non Italian · revision 37459

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=1065|origins=la nōn}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /non/, [no.n‿], [ˈnon.nə̆]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''non'''^(Wiktionary)

+ Old forms include ''nom'', ''nun'' and, with an added final vowel, ''none'' and ''nonne''; joined to an unstressed pronoun it gave ''nol'', ''nollo'', ''nolla'', ''noi'' “not it, not him”.^(GDLI)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(DEI|2596) Tuscan also has the short form ''un''.^(REW 1935)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|nōn|t=not]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) The Latin word comes from ⟨*ne oinom⟩ “not one”, from the negative particle [[m|la|ne]] and the archaic neuter of [[m|la|ūnus|t=one]], still seen in the old forms ⟨noenum⟩ and ⟨noenu⟩.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GDLI) Wiktionary calls the origin uncertain and also mentions a derivation from [[ine-pro|*nó-h₁ ne|t=not at all]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ The word is panromance: [[fr|ne]] and [[m|fr|non]], [[oc|no]], [[ca|no]], [[es|no]], [[pt|não]], [[sc|non]], [[ro|nu]] and, at Veglia, [[dlm|naun]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935)^(Körting 1907) In part of the Romance area it split into an unstressed form before the verb (Italian and Sardinian “non”, French “ne”) and a stressed form that negates a whole sentence (Italian and Sardinian [[no]], French “non”).^(Nocentini 2010) Devoto explains that the final “-n”, lost in “no”, was kept in “non” because the word leans on the first syllable of the next word.^(Devoto 1968|297)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Nocentini dates the first record to 1065;^(Nocentini 2010)^(DELI 1999) DELI's first record is the ''Ritmo laurenziano'' of the late 12th century, where ''non'' already negates the verb it precedes.^(Nocentini 2010)^(DELI 1999) Sabatini–Coletti gives the 9th century and GRADIT the 13th.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ ''Non'' has always stood immediately before the verb, separated from it only by unstressed pronouns (''non lo vedo''); in older and literary use it could fuse with them, as in Dante's ''nol niega'' “does not deny it”.^(GDLI)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) With the infinitive it forms the negative imperative of the second person singular (''non correre!'', “don't run!”), and it combines with ''nessuno'', ''niente'' and ''mai'' in double negation.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ Compounds and phrases with ''non'' entered the language from the 14th century: ''nonché'' (about 1300), ''nondimeno'', ''nonostante'' and ''non so che'' “a certain something”.^(Nocentini 2010) Before nouns, adjectives and participles it forms negative compounds (''non fumatori'' “non-smokers”, ''non residente''), as in learned formations from Latin ''non''.^(Treccani 2011)^(DEI|2596)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1065 – First record according to Nocentini.^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * Late 12th century – The ''Ritmo laurenziano'' uses ''non''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * c. 1300 – ''Nonché'' is first recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * 14th century – ''Nondimeno'', ''nonostante'' and ''non so che'' are recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * 1842 – ''Nossignore'' is recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adverb===

+ # [[m|en|not]]: negates the verb it precedes, or the whole sentence: ''non posso''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # With the infinitive, forms the negative [[m|en|imperative]] of the second person singular: ''non farlo!''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # In rhetorical questions, expects a yes: ''non te l'avevo detto?''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # With ''mica'', ''affatto'' or a negative pronoun, in emphatic or double negation: ''non vedo nessuno''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # Opposes two terms: ''non bello ma ricco''.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # Before nouns, adjectives and participles, forms negative compounds; non-, [[m|en|un-]]: ''non fumatori''.^(Treccani 2011)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[nonché]]

+ * [[nondimeno]]

+ * [[nonostante]]

+ * [[non so che]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[no]]

+ * [[la|nōn]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Fixed phrases include ''non c'è di che'' “don't mention it”, ''in men che non si dica'' “in no time” and ''che è, che non è'' “all of a sudden”.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}