not Copy link Outline I. In direct statements or interrogative sentences1. nōn (most gen. word2. haud (more emphatic than non, and chiefly joined to adverbs and adjectives; also used with verbs, especially in certain phrr., as haud scio an, haud dubito)3. (to be used sparingly, and only in familiar style) nullus, in agr. with subject.4. părum, mĭnus (less than should be; hence = softened negative5. nĭhil (in no respect, not at all6. mĭnĭmē, nullo mŏdo, nullo pacto (by no means; the two former often in answer to questions)II. In dependent sentences, esp. to denote a purpose; also in prohibitions1. nē (in dep. sentence = in order that ... not)2. in double prohibitions3. after verbs of fearing, ut (= that ... not) • not: I. In direct statements or interrogative sentences: 1. nōn (most gen. word: usual position immediately before the word to be negatived, or when it qualifies an entire proposition, at the beginning of it): for the position of non, comp. foll. exx.: qui mihi non id videbantur accusare, quod esset accusandum, Cic. Sen. 3, 7: eum colere coepi non admodum grandem natu, ib. 4, 10: omnia memoria tenebat, non domestica solum sed etiam externa bella, ib. 4, fin. (the words id, admodum, domestica, bearing in each case the stress of the negation): non sunt in senectute vires, ib. 11, init.: at non est voluptatum tanta quasi titillatio in senibus, ib. 14, 47 (where the entire propositions are to be negatived). (N.B.--In interrogative sentences, the particle -nĕ is attached to the negative, thus: nonne: which in direct questions begins the sentence, according to above rule, in indirect ones its position being more or less a matter of euphony: did not Lentulus come to you? did not Sanga? nonne ad te Lentulus venit? non Sanga? Cic. in Pis. 31., 77: he was asked whether he did not think Archelaus son of Perdiccas happy? ex eo quaesitum (est), Archelaum Perdiccae filium nonne beatum putaret? id. Tusc. 5, 12, init. In compound negative questions, the -ne is frequently dispensed with in the later members, as above.) 2. haud (more emphatic than non, and chiefly joined to adverbs and adjectives; also used with verbs, especially in certain phrr., as haud scio an, haud dubito): I don't quite understand, haud sane intelligo, Cic. Off. 2, 2, 5: I did not so order, haud ita jussi, Ter. Andr. 5, 4, 52: strengthened by -quāquam (not in any degree): Cic.: Liv.: it is not at all wonderful, haud mirabile est, Ter. Heaut. 2, 4, 7: Cic.: thereupon he did not hesitate to point out ..., tum ille haud dubitavit docere ..., Cic. Rep. 1, 15. 3. (to be used sparingly, and only in familiar style) nullus, in agr. with subject.: Philotimus not only does not come, but ..., Ph. non modo nullus venit, sed ..., Cic. Att. 11, 24, 3: I remember; even were you not to remind me, memini, tametsi nullus moneas, Ter. Eun. 2, 1, 10: don't you say, nullus dixeris, id. Hec. 1, 2, 4. (In this use nullus is more emphatic than non: cf. L. G. § 612.) 4. părum, mĭnus (less than should be; hence = softened negative: L. G. § 646): my efforts are not succeeding very well, parum succedit quod ago, Ter. Andr. 4, 1, 56: Terentia has not been well, Terentia minus belle habuit, Cic. Fam. 9, 9. So sometimes male (with adjj.): not sound in mind, male sanus, Cic. Att. 9, 15. (N.B.--As joined with conj. quo [quominus]., minus has a purely negative force: v. to prevent, hinder.) 5. nĭhil (in no respect, not at all: only with verbs): I did not (by any means) find fault with you about my brother, de patre nihil te accusavi, Cic. Fam. 14., 1, 6: I don't say to whom (= say nothing about who it was), n. dico, cui, id. Ph. 1, 6, 13. 6. mĭnĭmē, nullo mŏdo, nullo pacto (by no means; the two former often in answer to questions): v. means (by no). Special Phr.: (a). and not: nĕque, nec (cf. L. G. § 564): it delights in a soil that is poor and not damp, laetatur loco macro neque humido., Col. 2, 11, med.: a good knowledge of literature, and that not of a common sort, plurimae litterae, nec eae vulgares, Cic. Br. 76, 265 (mark the use of eae; without which pronoun this use of neque with an adj. is scarcely elegant): v. nor. (b). if not: sin mĭnus, sin: v. if (2). (c). not even: nē ... quĭdem (the word emphasized coming between the two): not to make even the least sacrifice of glory, gloriae jacturam ne minimam quidem facere, Cic. Off. 1, 24, 84 not even ... much less ..., ne quidem ... nedum ut, Liv. 3, 14, fin. (N.B.--Acc. to Forcell. there is no well authenticated case of ne quidem occurring without a word between, though several have been adduced: v. Tursell. s. v. ne, No. 36.) (d). not that ... but ...: non quo (quod), with subj. ... sed ...: not that I like to be ill spoken of, but because ..., non quo libenter male audiam, sed ..., Cic. de Or. 2, 75, 305: cf. id. Tusc. 2, 23, fin., pugiles in jactandis caestibus ingemiscunt, non quod doleant, sed ..., not that (or because) they are in pain, but because, etc.: so non quia ... sed: Tac. (e). not but what ...: non quin (with subj.): foll. by sed quod, Sall. Cat. 35, med. (indicating first a supposed and then an actual reason): foll. by sed ut (supposed and actual purpose), Liv. 2, 15, ad init. (f). that ... not (denoting a purpose): nē: v. that (conj.). II. In dependent sentences, esp. to denote a purpose; also in prohibitions: 1. nē (in dep. sentence = in order that ... not): let the Consuls see to it that the commonwealth does not receive damage, videant Coss. ne quid detrimenti resp. capiat, Caes. B. C. 1, 5: Sall.: in the case of ne quis, ut is not seldom prefixed: cf. Cic. Off. 1, 29, 103, ut ne quid negligenter agamus: and occasionally before other words, v. Smith's Lat. Dict. ne (II., 5). So after verbs of asking, commanding, advising, striving (not infin.): v. to ask, etc. 2. in double prohibitions: nēve (neu) ... nēve (neu). v. neither. Ne is sometimes used with the first verb: cf. XII. Tab. in Cic. Leg. 2, 23, init., Hominem mortuum in urbe ne sepelito neve urito. 3. after verbs of fearing, ut (= that ... not): I fear you will not live long, ut sis vitalis metuo, Hor. S. 2, 1, 60: but also ne ... non: cf. Cic. Att. 5, 18, 1, unum vereor ne Senatus ... Pompeium nolit dimittere: ib. 9, 6, med., metuo ne non impetrem. Phr.: not to say ..., ne dicam: cf. Cic. N. D. 1, 21, fin., in tam leves, ne dicam ineptas (not to say, absurd) sententias incidisse: not to mention ..., ut omittam ..., Nep. Han. 2, init.: not to make a long story, ne multa (sc. dicam), Cic. Clu. 64, 180; also, ne multis, ib. 16, fin.