non-cash

The word "non-cash" is a modern English compound adjective formed by directly combining the negative prefix "non-" with the noun "cash." The prefix "non-" originates from Latin non, meaning "not," and has been a productive way of forming negatives in English since the Middle English period. The term "cash" has a more circuitous history, deriving from the Latin capsa (a box or case for holding things), which evolved in meaning through Old French and Italian to specifically denote a money box and, by the 16th century, the money itself. Therefore, "non-cash" literally and logically means "not money," describing transactions, assets, or benefits that do not involve physical currency.

Structure: non (not) + cash (money) - non: A prefix of Latin origin, meaning "not." It functions as a negative or privative prefix. - cash: A noun of Latin and Old French origin, via Italian cassa (money box), from Latin capsa (box, case). In this compound, it functions as the core noun element denoting money.