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Etymology data from Wiktionary via Wiktextract (CC BY-SA 4.0). Chinese character data from the 說文解字, the Taiwan MOE 國語辭典簡編本 (CC BY-ND 3.0 TW) and HSK/TOCFL lists.

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English

not

/nɒt/
Negates the meaning of the modified verb.

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    Origin

    From Middle English not, nat, a variant of noght, naht (“not, nothing”), from Old English *nōht, nāht (“nought, nothing”), shortening of nōwiht, nāwiht (“nothing”, literally “not anything”), from Proto-West Germanic *naiwwiht, corresponding to ne (“not”) + ōwiht, āwiht (“anything”), corresponding to ā (“ever, always”) + wiht (“thing, creature”).

    Cognate with Scots nat, naucht (“not”), Saterland Frisian nit (“not”), West Frisian net (“not”), Dutch niet (“not”), German nicht (“not”). Compare nought, naught and aught. More at no, wight, whit.

    From Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.

    Lineage

    • inheritedMiddle Englishnot
      • derivedMiddle Englishnought
        • inheritedOld English*nōht
          • derivedOld Englishnāwiht
            • inheritedProto-West Germanic*naiwwiht
              • partProto-West Germanic*naiw
                • partProto-West Germanic*ne
                  • inheritedProto-Germanic*ne “not”
                    • inheritedProto-Indo-European*né “no, not”
                • partProto-West Germanic*aiw “eternity; long time”
                  • inheritedProto-Germanic*aiwaz “eternity, age”
                    • inheritedProto-Indo-European*h₂óyu
                    • derivedProto-Indo-European*-os
                    • derivedProto-Indo-European*h₂eyu- “vitality”
                    • inherited (ultimately)Proto-Indo-European*h₂ey- “life, vital force; long time; eternity”
                    • inheritedProto-West Germanic*ferh “life; kind of tree”
              • partProto-West Germanic*wiht
                • inheritedProto-Germanic*wihtą “thing, creature”
                  • derivedProto-Indo-European*wékʷtis
                    • partProto-Indo-European*wekʷ- “to sound out; to speak”
                    • partProto-Indo-European*-tis
                  • derivedProto-Indo-European*wéǵʰtis
                    • partProto-Indo-European*weǵʰ- “to move; pull; draw; drive”

    Related: Scots nat, Saterland Frisian nit, West Frisian net, Dutch niet, German nicht

    Words built on it: won't, not-self

    Meanings

    adv
    1. Negates the meaning of the modified verb.
    2. To no degree.
    3. Used to indicate the opposite or near opposite, often in a form of understatement.
    4. Used before a determiner phrase, a pronominal phrase etc. to convey a negative attitude (e.g. denial, sadness, anger) towards something.
    5. Used before a non-finite clause (especially a gerund-participial clause) or less commonly a determiner phrase to ironically convey some attitude (e.g. surprise, incredulity, amusement, or embarrassment) towards something.
    conj
    1. And not.
    intj
    1. Used to indicate that the previous phrase was meant sarcastically or ironically.
    noun
    1. An instance of using the word “not”; a negation or denial.

    Sources

    • Wiktionary (via Wiktextract / kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0
    • Wiktionary: not