Etymology Explorer › Latin

Where does “nihil” come from?

nihil (Latin) comes from Latin nihilum, from Latin nē, from Latin gēns, from Proto-Italic *gentis, from Proto-Indo-European ǵénh₁tis, from Proto-Indo-European ǵenh₁- — to produce, to beget, to give birth.

nihil (Latin): indefinite nothing

Definitions

  1. indefinite nothing

Ancestry of “nihil”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinnihilumnothing; no value
2Latinnē—
3Latingēns—
4Proto-Italic*gentis—
5Proto-Indo-Europeanǵénh₁tisbirth, production
6Proto-Indo-Europeanǵenh₁-to produce, to beget, to give birth

Words derived from “nihil”

  • annihilation
  • nil
  • annihilate
  • nihilism
  • nihilistic
  • nihilist
  • nihility
  • nilpotent
  • annihilator
  • annihilationism
  • annihilative
  • annihilationist
  • nihilistically
  • coannihilation
  • annihilable
  • antinihilist
  • niladic
  • antinihilistic
  • antinihilism
  • nilprogression
  • nilpotently
  • self-annihilation
  • unnihilistic
  • annihilateth
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵenh₁- →