non-british
UK[ˌnɒn ˈbrɪt.ɪʃ]US[ˌnɑːn ˈbrɪt̬.ɪʃ]
adj
Not British; of, relating to, or characteristic of a country other than Britain or its people.
Morpheme Breakdown
non
british
non
not
british
of Britain
Etymology
The word 'non-British' is a modern English compound formed by directly applying the Latin negative prefix 'non-' to the established adjective 'British'. The prefix 'non-' derives from the Latin adverb and preposition 'non', meaning "not", which has been productively used in English since the 14th century to form negatives. The root 'British' originates from Old English 'Brettisc', referring to the Celtic inhabitants of Britain, and later evolved to denote anything pertaining to the island of Great Britain or its united kingdoms. The compound logic is transparently analytic, creating a straightforward antonym by stating the negation of the characteristic of being British.
Analysis
Structure: non (not) + british (of Britain)
- non: A prefix of Latin origin, from 'non' meaning "not". It functions as a negative or privative prefix.
- british: An adjective of Old English origin, from 'Brettisc' meaning "of the Britons". It functions as the root word describing nationality or origin.
Examples
The survey included opinions from both British and non-British residents.
She has a non-British accent that is difficult to place.
The policy applies differently to British and non-British citizens.