LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum

Nūlla diēs sine līneā

“No day without a line”

NVLLA · DIES · SINE · LINEA

Adapted: a later form of a classical line

a proverb from Pliny, Natural History 35.84

The painter Apelles never let a day pass without drawing a line, and Pliny says it became a proverb.

Word by word

  1. Nūllanūllus -anot any, no onesg. nom. f.
  2. diēsdiēs -ēī m.daysg. nom.
  3. sinesinewithout (+ abl.)
  4. līneālīneō -āreto make straight or perpendicular2nd sg. pres. act. imper.

Using it as a motto or tattoo

Latin endings carry gender and number, so a saying about one person may need changing for another. Check your own version, or have three new ones composed, on the motto desk.

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Quick answers

What does “Nulla dies sine linea” mean?
“Nūlla diēs sine līneā” means “No day without a line”. The painter Apelles never let a day pass without drawing a line, and Pliny says it became a proverb.
Who said “Nulla dies sine linea”?
a proverb from Pliny, Natural History 35.84.

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