n-

n-

1. (SI prefix) Abbreviation of English nano-

Abbreviation of number. Borrowed from German n-.

• IPA^(key): /ˈɛn-/, /ˌɛn-/

n-

1. (mathematics, sciences, logic) Indicating an arbitrary number of elements.

• Italicised in formal use.
• May be used in place of a numeral (e.g. n-simplex, from 5-simplex, 6-simplex etc.) or a Greco-Latin prefix (e.g. n-hedron, from tetrahedron, octahedron etc.).

Abbreviation of normal.

• IPA^(key): /ˌɛn-/

n-

1. (organic chemistry) The normal-form of a functional group (or molecule), being the long-chain form (the unbranched chain).

   Coordinate terms: (secondary form) s-, (tertiary form) t-

• Italicised in formal use.

• n-butyl-

• N-
• iso- (isomeric form)
• cyclo- (cyclic form)

• n'

Related to nia (“I, me”).

n-

1. (prefixed to nouns, used before consonants) my
2. (prefixed to verbs, used before consonants) I
3. (prefixed to verbs, used before consonants) I (exclusive we)

• nd- (used before vowels)

Compare nen (“you”), from Proto-Athabaskan *ŋʸən.

n-

1. marks a second person singular possessor; you

   ‎n- + ‎-taʼ (“father”) → ‎ntaʼ (“your father”)

2. marks a second person singular object of a postposition

   ‎n- + ‎-kʼe (“on”) → ‎nkʼe (“on you”)

• Kari, James (1990), Ahtna Athabaskan Dictionary, Fairbanks, Alaska: Alaska Native Language Center, →ISBN, page 35

Cognate with Lower Tanana n-, Babine-Witsuwit'en n-, Koyukon ne-, Navajo ni- (round object).

n-

1. A qualifier suffix with a number of meanings:
   2. Marks the n-gender containing roundish or rope-like objects and liquids
   3. Appears in compound nouns that are rounded or rope-like
   4. assume a position
   5. flying
   6. following
   7. Appears in many verbs with no clear function

• When used as a gender prefix, appears on verbs to mark agreement with n-gender nouns.
• Appears as ne- before a consonant

• d-

• Kari, James (1990), Ahtna Athabaskan Dictionary, Fairbanks, Alaska: Alaska Native Language Center, →ISBN, pages 285-86

Cognate with Lower Tanana n-; compare also Navajo na- (continuative prefix)

n-

2. A distributive prefix referring to action at separate places or intervals and to reduplication of an action
3. Marks continuative verbs; to keep on doing something

• Kari, James (1990), Ahtna Athabaskan Dictionary, Fairbanks, Alaska: Alaska Native Language Center, →ISBN, page 285

n-

2. A prefix appearing in the imperfective and perfective modes of certain active verbs and in the imperfective of certain stative verbs

• Kari, James (1990), Ahtna Athabaskan Dictionary, Fairbanks, Alaska: Alaska Native Language Center, →ISBN, page 286

From Proto-Athabaskan. Related to the -n ending of many perfective verbal stems.

n-

2. A prefix appearing in the imperfective and perfective modes of certain neuter verbs and in the perfective mode of certain active verbs,

• Kari, James (1990), Ahtna Athabaskan Dictionary, Fairbanks, Alaska: Alaska Native Language Center, →ISBN, page 286

• ën- — Buzuku
• m- — before labials

From Proto-Indo-European *h₁én (“in”).^[1][2]

n-

1. intensive prefix. on, to, at

n-

1. alternative form of ãn-

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *ǹ- (“Class 9 & 10 noun prefix”).

n-

1. Class 9 noun prefix.
2. Class 10 noun prefix.

• Reverend E. Hoch (1998), Bemba - English/English - Bemba‎^[2], Hippocrene Books, pages 212-213

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *ǹ-

n-

1. Class 9 noun prefix.
2. Class 10 noun prefix.

• Yuko Abe (2006), A Bende Vocabulary‎^[3], Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa, page v

• na-

From Proto-Oceanic *na.

n-

1. The noun article. Added to nouns and verb stems to affirm nominal use. Has an element of definiteness. Also used in derivation.

This form used before vowels. Before consonants, the form na- is used.

• Big Nambas Grammar Pacific Linguistics - G.J. Fox

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *ǹ-

n-

1. Class 9 noun prefix.
2. Class 10 noun prefix.

Variant of ni- before vowels

• i-

Compare Ahtna ne-, Navajo ni-.

• IPA^(key): /n/

n-

1. Marks a second person singular verbal subject; you

   ‎n- + ‎chegh (“to cry”) → ‎nchegh (“you are crying”)

• Used word-initially or immediately after a disjunct prefix with the shape CV. i- is used otherwise.

• Tenenbaum, Joan Marsha (1978), Morphology and Semantics of the Tanaina Verb, Columbia University, page 60

Inherited from Proto-Sabaki *n-, from Proto-Bantu *ǹ- (“Class 9 & 10 noun prefix”)

In Sabaki, cognate with Swahili n- and Ngazidja Comorian n-. Other Bantu cognates include Rwanda-Rundi n- and Zulu n-.

n-

1. Class 9 noun prefix.
2. Class 10 noun prefix.

• Joseph Mwalonya, Alison Nicolle, Steve Nicolle, Juma Zimbu, Mgombato. Digo-English-Swahili Dictionary (2005), page 208

From Middle Dutch ne, en, from Old Dutch ne, from Proto-Germanic *ne.

n-

1. Used to negate the pronoun or adverb which follows it, yielding the same part of speech

1. forms intransitive or reflexive verbs from existing verbs

1. alternative form of m- (noun-forming prefix) before labial consonants

• Satzinger, Helmut (2017) “A Lexicon of Egyptian Lexical Roots (Project)” in Quaderni di Vicino Oriente, volume 12, pages 213–223

• IPA^(key): /n/

n- (adverbial)

1. (before a vowel) alternative form of in

   A-g n-ò dimándi. ― I have a lot (of them).

Abbreviation of normale.

• IPA^(key): /ɛn/

n-

1. (organic chemistry) n-; (normal-form)

• ni-

n-

1. I (used for conjugating verbs to the subjective or nominative case of the personal pronoun)

• IPA^(key): /n/

From Proto-Athabaskan *ŋ-, *nʸ-. Cognate with Navajo ni-, Ahtna n-.

n-

2. Marks the perfective mode.

   ghinghonh' ― you make them (gh-n-ne-∅-ghon')

   niyo ― he/she arrived

3. Marks neuter verbs

   inlanh ― you are

   nezrunh ― it is good, beautiful

From Proto-Athabaskan *nə-, *n-.

n-

1. Marks the imperfective and perfective modes in the n-imperfective and n-perfective paradigms.

   nes'oyh ― I am bringing it

   niko'ikayh ― he is landing ashore

   niniyo ― he/she stopped

From Proto-Athabaskan *nə-, *n-.

n-

2. The n-qualifier, a prefix with a variety of uses on verbs and nouns:
   1. Serves as a "connective" prefix on several nouns, many of them associated with the face

      -entsiyh ― nose

      -entoget ― forehad

      ch'enlu ― hail

   2. Marks the n-gender on verbs, referring to rope-like and roundish objects, such as berries and the face

      tl'uɬ nadh'onh ― a coiled rope is there

      yoyega' nadl'onh ― she kept her face down

   3. Appears thematicized in several verbs, from its earlier use as a gender marker

      neljet ― he/she is afraid

   4. Appears in verbs related to flight

      not'wx ― it is flying

      nodeɬ ― they are flying

   5. Appears in verbs with a meaning of "following"

      yenoyoɬ ― he is following him/her

   6. Appears in verbs relating to assuming a position

      nadhtanh ― he/she laid down, went to bed

   7. (With the de-classifier) To do accidentally, by mistake
   8. (With dh-) Marks bisective verbs, with a meaning of "cut in half;" found only in three verb themes

From Proto-Athabaskan *n-.

n-

2. A distributive prefix: at separate intervals, or places

   tonyedh'onh' ― he/she put them in the water (in separate places)

3. Marks the continuative aspect, indicating repeated action

   gwx uko ntr'olzrak ― we drive hunted for rabbits

4. Appears in verbs relating to the sensing of spirits
5. Appears in verbs relating to standing

   ne'esdhet ― I am standing

6. (With dh-) forms a continuative construction describing a round trip

   neyo' ― he is walking down and back

   dink'a nedhestonh ― I brought a gun with me

7. wearing

   ts'ex nedal'onh ― she is wearing a hat

n-

1. Appears in several wh-question words as part of the interrogative prefix nda-.

n-

1. alternative form of ne- (second person singular prefix)

• Kari, James et al. (2024), Kari, James, editor, Lower Tanana Dene Dictionary, Fairbanks, Alaska: Alaska Native Language Center, →ISBN

From Arabic نَ (na, first-person plural imperfect prefix). The use also for the first-person singular is found in Maghrebi Arabic dialects.

• na-, ne-, ni-, no- (depending on syllable structure)

n-

1. First-person prefix in the imperfect conjugation

   ‎n- + ‎kiteb (“he wrote”) → ‎nikteb (“I write”)

n-

1. alternative form of il-

• Used after a vowel and before the letter n. For details on usage, see the main lemma.

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *ǹ- (“Class 9 & 10 noun prefix”).

n-

1. Class 9 noun prefix
2. Class 10 noun prefix

• R.C.Wynne (1980), English-Mbukushu Dictionary‎^[4], Avebury Publishing Company Limited, page xviii

n-

1. marks a second person singular direct object.

• ni- (second person singular subject)

• m-, l- (from assimilation to following consonants)

Inherited from Latin in-.

n-

1. in

n-

1. alternative form of ni-

n- appears before stems that begin with the vowels oo and ii.

n- (class A infixed pronoun)

1. us

n- (class B & C infixed pronoun)

1. alternative form of d-

n- (Tifinagh spelling ⵏ-)

1. alternative form of nn-

Ultimately from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *maN-. Compare Javanese nge-.

n-

1. active verb-forming prefix

   ‎n- + ‎aji (“scripture”) → ‎ngaji (“to read the Quran”)

   ‎n- + ‎bor (“drill”) → ‎ngebor (“to drill”)

   ‎n- + ‎carita (“story”) → ‎nyarita (“to tell a story”)

   ‎n- + ‎dangu (“to hear”) → ‎ngadangu (“to hear”)

   ‎n- + ‎galeuh (“liver; heart; to buy”) → ‎ngagaleuh (“to buy”)

   ‎n- + ‎haleuang (“melody”) → ‎ngahaleuang (“to sing in a loud manner”)

   ‎n- + ‎inum (“to drink”) → ‎nginum (“to drink”)

   ‎n- + ‎jungjung (“to carry on the head”) → ‎ngajungjung (“to carry on the head; to hold high regards”)

   ‎n- + ‎kidul (“south”) → ‎ngidul (“to go southward”)

   ‎n- + ‎layung (“afterglow”) → ‎ngalayung (“to go out/do activities in the afternoon”)

   ‎n- + ‎mumulé (“to nurse; take care”) → ‎ngamumulé (“to nurse; to take care”)

   ‎n- + ‎nuhun (“thanks”) → ‎nganuhunkeun (“to give thanks”)

   ‎n- + ‎peunteun (“grade, mark”) → ‎meunteun (“to grade”)

   ‎n- + ‎sangu (“rice”) → ‎nyangu (“to cook rice”)

   ‎n- + ‎ubar (“medicine”) → ‎ngubaran (“to cure”)

2. adjective-forming prefix

   ‎n- + ‎kedul (“lazy”) → ‎ngedul (“lazy”)

   ‎n- + ‎perenah (“related; place”) → ‎merenah (“appropriate”)

N- behaves differently depending upon the initial phoneme of the root it is applied to.

• initial consonants p (in some cases b) turns it into m-
• initial consonants t turns it into n-
• initial consonants k, w, and vowel-initial roots turns it into ng-
• initial consonants b, d, g, h, j, l, m, n, w, y turns it into nga-
• initial consonants c, s turns it into ny-
• one syllable word turns it into nge-

• "n-" in Maman Sumantri; Atjep Djamaludin; Achmad Patoni; R.H. Moch. Koerdie; M.O. Koesman; Epa Sjafei Adisastra. (1985), Kamus Sunda-Indonesia [Sundanese-Indonesian Dictionary] (in Indonesian), Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Department of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia

Inherited from Proto-Sabaki *n-, from Proto-Bantu *ǹ- (class 9/10 noun prefix).

In Sabaki, cognate with Ngazidja Comorian n- and Giryama n-. Other Bantu cognates include Rwanda-Rundi n- and Zulu n-.

• (before a vowel) ny-
• (before labial consonants) m-

n- (plural n-)

1. n class_(IX/X) noun prefix and adjective agreement prefix, denoting animals and miscellaneous nouns as well as their plurals, and plurals of some u class_(XI) nouns

   nguo nzuri ― a nice piece of cloth/nice clothes

   ‎ulimi (“tongue”) → ‎ndimi (“tongues”)

Foreign borrowings that cannot fit other classes morphologically usually behave as n class_(IX), but do not take this prefix.

Except for nouns where the stem is of one syllable, n can only be followed by g, d, j, y, and z in Swahili. As a result of this, when the stem starts with a vowel, n- changes to ny-, when it starts with a b or v it changes to m-, and *nw-, *nl-, and *nr- becomes mb-, nd-, and nd- respectively. In front of any stems where these rules cannot be applied, it disappears.

In many dialects, initial voiceless stops of nouns and adjectives are aspirated in n class_(IX/X), which is a remnant of this disappeared prefix.

• Appendix:Swahili noun classes

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *ǹ-.

• n'-

n-

1. (Kimvita, colloquial) alternative form of ni-
   • 1973, Mohammed S. Abdulla, Duniani kuna watu, page 5:

     "Na kwa nini n'sirejee," aliuliza mzee.

     "And why wouldn't I go back [to it]?" the old man asked.

   • 2022, Timothy Theodosy Chelula, Instagram‎^[5]:

     Kuna siku nlikua na drive huu wimbo ukaenda hewani nkajikuta natokwa machozi 🥲na nsijue wanachoimba .

     One day I was driving, this song went on air, and I found myself in tears 🥲 and I didn't know what they were singing.

• (before /β/, /m/, /h/ or /p/) m-
• (before a vowel) ny-

From Proto-Bantu *ǹ-.

• IPA^(key): /n̩-/, (after /ɡ/ or /k/) [ŋ̩-], (after a vowel) /n-/

n-

1. I, 1st person singular subject concord

   ‎n- + ‎-kora (“to do”) → ‎nkora (“I do”)

2. positive imperative form of -n- (“me; 1st person singular object concord”)

   ‎n- + ‎-ha (“to give”) → ‎mpa (“give me”)

• Kaji, Shigeki (2007), A Rutooro Vocabulary‎^[6], Tokyo: Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa (ILCAA), →ISBN, page 413

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *ǹ-

n-

1. Class 9 noun prefix.
2. Class 10 noun prefix.

n-

1. I, me, my. (Forms the first person.)

   ‎n- (“I”) + ‎-t- (euphonic interfix) + ‎-àpi (“be here”) → ‎ntàpi (“I am here”)

From Proto-Athabaskan. Cognate with Navajo ni-, Ahtna ne-.

n-

1. Marks a second person singular verbal subject.

   kʼenłit (kʼe-n-łit)

   you burn it

• Begay, Kayla Rae (2017), Wailaki Grammar, University of California, Berkeley, page 166

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *ǹ- (“1st person subject concord”).

n-

1. Class 1 subject concord, especially before consonants.

• Rev. Alexander Hetherwick, M.A., F.R.G.S. (1902), A Handbook of the Yao Language‎^[7], Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, page 32
• Meredith Sanderson, M.R.C.S., F.R.G.S., F.R.A.I. (1922), A Yao Grammar‎^[8], Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, page 36

Cognate to prefixes analyzed as object nominalizers, switching nominalized forms from nouns of action to nouns referring to the patient argument. The Caura River form has a rather different scope of use.

• IPA^(key): [ŋ-]

n-

1. Marks that (person markers on) a derivation from a transitive verb refer to the agent argument of the verb rather than the patient argument; used with verbs adverbialized with -e or nominalized with -dü or -'jüdü.

This prefix comes between the person marker and the verb stem.

• ni- (allomorph before a consonant)

• IPA^(key): [ŋ-]

n-

1. Marks a nonderived transitive verb as having a third-person agent/subject and patient/object.
2. Marks a nonderived intransitive verb with agent-like or patient-like argument as having a third-person argument/subject.

The form n- is used with stems that start with a vowel; ni- is used with those that start with a consonant, in which case the initial consonant is also palatalized.

This person marker is used with all types of verbs when marked with originally nonderived tense/aspect/mood markers, excepting only the admonitive -'no and prohibitive -i negative command suffixes and the uncertain future marker -tai, which require the transcategorical third person marker y-, and the distant past markers, which require the distance-specific person morpheme kün-.

Though in all other circumstances Ye'kwana third-person prefixes also cover the first person dual exclusive, this prefix is not used when the patient of a transitive verb is first-person-dual-exclusive.

• Cáceres, Natalia (2011), “n-”, in Grammaire Fonctionnelle-Typologique du Ye’kwana‎^[9], Lyon, pages 152, 182–184, 190–191, 200, 202–203

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *ǹ- (“1st person subject concord”).

n-

1. Class 9 simple noun prefix.

The variant form m- is used before stems beginning with a labial consonant (b, f, m, p, v).