核心畫面

Picture something being put on the table — a claim, a saving, a value — and then a single word spoken over it: not. Nothing is smashed and nothing is taken away; it is simply declared not to count. Everything on this page is that one move, aimed at a different target: at a statement, at a benefit, or at a number.

可以想成有樣東西被放到桌上:一個說法、一筆省下來的錢、一個數值。然後有人在它上面說了一個字:不算。沒有東西被砸壞,也更多收起可以想成有樣東西被放到桌上:一個說法、一筆省下來的錢、一個數值。然後有人在它上面說了一個字:不算。沒有東西被砸壞,也沒有東西被拿走,它只是被宣告不成立。整頁的用法都是同一個動作,只是對準的東西不一樣:有時對準一句話,有時對準一份好處,有時對準一個數字。

From the word’s history

The packet's Wiktionary entry derives negate from Latin negatus, the perfect passive participle of nego, to deny, refuse, or decline, plus the verb-forming suffix -ate. The saying-no move is therefore in the word from the start.

封包裡的 Wiktionary 記錄說,negate 來自拉丁文 negātus,是動詞 negō(否認、拒絕)的完成被動分詞,再加上構成動詞的字尾 -ate。也就是說,「說不」這個動作從一開始就在這個字裡。

Wiktionary entry supplied in packet, source_ref kaikki:3f6f69a190036ae4:621150291, etymology_text: From Latin negātus, perfect passive participle of negō (to deny, refuse, decline), see -ate.

Two branches

宣告它不成立

這一組最靠近拉丁文的起點:把「不算」說出來。差別只在對象是一句話,還是一個可以精確翻面的值。

verb · C1

To say or show that something is not true, or that it does not exist.

否認;指出某事不成立

把好處抵掉

同樣是「讓它不算數」,但這次不是用嘴巴說,而是另一股力量做出來的結果:本來有的好處,最後等於沒有。

verb · C1

To stop something from having any effect, so that the good it was going to do is cancelled out and nothing is gained.

抵銷;使失去效果