Aaarrgghh - there is no such word as "non"!!!!!

[LemonMeringueThreePointOneFour]

Just that.

(The word you're looking for is "none". "Non" is a prefix, as in non-event or non-existent, not a word in its own right.)

Ah, that's better. Happy Good Friday, everyone.

Oh darn - my photo didn’t upload but this was next to a thread asking if holidays are non essential and another one asking if we used too many exclamation marks. Made me chuckle 🤭

@Fatladyslim

Well this is awkward... 🇨🇵

For the avoidance of doubt I am entirely cognizant* of the fact that "non" means "no" in French...

*Presumably from connaître: to know, or its shared Latin root.

@Pollypudding

Oh darn - my photo didn’t upload but this was next to a thread asking if holidays are non essential and another one asking if we used too many exclamation marks. Made me chuckle 🤭

Ah - I wondered what you were referring to!

I don't have a problem with non essential, other than that I would use nonessential or inessential, depending on the context.

I do find the evolution of written language interesting. I haven’t noticed “non” being used instead of none but I have noticed lots of words either not being hyphenated or the prefix becoming part of the word. An example is e-mail and email, or in fact non-essential becoming nonessential. I am keeping an eye on alot becoming an official word - presumably a similar process to all right becoming alright. None of it annoys me though. Nobody is perfect!

@Pollypudding

I do find the evolution of written language interesting. I haven’t noticed “non” being used instead of none but I have noticed lots of words either not being hyphenated or the prefix becoming part of the word. An example is e-mail and email, or in fact non-essential becoming nonessential. I am keeping an eye on alot becoming an official word - presumably a similar process to all right becoming alright. None of it annoys me though. Nobody is perfect!

Apparently it's a recognised phenomenon, so you get an evolution that goes: to day, to-day, today (for example).

Is "alright" acceptable now?

Anyway, it's similar to "would of" or "could of" - you can't rely on being able to spell things phonetically in English and it's jarring when you're tryng to read something.

I can’t believe anyone really thinks the OP didn’t know the word ‘non’ exists in a different language to the one that a) she is using in her post and b) is used universally across the site. It’s a bit snarky to pretend you didn’t know what she meant.

@StillCoughingandLaughing

I can’t believe anyone really thinks the OP didn’t know the word ‘non’ exists in a different language to the one that a) she is using in her post and b) is used universally across the site. It’s a bit snarky to pretend you didn’t know what she meant.

I think people may have been teasing her.

Or is that no longer allowed

Never heard anyone use non in those contexts.

That sounds like incorrect spelling to me rather than incorrect word usage 🤔

I think I've only come across the opposite, people using none when they mean non, so they write 'none event', 'none stop' or 'none essential'.

Er, what about non-toxic, non-fattening, etc?
Admittedly it’s not a stand-alone word, though.

🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

I have never seen it used as a separate word in the manner you suggest OP.

@AIMD

Never heard anyone use non in those contexts.

Do you mean heard or read? Because in some accents it's clearly pronounced the same. But having starting seeing it on here I'm coming across it all over the place.

@Namechangeforspring2021

That sounds like incorrect spelling to me rather than incorrect word usage 🤔

Yes, I guess it is - but if you realise there is no such word you're less likely to use it incorrectly. Perhaps...

I did mean read actually. Now I’m thinking though I have heard people say non, but again not sure if that accent but they’re actually saying none.

@SunshineThelma

I think I've only come across the opposite, people using none when they mean non, so they write 'none event', 'none stop' or 'none essential'.

I guess that's the other side of the same coin.

@GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER

Er, what about non-toxic, non-fattening, etc? Admittedly it’s not a stand-alone word, though.

Well I mentioned that in my OP - my examples were non-existent and non-event.

@SeasonFinale

I have never seen it used as a separate word in the manner you suggest OP.

I've never seen another woman's fanjo... 🤷‍♀️

@AIMD

I did mean read actually. Now I’m thinking though I have heard people say non, but again not sure if that accent but they’re actually saying none.

In my accent "none" rhymes with "son" and "non" rhymes with "gone". (Not saying that's "correct" and the alternative is wrong.) I was quite surprised the first time I heard somone pronounce none to rhyme with gone.

Could it be a tyop?

@Georgyporky

Could it be a tyop?

No, I've seen it too many times to believe it's always a "tyop".

Missing the point entirely but Non was St David's mother.

I am keeping an eye on alot becoming an official word...

If that happens I'm emigrating.

Here's a Dutch non.