English word origin

Etymology of n-

Abbreviation of number. Borrowed from German n-.

2 source sectionsBrief source recordWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

prefix

Indicating an arbitrary number of elements.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Abbreviation of number. Borrowed from German n-.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Borrowed-form mentionn-de

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "number"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "abbrev",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "number"
      },
      "expansion": "Abbreviation of number"
    },
    {
      "name": "bor+",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "de",
        "3": "n-"
      },
      "expansion": "Borrowed from German n-"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "number",
      "number#English"
    ],
    [
      "n-",
      "n-#German"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
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      "pos": "prefix",
      "glosses": [
        "Indicating an arbitrary number of elements."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "morpheme"
      ],
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      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 1272361
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
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}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

prefix

The normal-form of a functional group (or molecule), being the long-chain form (the unbranched chain).

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Abbreviation of normal.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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    {
      "name": "etymid",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "normal"
      },
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    },
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      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "normal"
      },
      "expansion": "Abbreviation of normal"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "normal",
      "normal#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "prefix",
      "glosses": [
        "The normal-form of a functional group (or molecule), being the long-chain form (the unbranched chain)."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "morpheme"
      ],
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      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 1272362
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}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for n- →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-bi0