Talk:not

Thanks for all the work you've been doing - I really enjoy reading your contributions. But please don't use the heading "None". I'd rather you put "Noun or Adjective" or something that sounds vague. "None" makes it sound like it belongs to no part-of-speech. — Hippietrail 14:33, 23 Apr 2004 (UTC)

Thank about correction before copy-pasting it more.. :) -- Aulis Eskola — This unsigned comment was added by Aulis Eskola (talk • contribs) at 16:17, 23 April 2004 (UTC).

"I believe not"

I removed this as an example of the meaning "Negates the meaning of the modified verb.". This is NOT "not" acting as a simple negation marker. Rather, this is a distinct pattern that warrants its own meaning in my opinion for a few verbs, namely "believe", "think", "afraid", and maybe "fear". Think about it -- when you say "I am afraid not", you ARE afraid, you are afraid that the answer is no. Similar with "believe" and "think". The analogous construction in Spanish for "I believe not" represents this clearly, "Creo que no" -- literally "I believe that no." When you say "I believe not", you DO believe something in modern English -- that the answer is no.

About that imperative rule.

In the usage notes it says: "In the imperative, all verbs, including be, take do not. Don't do that. Don't be silly. (not *Be not silly.)" This is troubling me because I am constantly encountering verses which say the opposite: Be not confident in a plaine way.(Ecclesiasticus 32 ,21) And the Angel of the Lord said vnto Elijah, Goe downe with him, be not afraid of him. And he arose, and went downe with him vnto the king. (Kings 2, 1:15) But be not thou farre from mee, O Lord; O my strength, hast thee to helpe me. (Kings 2, 19:6) And Isaiah said vnto them, Thus shal ye say to your master, Thus saith the Lord, Be not afraid of the wordes which thou hast heard, with which the seruants of the king of Assyria haue blasphemed me. (Psalms 22:19) Hitherto I have not found any grammarian who says something about this. Do anyone know about this usage? L.T.G (talk) 12:21, 24 August 2017 (UTC)

Yes. It's 400 years old. It's what they said in Middle English. --46.226.49.236 12:03, 24 August 2017 (UTC)

Actually it is early modern English, just like Shakespeare's writing. So it is not Middle English. L.T.G (talk) 12:21, 24 August 2017 (UTC) I wrote this to show that this usage was part of a relatively close early modern English, and thus is to be mention at least as archaic or obsolete usage. By the way, this negation without do-support occurs with regular verbs also: Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God. (John 20:17) Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands? (Ecclesiastes 5:6) Since these quotes are from the standard text of 1769 , which is clearly not Middle English, it will not be harmful to mention this in parentheses or something, but I am not sure. Should we mention this? L.T.G (talk) 21:30, 24 August 2017 (UTC)

Not to..., but

What meaning is used in not to sound like a total douche, but there's a spring in my step ? --Backinstadiums (talk) 17:44, 29 November 2019 (UTC)

-n't may have either “high attachment” or “low attachment”, depending primarily on the verb

-n't reads: "it may have either “high attachment” or “low attachment”, depending primarily on the verb". Isn't this true also of not? --Backinstadiums (talk) 11:58, 22 February 2020 (UTC)

n't

How's its contraction n't pronounced? --Backinstadiums (talk) 12:33, 2 July 2020 (UTC)

[~ + "a/one" + noun]

(used before a singular count noun) not even one (expressing emphasis about the lack of something):
[~ + a/one + noun] He had not a penny Not a single missile got through. Not one student could.
https://www.wordreference.com/definition/not

--Backinstadiums (talk) 11:24, 27 July 2020 (UTC)

not even

Even less than She was standing not three feet in front of me --Backinstadiums (talk) 16:15, 26 November 2020 (UTC)

yes-no question

We form negative yes-no questions with not. We usually use the contraction n’t. If we use not in its full form, the question sounds very formal --Backinstadiums (talk) 09:37, 3 February 2021 (UTC)

auxiliary + not + subject

When using the full form not, the order auxiliary + subject (s) + not is more common than auxiliary + not + subject: [the very formal] Is not that the oldest building on this street? --Backinstadiums (talk) 09:40, 3 February 2021 (UTC)

notta

As in Musta Notta Gotta Lotta --Backinstadiums (talk) 14:16, 10 May 2021 (UTC)

And private roads named Notta Way as a more clever and perhaps more polite alternative to a big rude KEEP OUT sign. But Im ambivalent on whether this really is a standalone word, since it can stand for not have (your example) or not a (mine). —Soap— 19:32, 11 March 2023 (UTC)

We shall be not sorry though the man die tonight

Is not here modifyig shall or be ? --Backinstadiums (talk) 10:06, 29 May 2021 (UTC)

RFV discussion: June 2021

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not

The obsolete contraction for "ne wot" (not to know). The given citation is from Chaucer and should therefore be under Middle English, not modern. (It also appears to use the spelling "noot".) Equinox ◑ 10:44, 19 June 2021 (UTC)

Moved to Middle English not. Leasnam (talk) 22:13, 21 June 2021 (UTC)

Usage note

I wanted not to go (Note the difference between this and I didn't want to go, where want is the verb being negated)

Any difference in meaning ? --Backinstadiums (talk) 18:03, 24 August 2021 (UTC)

not very = not at all

I'm not very (= not at all) impressed. --Backinstadiums (talk) 17:14, 29 August 2021 (UTC)

Only before short adjectives

You can make a positive statement by using not in front of an adjective that already has egative meaning. When you use a and a short adjective in statements like these, you put not in front of a. With long adjectives, you can put not either in front of a or after it. It's not a bad idea. https://www.wordreference.com/EnglishUsage/not  --Backinstadiums (talk) 16:23, 2 September 2021 (UTC)