not
Part of speech: adv
conj
intj
Morphological type: simple
Etymology: Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *né
Proto-Germanic *ne
Proto-West Germanic *ne
Proto-Indo-European *h₂ey-
Proto-Indo-European *-u
Proto-Indo-European *h₂óyu
Proto-Indo-European *-osinflu.
Proto-Germanic *aiwaz
Proto-West Germanic *aiw
univ.
Proto-West Germanic *naiw
Proto-Indo-European *wekʷ-
Proto-Indo-European *-tis
Proto-Indo-European *wékʷtisder.?
Proto-Indo-European *weǵʰ-
Proto-Indo-European *-tis
Proto-Indo-European *wéǵʰtisder.?
Proto-Germanic *wihtą
Proto-West Germanic *wiht
Proto-West Germanic *naiwwiht
Old English nāwiht
Old English *nōht
Middle English nought
Middle English not
English not
From Middle English not, nat, a variant of noght, naht (“not, nothing”), from Old English *nōht, nāht (“nought, nothing”), shortening of nōwiht, nāwiht (“nothing”, literally “not anything”), from Proto-West Germanic *naiwwiht, corresponding to ne (“not”) + ōwiht, āwiht (“anything”), corresponding to ā (“ever, always”) + wiht (“thing, creature”).
Cognate with Scots nat, naucht (“not”), Saterland Frisian nit (“not”), West Frisian net (“not”), Dutch niet (“not”), German nicht (“not”). Compare nought, naught and aught. More at no, wight, whit.
Inflected forms:
form: not!
pos: intj
tags: canonical
Senses:
gloss: Negates the meaning of the modified verb.
pos: adv
tags: not-comparable
examples: Did you take out the trash? — No, I did not. I do not think it was my turn, was it?
Not knowing any better, I went ahead.
It was felt desirable that she not leave school before fourteen.
I'd rather MoM (did) not stay, cuz the best thing about a holiday is not working.
Not a day passes when I don't regret not having enrolled in medicine.
People have got to know whether or not their president is a crook. Well, I'm not a crook. I've earned everything I've got.
The sound of Abba singing ‘Dancing Queen’ had started up in a room the other side of the court. Adrian slammed the window shut.
‘That’ll teach you to throw things out of the window,’ said Gary.
‘It’ll teach me not to throw things out of the window.’
I want to say one thing to the American people. I want you to listen to me. I'm going to say this again: I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky.
Oh, Pete. This is not the gym. — That’s right, Anna. This is the mailroom.
gloss: To no degree.
pos: adv
tags: not-comparable
examples: That is not red; it's green.
It's not you, it's me.
Expectation: Everybody in the family has to love everybody else.
Reaction: Not the ghost of Christmas past, present, or future could pull this one off unless feeling is already there.
gloss: Used to indicate the opposite or near opposite, often in a form of understatement.
pos: adv
tags: not-comparable
examples: That day was not the best day of my life. (meaning the day was bad or awful)
It was not my favorite movie of all time. (meaning the speaker dislikes or strongly dislikes the movie)
In the not too distant future my view on the matter might be not a million miles away from yours.
I wonder if I shouldn't see a doctor - I've been feeling funny the last few days.
gloss: Used before a determiner phrase, a pronominal phrase etc. to convey a negative attitude (e.g. denial, sadness, anger) towards something.
pos: adv
tags: not-comparable
examples: Oh god, not that! Anything but that!
Not another rainy day!
gloss: Used before a non-finite clause (especially a gerund-participial clause) or less commonly a determiner phrase to ironically convey some attitude (e.g. surprise, incredulity, amusement, embarrassment) towards something.
pos: adv
tags: informal
ironic
not-comparable
examples: Not me writing example sentences again.
Not me crying by the end of that!! You are a brilliant, beautiful human who deserves no less than the world. Thank you for taking the time to watch unicorn store. It’s a film that means so much to me.
[Keke] Palmer tells Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager to “mind y'all's business” when they ask about her relationship with [Darius] Jackson. ¶ “Not y’all trying to get into it! They trying it on the Today show,” Palmer joked when the subject was first brought up on Today With Hoda & Jenna.
gloss: And not.
pos: conj
examples: I wanted a plate of shrimp, not a bucket of chicken.
He painted the car blue and black, not solid purple.
We can't run this bar without her. Not and raise two kids.
gloss: Used to indicate that the previous phrase was meant sarcastically or ironically.
pos: intj
tags: slang
examples: Near-synonyms: I don't think; psych; bender (obsolete, UK)
I really like hanging out with my little brother watching Barney … not!
Sure, you’re perfect the way you are … not!
You've got a swell chance to make this [baseball] team, you have, not! Third base is my job, Freshie. Why, you tow-head, you couldn't play marbles. You butter-finger, can't you stop anything?
"See?" "Uh-huh! Clear and lucid to the point of limpidity - 'not."
After Seaworld it was down to Tijuana in Mexico. Charming place - not.
Because, of course, sympathy is finite -- and if you use it up on the wrong person then you won't have any left. Not.
Derived words: astronot
could not get elected dogcatcher
injucundity
not again
not a word
Not-Deer
not dog
not-for-profit
not necessarily
notness
notpology
not-self
not-so-hot
notspot
not to put too fine a point on it
notwheat
whatnot
wherenot
Translations: