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neva

na

ind (sandhi form: neva)

1. na (ind): no; not; neither; nor
2. na (ind): (adds a question mark) surely?; does one not?
3. na (prefix): not
4. na (masc): (gram) negative prefix na
5. neva (sandhi): neither; not
6. neva (sandhi): not even; not only

Built from

• na — root · not
  The fundamental negative particle, with cognates across Indo-European: Latin ne, Greek ne, English nay. A bare negation with no prefix sense.
• eva — root · even, just
  From √as 'to be' or possibly emphatic intensifier; emphasizes and strengthens the negation when combined with na into 'not even'.

Analysis. na + eva: the particle na (not) combined with eva (even, just, surely) to mean 'not even' or 'neither'; the sandhi contraction joins them into a single phonological unit.

Etymology. na is the primary negative particle, cognate with Latin ne (classical negation), Greek ne, and English nay; from Proto-Indo-European *ne 'not'. The compound with eva (from the root √as 'to be', meaning 'just, very') emphasizes the negation: 'not even'.

Meanings from the Digital Pāḷi Dictionary; morphology and etymology by Claude.

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