non

Non is a term with several related but distinct uses in language and linguistics. In some Romance languages, notably French and Italian, non functions as a standalone word meaning no or not. In French, for example, non is an interjection used to negate a question or statement. In Italian, non is the common negator placed before a verb (Non capisco = I do not understand). These uses are lexical rather than affixal, and they form part of basic everyday speech.

In English and other languages, non is also a productive prefix, written as non- in many cases. It negates the meaning of the base word or expresses absence, negation, or a refusal to belong to a category. Common English examples include nonviolent (not violent), nonfiction (not fiction), nonprofit (not-for-profit), nonessential (not essential), and nonnative (not native). Some compounds are traditionally hyphenated (non-native, non-confrontational), while many have become closed forms (nonfiction, nonprofit, nonviolent). Word formation with non- often depends on style guides and word histories, but the prefix is widely understood across English writing.

The prefix non- is distinct from un- in its scope and nuance. While un- tends to mark opposites of quality (happy vs unhappy), non- typically marks the absence or non-membership in a category (nonexistent, nonmember). Both serve to negate, but they apply to different semantic dimensions and sometimes yield different stylistic choices.

See also: negation in languages, prefixes in English, French grammar, Italian grammar.