Dictionary

alpha privative en · NOUN

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin alpha prīvātīvum, from Ancient Greek ἄλφα στερητικόν (álpha sterētikón).

Meanings

1. The prefix a- (or an- when prefixing a root which begins with a vowel) found in some English words of Greek derivation. It expresses negation or absence. The prefix has cognates in other Indo-European languages, including in- in Latin and un- in English, all traceable back to Proto-Indo-European *n̥-.
2. Either the aforementioned privative a or the Greek ἀ- (a-) itself (from which the English descendant derives).
3. A word formed using such prefixes.

Forms

Relateds

privative adjective · privation · deprivation · a- · ἀ-

Synonyms

alpha privativum · alpha privativum · privative a

Translations (12)

la alpha prīvātīvum (the prefix a- expressing negation or absence) · pl alpha privativum (the prefix a- expressing negation or absence) · pt alfa privativo (the prefix a- expressing negation or absence) · de Alpha privativum (the prefix a- expressing negation or absence) · it alfa privativo (the prefix a- expressing negation or absence) · pl alpha privativum (a word formed using such prefixes) · grc ἄλφα στερητικόν (the prefix a- expressing negation or absence) · nl alpha privativum (the prefix a- expressing negation or absence) · fr alpha privatif (the prefix a- expressing negation or absence) · el άλφα στερητικό (the prefix a- expressing negation or absence) · fr a privatif (the prefix a- expressing negation or absence) · nl privatieve a (the prefix a- expressing negation or absence)