ան-

See also: -ան and -ան-

Armenian

Etymology

From Middle Armenian ան- (an-), from Old Armenian ան- (an-), from Proto-Indo-European *n̥-. Cognate with English un-.

Pronunciation

• (Eastern Armenian, standard) IPA^(key): [ɑn]
• (Western Armenian, standard) IPA^(key): [ɑn]

Prefix

ան- • (an-)

1. privative prefix, un-, -less

   ‎ան- (an-) + ‎արցունք (arcʿunkʿ, “tear”) → ‎անարցունք (anarcʿunkʿ, “tearless”)

   ‎ան- (an-) + ‎օժիտ (ōžit, “dowry”) → ‎անօժիտ (anōžit, “without a dowry, portionless”)

2. forming the opposites of adjectives, un-, dis-, a-

   ‎ան- (an-) + ‎համաչափ (hamačʿapʿ, “symmetrical”) → ‎անհամաչափ (anhamačʿapʿ, “asymmetric”)

   ‎ան- (an-) + ‎համաձայն (hamajayn, “concordant”) → ‎անհամաձայն (anhamajayn, “discordant”)

Usage notes

This is the most common negative prefix in Armenian.

Synonyms

• ապ- (ap-)

Derived terms

Armenian terms prefixed with ան-

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Middle Armenian

Etymology

From Old Armenian ան- (an-), from Proto-Indo-European *n̥-.

Prefix

ան- • (an-)

1. without; -less

Derived terms

Middle Armenian terms prefixed with ան-

Descendants

• Armenian: ան- (an-)

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Old Armenian

Etymology 1

From Proto-Indo-European *n̥-.

Prefix

ան- • (an-)

1. a privative prefix, without, -less, un-, dis-

   ‎ան- (an-) + ‎տուն (tun, “home”) → ‎անտուն (antun, “homeless”)

   ‎ան- (an-) + ‎յոյս (yoys, “hope”) → ‎անյոյս (anyoys, “hopeless”)

   ‎ան- (an-) + ‎ազատ (azat, “free”) → ‎անազատ (anazat, “unfree”)

Synonyms

• տ- (t-), չ- (čʿ-), ապ- (ap-)

Derived terms

Old Armenian terms prefixed with ան-

Descendants

• Middle Armenian: ան- (an-)
  • Armenian: ան- (an-)

References

• Olsen, Birgit Anette (2017), “Part 9: Armenian”, in Kapović, Mate, editor, The Indo-European Languages (Routledge Language Family Series), 2nd edition, London, New York: Routledge, →ISBN, page 426

Etymology 2

From Proto-Indo-European *h₂en- (“on, onto”).

Prefix

ան- • (an-)

2. on, at, upon

Usage notes

Unproductive already in Old Armenian.

Derived terms

Old Armenian terms prefixed with ան- (on)

• անդորր (andorr) (possibly)
• ամբառնամ (ambaṙnam), համբերեմ (hamberem), հանուր (hanur) (possibly, contaminated with (հ)ամ- ((h)am-), (հ)ան- ((h)an-))

References

• J̌ahukyan, Geworg (1987) Hayocʿ lezvi patmutʿyun; naxagrayin žamanakašrǰan [History of the Armenian language: The Pre-Literary Period]‎^[1] (in Armenian), Yerevan: Academy Press, page 245