neamh-

See also: neamh and nèamh

Irish

Etymology

From Middle Irish nem-, from Old Irish neph- (compare Scottish Gaelic neo-, Manx neu-).

Prefix

neamh-

1. in-, un-, -less
2. non-

Usage notes

• This prefix in Irish is added to nouns and adjectives denoting lack or negated property. It lenites the word to which it attaches.

  ‎neamh- + ‎suim (“interest”) → ‎neamhshuim (“disinterest”)

  ‎neamh- + ‎teoranta (“inhibited, limited, restricted”) → ‎neamhtheoranta (“uninhibited”)

  ‎neamh- + ‎duine (“person”) → ‎neamhdhuine (“a nobody”)

• Written with a hyphen when preceding a word beginning with m:

  ‎neamh- + ‎meisce (“drunkenness”) → ‎neamh-mheisce (“sobriety”)

• In older words, the final mh of the prefix and the initial mh of the root merge into an unlenited m:

  ‎neamh- + ‎maiteach (“forgiving”) → ‎neamaiteach (“unforgiving”)

Synonyms

• dí-
• do-
• éa-
• mí-

Antonyms

• so-

Derived terms

Irish terms prefixed with neamh-

References

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “neamh-”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN