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<title>Alpha privative</title>

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<span id="openzim-page-title" class="mw-page-title-main"><span class="mw-page-title-main">Alpha privative</span></span>

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<p>An <b>alpha <a href="Privative" title="Privative">privative</a></b> or, rarely,<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> <b>privative a</b> (from <a href="Latin" title="Latin">Latin</a> <i><span title="Latin-language text"><i lang="la">alpha prīvātīvum</i></span></i>, from <a href="Ancient_Greek" title="Ancient Greek">Ancient Greek</a> <span title="Ancient Greek (to 1453)-language text"><span lang="grc">α στερητικόν</span></span>) is the <a href="Prefix" title="Prefix">prefix</a> <i>a-</i> or <i>an-</i> (before vowels) that is used in <a href="Indo-European_languages" title="Indo-European languages">Indo-European languages</a> such as <a href="Sanskrit" title="Sanskrit">Sanskrit</a> and <a href="Greek_language" title="Greek language">Greek</a> and in words borrowed therefrom to express negation or absence, for example the English words of Greek origin <i><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/atypical" class="extiw external" title="wiktionary:atypical">atypical</a></i>, <i><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/anesthetic" class="extiw external" title="wiktionary:anesthetic">anesthetic</a></i>, and <i><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/analgesic" class="extiw external" title="wiktionary:analgesic">analgesic</a></i>, as well as the English word of Sanskrit origin <a href="Ahimsa" title="Ahimsa"><i>ahimsa</i></a> (<i>ahinsa</i>).

</p><p>It is derived from a <a href="Proto-Indo-European_language" title="Proto-Indo-European language">Proto-Indo-European</a> syllabic nasal *<i><span title="Proto-Indo-European-language text" class="Unicode" style="white-space:nowrap;"><span lang="ine">n̥-</span></span></i>, the zero <a href="Indo-European_ablaut" title="Indo-European ablaut">ablaut</a> grade of the negation *<i><span title="Proto-Indo-European-language text" class="Unicode" style="white-space:nowrap;"><span lang="ine">ne</span></span></i>, i.e. /n/ used as a vowel. For this reason, it usually appears as <i><span title="Ancient Greek (to 1453)-language text"><i lang="grc-Latn">an-</i></span></i> before vowels (e.g. <i><a href="Illiteracy" class="mw-redirect" title="Illiteracy">an-alphabetism</a></i>, <i><a href="Anesthesia" title="Anesthesia">an-esthesia</a></i>, <i><a href="Anarchy_(word)" class="mw-redirect" title="Anarchy (word)">an-archy</a></i>).<sup id="cite_ref-LSJ_2-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-LSJ-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> It shares the same root with the Greek prefix <i><span title="Ancient Greek (to 1453)-language text"><i lang="grc-Latn">nē-</i></span></i> or <i><span title="Ancient Greek (to 1453)-language text"><i lang="grc-Latn">ne-</i></span></i>, in Greek <span title="Ancient Greek (to 1453)-language text"><span lang="grc">νη-</span></span> or <span title="Ancient Greek (to 1453)-language text"><span lang="grc">νε-</span></span>, that is also privative (e.g. <i><span title="Ancient Greek (to 1453)-language text"><i lang="grc-Latn"><a href="Nepenthe" title="Nepenthe">ne-penthe</a></i></span></i>).<sup id="cite_ref-LSJ1_3-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-LSJ1-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup>

</p><p>It is not to be confused with, among other things, an <a href="Copulative_a" title="Copulative a">alpha copulative</a> (e.g. <i><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E1%BC%80%CE%B4%CE%B5%CE%BB%CF%86%CF%8C%CF%82#Ancient_Greek" class="extiw external" title="wiktionary:ἀδελφός">a-delphós</a></i>) or the prefix <i><span title="Ancient Greek (to 1453)-language text"><i lang="grc-Latn">an-</i></span></i> (i.e. the preposition <i><span title="Ancient Greek (to 1453)-language text"><i lang="grc-Latn">aná</i></span></i> with <a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ecthlipsis" class="extiw external" title="wiktionary:ecthlipsis">ecthlipsis</a> or <a href="Elision" title="Elision">elision</a> of its final vowel before a following vowel; e.g. <i><span title="Ancient Greek (to 1453)-language text"><i lang="grc-Latn"><a href="Anode" title="Anode">an-ode</a></i></span></i>).

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<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Cognates">Cognates</h2></div>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Sanskrit">Sanskrit</h3></div>

<p>The same prefix appears in <a href="Sanskrit" title="Sanskrit">Sanskrit</a>, also as <b><span title="Sanskrit-language text"><i lang="sa-Latn">a-</i></span></b> before consonants; and <b><span title="Sanskrit-language text"><i lang="sa-Latn">an-</i></span></b> before vowels (written अ and अन्, respectively in <a href="Devanagari" title="Devanagari">Devanagari</a>).

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<div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Latin">Latin</h3></div>

<p>In <a href="Latin" title="Latin">Latin</a>, the <a href="Cognate" title="Cognate">cognate</a> prefix is <i><span title="Latin-language text"><i lang="la">in-</i></span></i>, which leaves its traces in English words like <i><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/invisible" class="extiw external" title="wiktionary:invisible">invisible</a></i> and <i><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/inaccessible" class="extiw external" title="wiktionary:inaccessible">inaccessible</a></i>, and in its <a href="Assimilation_(phonology)" title="Assimilation (phonology)">assimilated</a> form in words like <i>irresistible</i>, <i>irrelevant</i>, <i>irresponsible</i>, <i>illegitimate</i>, <i>illegal,</i> <i>illiterate</i>. The <a href="Preposition" class="mw-redirect" title="Preposition">prepositional</a> prefix <i><span title="Latin-language text"><i lang="la">in-</i></span></i> is unrelated.

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<div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Germanic_languages">Germanic languages</h3></div>

<p>In English and other <a href="West_Germanic_languages" title="West Germanic languages">West Germanic languages</a>, the cognate is <i>un-</i> (or <i>on-</i>).

</p><p>In <a href="North_Germanic_languages" title="North Germanic languages">North Germanic languages</a>, the -<i>n</i>- has disappeared and <a href="Old_Norse" title="Old Norse">Old Norse</a> has <i><span title="Old Norse-language text"><i lang="non">ú-</i></span></i> (e.g. <span title="Old Norse-language text"><i lang="non"><a href="%C3%9Ad%C3%A1insakr" class="mw-redirect" title="Údáinsakr">ú-dáins-akr</a></i></span>), <a href="Danish_language" title="Danish language">Danish</a> and <a href="Norwegian_language" title="Norwegian language">Norwegian</a> have <i><span title="Norwegian-language text"><i lang="no">u-</i></span></i>, whereas <a href="Swedish_language" title="Swedish language">Swedish</a> uses <i><span title="Swedish-language text"><i lang="sv">o-</i></span></i> (pronounced [u]), and <a href="Icelandic_language" title="Icelandic language">Icelandic</a> and <a href="Faroese_language" title="Faroese language">Faroese</a> use the related <i><span title="Icelandic-language text"><i lang="is"><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/en:%C3%B3-#Icelandic" class="extiw external" title="wikt:en:ó-">ó-</a></i></span></i>.

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<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Homonym">Homonym</h2></div>

<p>The prefix <span title="Ancient Greek (to 1453)-language text"><span lang="grc">ἁ-</span></span> <i><span title="Ancient Greek (to 1453)-language text"><i lang="grc-Latn">ha-</i></span></i> (also <span title="Ancient Greek (to 1453)-language text"><span lang="grc">ἀ</span></span>- <i><span title="Ancient Greek (to 1453)-language text"><i lang="grc-Latn">a-</i></span></i> from <a href="Psilosis" title="Psilosis">psilosis</a>), <a href="Copulative_a" title="Copulative a">copulative a</a>, is nearly <a href="Homonym" title="Homonym">homonymous</a> with privative <i><span title="Ancient Greek (to 1453)-language text"><i lang="grc-Latn">a</i></span></i>, but originates from Proto-Indo-European *<span title="Proto-Indo-European-language text" class="Unicode" style="white-space:nowrap;"><span lang="ine">sm̥</span></span>.<sup id="cite_ref-LSJ_2-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-LSJ-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup>

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<div class="side-box-text plainlist">Look up <i><b><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/alpha_privative" class="extiw external" title="wiktionary:alpha privative">alpha privative</a></b></i> in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.</div></div>

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<div class="side-box-text plainlist">Look up <i><b><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/n%CC%A5-" class="extiw external" title="wiktionary:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/n̥-">Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/n̥-</a></b></i> in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.</div></div>

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<ul><li><a href="Copulative_a" title="Copulative a">Copulative a</a></li></ul>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2></div>

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<li id="cite_note-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-1">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=alpha+privative%2Cprivative+a%2C+privative+alpha&year_start=1800&year_end=2000&corpus=15&smoothing=3&share=&direct_url=t1%3B%2Calpha%20privative%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Cprivative%20a%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Cprivative%20alpha%3B%2Cc0">Ngram Viewer</a></span>

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<li id="cite_note-LSJ-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-LSJ_2-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-LSJ_2-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0057:entry=a)1"><span title="Ancient Greek (to 1453)-language text"><span lang="grc">ἀ</span></span></a>. <a href="Henry_Liddell" title="Henry Liddell">Liddell, Henry George</a>; <a href="Robert_Scott_(philologist)" title="Robert Scott (philologist)">Scott, Robert</a>; <i><a href="A_Greek%E2%80%93English_Lexicon" title="A Greek–English Lexicon">A Greek–English Lexicon</a></i> at the <a href="Perseus_Project" class="mw-redirect" title="Perseus Project">Perseus Project</a></span>

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<li id="cite_note-LSJ1-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-LSJ1_3-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0057:entry=nh1"><span title="Ancient Greek (to 1453)-language text"><span lang="grc">νη</span></span></a>. <a href="Henry_Liddell" title="Henry Liddell">Liddell, Henry George</a>; <a href="Robert_Scott_(philologist)" title="Robert Scott (philologist)">Scott, Robert</a>; <i><a href="A_Greek%E2%80%93English_Lexicon" title="A Greek–English Lexicon">A Greek–English Lexicon</a></i> at the <a href="Perseus_Project" class="mw-redirect" title="Perseus Project">Perseus Project</a></span>

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