I've read here about origins of in- and un- negative prefixes. Are there any known origins of other negative prefixes such as il-, ir-, dis-, a-?
Learn English – Origins of negative prefixes like in-, un-, il-, ir-, dis-, a-
etymologynegative-prefixesprefixes
Best Answer
The prefix in- can be assimilated: il- before an l; im- before b, m or p; ir- before r.
The prefix dis- is of Latin origin, where it had a privative, negative, or reversing force.
a- is the trickier of all, because it has many origins and variants (I learnt a lot reading the answers to the question linked). In the sense of “not” or “without”, a- comes from the Greek, where it had the same meaning.