English word origin

Etymology of nill

From Middle English nillen, from Old English nyllan (“to not want”), corresponding to ne + will. Cognate with Old Frisian nelle. Not directly related to Latin nolo, which is an independent construction of the same manner

3 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 3 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

verb

To be unwilling; will not (+ infinitive). · To be unwilling. · To reject, refuse, negate.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inherited-form mentionnillenenm
Inherited-form mentionnyllanang
Compound componentneen
Compound componentwillen
Cognate mentionnelleofs
Cognate mentionnolola

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "nillen"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English nillen"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "nyllan",
        "4": "",
        "5": "to not want"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English nyllan (“to not want”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "compound",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ne",
        "3": "will"
      },
      "expansion": "ne + will"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "ofs",
        "2": "nelle"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Frisian nelle"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "la",
        "2": "nolo"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin nolo"
    }
  ],
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      "nillen#Middle_English"
    ],
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      "nyllan",
      "nyllan#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "ne",
      "ne#English"
    ],
    [
      "will",
      "will#English"
    ],
    [
      "nelle",
      "nelle#Old_Frisian"
    ],
    [
      "nolo",
      "nolo#Latin"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To be unwilling; will not (+ infinitive).",
        "To be unwilling.",
        "To reject, refuse, negate."
      ],
      "tags": [
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        "obsolete",
        "archaic",
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      ],
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}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

noun

Shining sparks thrown off from melted brass. · Scales of hot iron from the forge.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Compare Irish néal and Scottish Gaelic neul (“star, light”). Compare nebula.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Cognate mentionnéalga
Cognate mentionneulgd

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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  "templates": [
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      "args": {
        "1": "ga",
        "2": "néal"
      },
      "expansion": "Irish néal"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "gd",
        "2": "neul",
        "3": "",
        "4": "star, light"
      },
      "expansion": "Scottish Gaelic neul (“star, light”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "néal",
      "néal#Irish"
    ],
    [
      "neul",
      "neul#Scottish_Gaelic"
    ],
    [
      "nebula",
      "nebula#English"
    ]
  ],
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  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗

noun

Synonym of zinc oxide, particularly white forms used in medicine and cosmetics.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Medieval Latin nil and nihil (“nothing”) to represent German nichts and nix (“nothing”), confused with Latin nix (“snow, snow-white thing”), used for white forms of zinc oxide. Doublet of nihil album.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Derivation mentionnichtsde
Derivation mentionnixla
Doublet mentionnihil albumen

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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        "3": "nil"
      },
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    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "de",
        "3": "nichts"
      },
      "expansion": "German nichts"
    },
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      "name": "der",
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    },
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    ],
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    ],
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      "thing"
    ],
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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for nill →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-bmlsbA