Where does “non-” come from?
non- (Middle English) comes from Old English nān, from Proto-West Germanic nain, from Proto-Germanic nainaz, from Proto-Germanic nē, from Proto-Germanic aiwaz, from Proto-Indo-European h₂eyu-, from Proto-Indo-European h₂ey- — vital force, life, age, eternity; day, morning.
non- (Middle English): not, lack of, failure to
Definitions
- not, lack of, failure to
Ancestry of “non-”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | nān | none, not any; not one, not any, none; no, not... |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | nain | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | nainaz | not any |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | nē | not |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | aiwaz | long time, age, eternity |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eyu- | vitality; eternal; vital force, life, long life,... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ey- | vital force, life, age, eternity; day, morning |