nonrepresentational

The word is a modern English compound formed by systematically adding prefixes and suffixes to a core Latin-derived verb. The base 'represent' originates from Latin 'repraesentare,' meaning "to present, exhibit, show." The prefix 'non-,' from Latin, directly negates the entire concept, creating the sense "not representing." The suffix '-ational' is a productive adjectival ending in English, adapted from Latin, which converts the action of representing into a descriptive quality. Thus, the term's literal construction—"of or relating to the quality of not depicting"—perfectly captures its modern artistic meaning, describing works that do not aim to portray recognizable objects from reality.

Structure: non (not) + represent (depict) + ational (adjective suffix) - non: Latin origin, a prefix meaning "not" or "the opposite of." - represent: Latin origin (from 're-' + 'praesentare'), meaning "to present again, to depict, to stand for." - ational: A complex English suffix derived from Latin '-ationem' (noun-forming) + '-alis' (adjective-forming), creating an adjective meaning "of or relating to the action of."