ne-

Forms

ne-^[2][1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *ne (“not”), inherited from Proto-Indo-European *ne (“not”).^[3] It is the old negative ⟨ne⟩ “not” used in compounds,^[1][2] and is the same element as in nōn (from a phrase “not one”), neque “and not” and nisi “unless”.^[3] De Vaan treats the particle nē “not, that not” as a stressed variant of the same particle.^[3]

Cognate with Sanskrit न (ná, “not”), Lithuanian nè and Old Irish na.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan finds the negative ⟨ne⟩ first in the Forum inscription.^[3]

Semantic evolution

It negates the whole meaning of the word it is joined to:^[1] nefās “what is not right”, nēmō “nobody”, nesciō “not to know”, neuter “neither”.^[2] It also lies behind negō “deny”, attested from Naevius on.^[3]

Meanings

Prefix

1. not, un-: negates the meaning of the base, as in nefās, nēmō, nesciō, neuter.^[2][1]

Word family

• nefās
• nēmō
• nesciō
• neuter
• negō
• neque
• nōn
• nisi
• nequeō

Related words

• nē
• in-

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d e f de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill