English

Alternative forms

• on-, a-

Prefix

an-

1. A prefix of Anglo-Saxon origin, the same as on-.

   ancome, aneal, anent

Etymology 2

From Middle English an-, and-, from Old English and-, ond- ‎(“and-, back, against”). More at and-.

Prefix

an-

1. A prefix of Anglo-Saxon origin, a reduced form of and-.

   answer

Etymology 3

From Ancient Greek ἀν- ‎(an-).

Prefix

an-

1. not; used to make words that have a sense opposite to the word (or stem) to which the prefix is attached. Used with stems that begin with vowels and "h".

Related terms

• a-

Derived terms

• anarchy
• anechoic
• anharmonic

See also

• anti-
• in-
• non-
• un-

Classical Nahuatl

Alternative forms

• am- (when followed by a vowel or a consonant which is labial)

Prefix

an-

1. Subject prefix for verbs; it indicates that the subject is second-person plural; you, you all.

Dutch

Pronunciation

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ἀ- ‎(a-) (ἀν- ‎(an-) immediately preceding a vowel).

Prefix

an-

1. an-: Not, without, opposite of.

Derived terms

German

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʔan/

Prefix

an-

1. Separable verb prefix, on
2. Separable verb prefix, up

Synonyms

• (up): hoch-

Antonyms

• (off): ab-, aus-
• (down): ab-, runter-

Derived terms

See also

• an

Ido

Etymology

From an ‎(“at, on”)

Prefix

an-

1. at, on

Derived terms

Irish

Etymology 1

From Old Irish an-, from Proto-Celtic *an-, from Proto-Indo-European *n̥-.

Pronunciation

• (Munster) IPA^(key): /ˈɑn̪ˠ/
• (Aran) IPA^(key): /ˈɑːn/
• (Connemara, Ulster) IPA^(key): /ˈan̪ˠ/

Alternative forms

• ana- (form used before consonants in Munster)

Prefix

an- ‎(always spelled with a hyphen)

1. (with adjectives) very
2. (with nouns) great

Usage notes

Triggers lenition of a following b, c, f, g, m, p:

• an- + ‎beag → ‎an-bheag ‎(“very small”)
• an- + ‎deas → ‎an-deas ‎(“very nice”)

In some dialects (e.g. Aran), it changes s to ts:

• an- + ‎saor → ‎an-tsaor ‎(“very cheap”) (standard form an-saor)

In Munster, this form is used only before a vowel; before a consonant the variant ana- is used.

Synyonms

• (very): fíor-, rí-

Etymology 2

From Old Irish an-, in-, from Proto-Celtic *an-, from Proto-Indo-European *n̥-.

Pronunciation

• (Munster) IPA^(key): /ˈɑn̪ˠ/
• (Aran) IPA^(key): /ˈɑn/
• (Connemara, Ulster) IPA^(key): /ˈan̪ˠ/

Prefix

an- ‎(usually spelled without a hyphen)

1. in-, un-, not
2. bad, unnatural
3. over-, excessive, intense

Alternative forms

• ain- (used before slender vowels and consonants)

Derived terms

Mutation

References

• “an-” in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, Irish Texts Society, 1927, by Patrick S. Dinneen.
• Franz Nikolaus Finck, 1899, Die araner mundart, Marburg: Elwert’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, vol. II, 16.
• "an-" in Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla, An Gúm, 1977, by Niall Ó Dónaill.

Luxembourgish

Etymology

From the preposition an, from Proto-Germanic *in. Compare German ein-, English in-.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɑn/

Prefix

an-

1. in- (indicates physical or metaphorical motion into something)

Usage notes

• When attached to a verb stem beginning with a consonant sound other than /d/, /h/, /n/, /t/ or /t͡s/, the prefix becomes a- as a result of the Eifeler Regel.

Derived terms

Antonyms

• aus-

Malagasy

Prefix

an-

1. prefix element of an- -ana

See also

• i-

Middle Welsh

Etymology

From Proto-Brythonic *an-, from Proto-Celtic *an-, from Proto-Indo-European *n̥-.

Prefix

an-

1. un-, not

Derived terms

Old English

Alternative forms

• ǣn-

Etymology

From ān ‎(“one”).

Prefix

ān-

1. one, uni-, only

   āncyn ‎(“only, unique”)

2. sole, single, solitary

   ānbūend ‎(“hermit”)

   ānġilde ‎(“single payment”)

Old French

Prefix

an-

1. Alternative form of en-

Usage notes

• Particularly common in the works of Chrétien de Troyes.

Old Irish

Etymology

From Proto-Celtic *an-, from Proto-Indo-European *n̥-.

Prefix

an-

1. un-, not
2. very

Usage notes

Before c, the suffix becomes é-.

Derived terms

Descendants

• Irish: an-
• Scottish Gaelic: an-

Pali

Alternative forms

Prefix

an-

1. Alternative form of a- used before words beginning with vowels

Derived terms

References

• an- in Pali Text Society (1921–1925), Pali-English Dictionary, London: Chipstead. (licensed under CC-BY-NC)

Pipil

Pronunciation

• (standard) IPA^(key): /an/

Prefix

an-

1. (personal) you, second-person plural subject marker.

   Antekitit tik ne mil?‎

   Do you work at the cornfield?

Usage notes

• Before a vowel, an- changes to anh-. The digraph ⟨nh⟩ is pronounced as [ŋ]. Example:

Anhajsiket peyna.‎

You came early.

See also

• anmejemet ‎(personal pronoun)
• metzin- ‎(object marker)
• -t ‎(plural verb suffix)

Scottish Gaelic

Alternative forms

• ana-
• ain-

Prefix

an-

1. un-, anti-
2. bad, unnatural

Derived terms

• an-fhoiseil

Related terms

• ao-
• neo-
• mì-
• eu-
• do-

Prefix

an-

1. Used to emphasise the root.

Derived terms

• an-mhòr

Welsh

Etymology

From Middle Welsh an-, from Proto-Brythonic *an-, from Proto-Celtic *an-, from Proto-Indo-European *n̥-.

Prefix

an-

1. un-, not, anti-

Usage notes

Triggers the nasal mutation, sometimes with accompanying euphonic or orthographic adjustments.

Derived terms