Ascians n.

prefix meaning "not, without," from Greek a-, an- "not" (the "alpha privative"), from PIE root *ne- "not" (source also of English un-).

In words from Greek, such as abysmal, adamant, amethyst; also partly nativized as a prefix of negation (asexual, amoral, agnostic). The ancient alpha privatum, denoting want or absence.

Greek also had an alpha copulativum, a- or ha-, expressing union or likeness, which is the a- expressing "together" in acolyte, acoustic, Adelphi, etc. It is from PIE root *sem- (1) "one; as one, together with."

"inhabitants of torrid zones," in ancient geography, 1620s, from Medieval Latin Amphiscii, from Greek amphiskioi "inhabitants of the tropics," literally "throwing a shadow both ways," from amphi "on both sides" (from PIE root *ambhi- "around") + skia "shadow, shade" (see Ascians). So called because they are "people whose shadow is sometimes to the North, and sometimes to the South" [Cockerham, 1623] depending on the sun being below or above the equator. Compare Ascians.