Privative a
Encyclopedia
In Ancient Greek grammar
, privative a (also known as privative alpha; in Latin
, α prīvātīvum) is the prefix
a- that expresses negation or absence (e.g., a-theos
, a-typical). It is derived from a Proto-Indo-European
syllabic nasal *, the zero ablaut
grade of the negation *ne, i.e. /n/ used as a vowel. For this reason, it appears as an- before vowel (e.g. an-alphabetism, an-esthesia
, an-archy).
, the cognate prefix is in-. The prepositional prefix in- is different.
, the cognate is un-, except in Dutch
, where it is on-.
In North Germanic languages
, the -n- has disappeared and Old Norse
has ú- (e.g., ú-dáins-akr), Danish
and Norwegian
have u-, whereas Swedish
uses o- , and Icelandic
and Faroese
use the related ó-.
), copulative a
, is nearly homonym
ous with privative a, but originates from Proto-Indo-European .
Ancient Greek grammar
Ancient Greek grammar is morphologically complex and preserves several features of Proto-Indo-European morphology. Nouns, adjectives, pronouns, articles, numerals and especially verbs are all highly inflected. This article is an introduction to this morphological complexity.-Diacritics:The...
, privative a (also known as privative alpha; in Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
, α prīvātīvum) is the prefix
Prefix
A prefix is an affix which is placed before the root of a word. Particularly in the study of languages,a prefix is also called a preformative, because it alters the form of the words to which it is affixed.Examples of prefixes:...
a- that expresses negation or absence (e.g., a-theos
Atheos
Atheos may refer to:*Greek ἄθεος "godless"*the AtheOS operating system.*Atheos is the "supreme god of the atheist pantheon" according to the television program X-play...
, a-typical). It is derived from a Proto-Indo-European
Proto-Indo-European language
The Proto-Indo-European language is the reconstructed common ancestor of the Indo-European languages, spoken by the Proto-Indo-Europeans...
syllabic nasal *, the zero ablaut
Indo-European ablaut
In linguistics, ablaut is a system of apophony in Proto-Indo-European and its far-reaching consequences in all of the modern Indo-European languages...
grade of the negation *ne, i.e. /n/ used as a vowel. For this reason, it appears as an- before vowel (e.g. an-alphabetism, an-esthesia
Anesthesia
Anesthesia, or anaesthesia , traditionally meant the condition of having sensation blocked or temporarily taken away...
, an-archy).
Latin
In LatinLatin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
, the cognate prefix is in-. The prepositional prefix in- is different.
Germanic languages
In English and other West Germanic languagesWest Germanic languages
The West Germanic languages constitute the largest of the three traditional branches of the Germanic family of languages and include languages such as German, English, Dutch, Afrikaans, the Frisian languages, and Yiddish...
, the cognate is un-, except in Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
, where it is on-.
In North Germanic languages
North Germanic languages
The North Germanic languages or Scandinavian languages, the languages of Scandinavians, make up one of the three branches of the Germanic languages, a sub-family of the Indo-European languages, along with the West Germanic languages and the extinct East Germanic languages...
, the -n- has disappeared and Old Norse
Old Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
has ú- (e.g., ú-dáins-akr), Danish
Danish language
Danish is a North Germanic language spoken by around six million people, principally in the country of Denmark. It is also spoken by 50,000 Germans of Danish ethnicity in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where it holds the status of minority language...
and Norwegian
Norwegian language
Norwegian is a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is the official language. Together with Swedish and Danish, Norwegian forms a continuum of more or less mutually intelligible local and regional variants .These Scandinavian languages together with the Faroese language...
have u-, whereas Swedish
Swedish language
Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
uses o- , and Icelandic
Icelandic language
Icelandic is a North Germanic language, the main language of Iceland. Its closest relative is Faroese.Icelandic is an Indo-European language belonging to the North Germanic or Nordic branch of the Germanic languages. Historically, it was the westernmost of the Indo-European languages prior to the...
and Faroese
Faroese language
Faroese , is an Insular Nordic language spoken by 48,000 people in the Faroe Islands and about 25,000 Faroese people in Denmark and elsewhere...
use the related ó-.
Homonym
The prefix ἁ- ha- (also ἀ- a- from psilosisPsilosis
Psilosis is the sound change in which Greek lost the consonant sound /h/ during antiquity. The term comes from the Greek psílōsis and is related to the name of the smooth breathing , the sign for the absence of initial in a word...
), copulative a
Copulative a
The copulative a is the prefix ha- or a- expressing unity in Ancient Greek, derived from Proto-Indo-European *, cognate to English same ....
, is nearly homonym
Homonym
In linguistics, a homonym is, in the strict sense, one of a group of words that often but not necessarily share the same spelling and the same pronunciation but have different meanings...
ous with privative a, but originates from Proto-Indo-European .
See also
- copulative aCopulative aThe copulative a is the prefix ha- or a- expressing unity in Ancient Greek, derived from Proto-Indo-European *, cognate to English same ....
- privativePrivativeA privative, named from Latin privare, "to deprive", is a particle that negates or inverts the value of the stem of the word. In Indo-European languages many privatives are prefixes; but they can also be suffixes, or more independent elements....