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an-

Origin

a prefix occurring before stems beginning with a vowel or h in loanwords from Greek, where it means “not,” “without,” “lacking” (anarchy; anecdote); used in the formation of compound words: anelectric.

Also, before a consonant, a-.

Origin:
< Greek. See a-⁶, in-³, un-¹

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An- is always a great word to know.

So is ninnyhammer. Does it mean:

a fool or simpleton; ninny.

an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance.

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Dictionary.com Unabridged

variant of ad- before n: announce.

variant of ana- before a vowel: anion.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Link To an-

Collins

World English Dictionary

a- or (before a vowel) an-¹

—*prefix*
	not; without; opposite to: atonal; asocial

[from Greek a-, an- not, without]

an- or (before a vowel) an-¹

—*prefix*

[from Greek a-, an- not, without]

an- or (before a consonant) a-

—*prefix*
	not; without: anaphrodisiac

[from Greek]

a- or (before a consonant) a-

—*prefix*

[from Greek]

ana- or (before a vowel) an-

—*prefix*
1.	up; upwards: anadromous
2.	again: anagram
3.	back; backwards: anatropous

[from Greek ana]

an- or (before a vowel) an-

—*prefix*

[from Greek ana]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

an-

privative prefix, from Gk., "not, without," related to ne- and cognate with Skt. an-, L. in-, Goth., O.E. un- (see un-).

American Heritage

Medical Dictionary

an- pref.
Variant of a-.

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