ἀ-

See also: α-, ά-, and ἁ-

Ancient Greek

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /a/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /a/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /a/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /a/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /a/

Etymology 1

From Proto-Hellenic *ə-, from Proto-Indo-European *n̥-. The form ἀν- (an-) appears when followed by a laryngeal and a vowel: that is, in an open syllable of the n̥HV- form. Akin to νη- (nē-), νᾱ- (nā-) and νω- (nō-), which are closed-syllable reflexes of the n̥h₁C-, n̥h₂C-, n̥h₃C- forms, respectively.

Cognate with Old English and English un-, Latin in-, Sanskrit अ- (a-), Old Irish in-, an-, Armenian ան- (an-), and Albanian e-.

Alternative forms

ἀν- (an-) — before vowels
νη- (nē-), νᾱ- (nā-), νω- (nō-) — before a Proto-Indo-European laryngeal and consonant

Prefix

ᾰ̓- • (a-)

The alpha privativum, used to make words that have a sense opposite to the word (or stem) to which the prefix is attached. It is also known as privative a and alpha privative; a-, ab-, an-, anti-, contra-, de-, dis-, ex-, il-, im-, in-, ob-, ne-, non-, not, un-

Usage notes

The alpha is usually short, but long when added to a stem that begins with three short syllables. Thus, words such as ἀ-δάματος (a-dámatos) begin with long alpha in Epic, and frequently also in Lyric, Tragic, or Comic poetry. ἀθάνατος (athánatos) and all its compounds always have long alpha.

Derived terms

Ancient Greek terms prefixed with ἀ-

Descendants

> Greek: α- (a-) (inherited)
→ Norwegian Bokmål: a-
Pontic Greek: α- (a-)
- → Laz: ა- -ე (a- -e)

Etymology 2

Prefix

ᾰ̓- • (a-)

Alternative form of ἁ- (ha-)

Etymology 3

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Prefix

ᾰ̓- • (a-)

The alpha intensivum, used to strengthen the force of compounds.

Etymology 4

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Prefix

ᾰ̓- • (a-)

The alpha euphonicum, used to soften pronunciation before two consonants.

References

“ἀ-”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
“ἀ-”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
Woodhouse, S. C. (1910) English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎^[1], London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited.
- free idem, page 343.
Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), volume I, with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 1