nonne

Forms

nōnne (not comparable)^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Latin nōn (“not”) + -ne (“interrogative particle”).^[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler dates it from Plautus,^[3] who has nōnne ego hīc stō?, “am I not standing here?”.^[4]

Semantic evolution

Nōnne introduces a direct question that expects the answer “yes”, “is it not the case that …?” (Cicero: nōnne animadvertis?, “don't you notice?”).^[2][4][1] In indirect questions it means “whether … not”.^[4][1]

Church Latin describes it the same way, as the interrogative used when an affirmative answer is expected.^[5]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus: nōnne ego hīc stō?.^[4][3]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero: nōnne animadvertis?.^[4][3]

Meanings

Particle

1. not? (introducing a direct question that expects the answer “yes”).^[2][4][1][5]
2. Whether … not (in indirect questions).^[4][1]

Related words

• nōn
• -ne
• num

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
4. ^ a b c d e f g Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson