears benefiting nothing.
Details
Proinde (adv.): in proportion; accordingly, therefore, then. Parcāmus is the first person plural subjunctive form of parcō, parcere, pepercī/parsī, parsum (3): to be lenient, spare; refrain from (takes the dative) (subjunctive because it’s hortatory). Lacrimīs is the dative plural form of lacrima, lacrimae (1f): tear. Nihil (n, indeclinable, nom. or acc. only—here acc.): nothing; (accusative used adverbially) in nothing, in no respect, to no extent, in no way, not at all. Prōficientibus is the m/f/n dative plural form of prōficiēns, prōficientis (3), the present active participle of prōficiō, prōficere, prōfēcī, prōfectum (3, –iō): to advance, progress; gain results, achieve something, be successful; benefit, avail, do good (the verb is intransitive and doesn’t take an accusative noun as object; but the thing achieved can be represented by a generic neuter word like nihil, aliquid, quid, etc.).
Translation
I don’t care for delicacies.
More literally: I care nothing for delicacies (I care to no extent for delicacies).
Details
Nīl (contraction of nihil; n, indeclinable, nom. or acc. only—here acc.): nothing; (accusative used adverbially) in nothing, in no respect, to no extent, in no way, not at all. Moror, morārī, morātus sum (1, deponent): to delay; stay, linger; (usually with a negation) care (the object of the lack of care goes in the accusative). Cuppēdia is the accusative form of cuppēdia, cuppēdiōrum (2n, plural only): tidbits, delicacies.
Translation
The Thebans were not moved at all.
Details
Thēbānī is the masculine nominative plural form of Thēbānus/Thēbāna/Thēbānum (1/2): Theban. Nihil (n, indeclinable, nom. or acc. only—here acc.): nothing; (accusative used adverbially) in nothing, in no respect, to no extent, in no way, not at all. Mōtī sunt is the third person masculine plural perfect passive form of moveō, movēre, mōvī, mōtum (2): to move, stir; trouble, disturb.