← Latinum Institute Ecclesiastical Latin Reading Course
47.1 Nūllus no homō man in in viā the road ambulat walks
47.2 Puella the girl nūllam no rosam rose in in hortō the garden videt sees
47.3 Nūllum no bellum war sine without perīculō danger est is
47.4 Mīles the soldier nūllum no hostem enemy timet fears
47.5 Nūlla no fēmina woman ad to templum the temple venit comes
47.6 Servus the slave nūllum no labōrem work recūsat refuses
47.7 Nūllī to no virō man pecūniam money dō I give
47.8 Magister the teacher nūllam no fābulam story nārrat tells
47.9 Nūllum no verbum word dīcit he says
47.10 Puer the boy nūllōs no librōs books legit reads
47.11 Nūllae no stellae stars in in caelō the sky lūcent shine
47.12 Pastor the shepherd nūlla no pecora cattle videt sees
47.13 Agricola the farmer nūllās no frūgēs crops habet has
47.14 Nūllī no puerī boys in in scholā school manent remain
47.15 Mercātor the merchant nūlla no dōna gifts vendit sells
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
47.1 Nūllus homō in viā ambulat. No man walks in the road.
47.2 In hortō puella nūllam rosam videt. In the garden, the girl sees no rose.
47.3 Nūllum bellum sine perīculō est. No war is without danger.
47.4 Mīles nūllum hostem timet. The soldier fears no enemy.
47.5 Ad templum nūlla fēmina venit. No woman comes to the temple.
47.6 Nūllum labōrem servus recūsat. The slave refuses no work.
47.7 Nūllī virō pecūniam dō. I give money to no man.
47.8 Magister nūllam fābulam nārrat. The teacher tells no story.
47.9 Nūllum verbum dīcit. He says no word.
47.10 Puer nūllōs librōs legit. The boy reads no books.
47.11 Nūllae stellae in caelō lūcent. No stars shine in the sky.
47.12 Pastor nūlla pecora videt. The shepherd sees no cattle.
47.13 Nūllās frūgēs agricola habet. The farmer has no crops.
47.14 In scholā nūllī puerī manent. No boys remain in school.
47.15 Mercātor nūlla dōna vendit. The merchant sells no gifts.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
47.1 Nūllus homō in viā ambulat.
47.2 In hortō puella nūllam rosam videt.
47.3 Nūllum bellum sine perīculō est.
47.4 Mīles nūllum hostem timet.
47.5 Ad templum nūlla fēmina venit.
47.6 Nūllum labōrem servus recūsat.
47.7 Nūllī virō pecūniam dō.
47.8 Magister nūllam fābulam nārrat.
47.9 Nūllum verbum dīcit.
47.10 Puer nūllōs librōs legit.
47.11 Nūllae stellae in caelō lūcent.
47.12 Pastor nūlla pecora videt.
47.13 Nūllās frūgēs agricola habet.
47.14 In scholā nūllī puerī manent.
47.15 Mercātor nūlla dōna vendit.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
For English speakers, understanding nūllus requires grasping several key concepts: -
Form: -
Nūllus declines like a first/second declension adjective -
Has masculine (-us), feminine (-a), and neuter (-um) forms -
Changes endings to agree with the noun it modifies -
Usage: -
Functions as an adjective meaning "no, not any" -
Creates negative statements about entire categories -
Different from "nōn" which negates specific actions -
Cases: -
Nominative: nūllus, nūlla, nūllum -
Genitive: nūllīus (all genders) -
Dative: nūllī (all genders) -
Accusative: nūllum, nūllam, nūllum -
Ablative: nūllō, nūllā, nūllō -
Common patterns: -
Often appears at the start of sentences for emphasis -
Can modify any noun in any case -
Requires singular verb when used with count nouns
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
For English speakers, understanding nūllus requires cultural context: -
Roman Negation: -
Romans had multiple ways to express negation -
Nūllus was stronger than simple "nōn" -
Used in formal and legal contexts -
Social Implications: -
Used in emphatic denials -
Common in philosophical arguments -
Important in religious texts -
Modern Connections: -
Similar to English "no" as in "no man" -
Different from "not" or "none" -
Survives in some Romance languages -
Educational Value: -
Key word for reading Latin literature -
Essential for understanding Roman logic -
Important in medieval Christian texts
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
Part F-A (Interleaved text)
From Augustine's "Confessions" (1.1): Nūllum no enim for verbum word tuum of yours in into silentiō silence perit perishes
Nūllum enim verbum tuum in silentiō perit. For no word of yours perishes into silence.
Augustine uses nūllus to emphasize the eternal nature of God's words. The placement at the beginning of the clause emphasizes the totality of the negation.
-
Nūllum: nominative neuter singular modifying verbum -
Position emphasizes the negation -
Used with present tense perit for eternal truth -
Traditional Christian Latin style
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
47.16 Nūlla no creātūra creature sine without Deō God vīvit lives
47.17 Nūllum no peccātum sin sine without poenā punishment manet remains
47.18 Sacerdōs the priest nūllam no animam soul sine without spē hope relinquit leaves
47.19 In in caelō heaven nūllus no dolor pain est is
47.20 Nūlla no salūs salvation sine without grātiā grace dīvīnā divine est is
47.21 Nūllī to no angelī angels in in terrā earth habitant dwell
47.22 Nūllum no malum evil in in paradīsō paradise invenitur is found
47.23 Episcopus the bishop nūllās no precēs prayers neglegit neglects
47.24 Nūlla no virtūs virtue sine without cāritāte charity perfecta perfect est is
47.25 Martyrēs martyrs nūllum no dolōrem pain timent fear
47.26 Nūlla no ecclēsia church sine without cruce cross stat stands
47.27 Nūllī to no sanctō saint mystērium mystery crucis of the cross abest is absent
47.28 Nūllum no sacrificium sacrifice māius greater quam than caritās love est is
47.29 Monachī monks nūllās no dīvitiās riches quaerunt seek
47.30 Nūlla no fidēs faith sine without operibus works vīva alive est is
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
47.16 Nūlla creātūra sine Deō vīvit. No creature lives without God.
47.17 Nūllum peccātum sine poenā manet. No sin remains without punishment.
47.18 Sacerdōs nūllam animam sine spē relinquit. The priest leaves no soul without hope.
47.19 In caelō nūllus dolor est. In heaven there is no pain.
47.20 Nūlla salūs sine grātiā dīvīnā est. There is no salvation without divine grace.
47.21 Nūllī angelī in terrā habitant. No angels dwell on earth.
47.22 In paradīsō nūllum malum invenitur. In paradise no evil is found.
47.23 Episcopus nūllās precēs neglegit. The bishop neglects no prayers.
47.24 Nūlla virtūs sine cāritāte perfecta est. No virtue is perfect without charity.
47.25 Martyrēs nūllum dolōrem timent. Martyrs fear no pain.
47.26 Nūlla ecclēsia sine cruce stat. No church stands without a cross.
47.27 Nūllī sanctō mystērium crucis abest. To no saint is the mystery of the cross absent.
47.28 Nūllum sacrificium māius quam caritās est. No sacrifice is greater than love.
47.29 Monachī nūllās dīvitiās quaerunt. Monks seek no riches.
47.30 Nūlla fidēs sine operibus vīva est. No faith is alive without works.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
47.16 Nūlla creātūra sine Deō vīvit.
47.17 Nūllum peccātum sine poenā manet.
47.18 Sacerdōs nūllam animam sine spē relinquit.
47.19 In caelō nūllus dolor est.
47.20 Nūlla salūs sine grātiā dīvīnā est.
47.21 Nūllī angelī in terrā habitant.
47.22 In paradīsō nūllum malum invenitur.
47.23 Episcopus nūllās precēs neglegit.
47.24 Nūlla virtūs sine cāritāte perfecta est.
47.25 Martyrēs nūllum dolōrem timent.
47.26 Nūlla ecclēsia sine cruce stat.
47.27 Nūllī sanctō mystērium crucis abest.
47.28 Nūllum sacrificium māius quam caritās est.
47.29 Monachī nūllās dīvitiās quaerunt.
47.30 Nūlla fidēs sine operibus vīva est.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
The use of nūllus in Christian Latin texts shows several distinctive features: -
Theological Emphasis -
Often paired with sine to express theological principles -
Frequently used in absolute statements about divine truths -
Common in definitions of theological concepts -
Special Constructions -
Nūlla salūs: Standard phrase in theological writing -
Nūllum with comparative (māius) in theological comparisons -
Position often initial for emphasis in doctrinal statements -
Case Usage in Christian Context -
Ablative with sine particularly common -
Dative in expressions of spiritual presence/absence -
Accusative in statements about spiritual qualities -
Christian Vocabulary Patterns -
With abstract nouns (virtūs, fidēs, salūs) -
With religious terms (ecclēsia, crux, grātia) -
In descriptions of spiritual states -
Style in Religious Texts -
Often appears in aphoristic statements -
Used in parallel constructions -
Frequent in doctrinal formulations -
Common Combinations -
nūlla salūs (no salvation) -
nūllum peccātum (no sin) -
nūlla virtūs (no virtue) -
nūlla fidēs (no faith) -
Sentence Structure -
Often begins theological pronouncements -
Used in balanced phrases -
Creates emphasis in doctrinal statements
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
---