# nulli or nullo?



## Joca

Hi

In an old Latin textbook I have found the sentence:

*Soror mea tibi nulli auxilio esse potest.*

_My sister can't be of any help to you._

Isn't there a mistake in the Latin sentence? Shouldn't it read: *nullo auxilio *rather than nulli auxilio?

Thanks is advance.

JC


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## Northen_shine18

I would write nullo auxilio as well. 
Is Ablativo singular.

Nullus, -a, -um. isn't it?

Bye


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## Anne345

It's not ablative, but dative. 

Double Dative : 
 [nom. noun] + [linking verb] + [dat. referent] +  [dat. of purpose] 
The so-called double dative construction combines the dative of purpose with a second dative, which expresses the primary meaning of reference (in fact, it is called the dative of reference). 
In you example, _nulli auxilio_ is the datives of purpose, the ends in view.  _tibi_, is the people to whom this purpose is referred.  
And _nullus a um_ inflects like _unus_...


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## Joca

Anne345 said:


> It's not ablative, but dative.
> 
> Double Dative :
> [nom. noun] + [linking verb] + [dat. referent] + [dat. of purpose]
> The so-called double dative construction combines the dative of purpose with a second dative, which expresses the primary meaning of reference (in fact, it is called the dative of reference).
> In you example, _nulli auxilio_ is the datives of purpose, the ends in view. _tibi_, is the people to whom this purpose is referred.
> And _nullus a um_ inflects like _unus_...


 
Hi Anne:

On second thoughts, you are right. It's a Dative, not an Ablative. I didn't know that *nullus* was declined like *unus*. I thought it was like a First Class Adjective. So, ultimately, the sentence is correct:

Soror mea tibi nulli auxilio esse potest. (a double Dative, indeed!)

Thanks for enlightening me. Thanks also to Northen shine18 for his (her?) tentative response.

JC


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## Whodunit

"Auxilium" is neuter, so "nullus" has to adjust. If "auxilium" is in the ablative or dative, "nullus" has to be, too:

auxilium nullum
auxilii nulli auxilii nullius
auxilio nullo auxilio nulli
auxilium nullum
auxilio nullo

"Auxilio nulli nullo" doesn't fit together, because "nulli" nullo is the neuter ablative case. We're dealing with the dativus finalis here.


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## Anne345

dative of nullus is _nulli_ _nulli_ _nulli_ 

http://www.mentalcode.com/latin/adjectives/view.plx?m=nullus&f=nulla&n=nullum&g=&file=ius

or Google for nullus nulli nullo !


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## Joca

Anne345 said:


> dative of nullus is _nulli_ _nulli_ _nulli_
> 
> http://www.mentalcode.com/latin/adjectives/view.plx?m=nullus&f=nulla&n=nullum&g=&file=ius
> 
> or Google for nullus nulli nullo !


 
That's right, Anne. Tu as raison.

The Dative of nullum (nulli) is not the same as the Ablative (nullo).
And the Genitive is nulius. Nullus, nulla, nullum is not entirely like a First-Class adjective, say bonus/bona/bonum.


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## Whodunit

Anne345 said:


> dative of nullus is _nulli_ _nulli_ _nulli_
> 
> http://www.mentalcode.com/latin/adjectives/view.plx?m=nullus&f=nulla&n=nullum&g=&file=ius
> 
> or Google for nullus nulli nullo !


 
Yes, you're right. I didn't follow your advice that nullus is declined like unus. I'm sorry about the confusion.


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