ала

See also: яла, Аля, Ала, and Appendix:Variations of "ala"

Abkhaz

Etymology 1

From Proto-Abkhaz-Abaza *lá (“dog”).

Noun

а-ла́ • (a-lá)

1. dog

Etymology 2

From Proto-Abkhaz-Abaza *lá (“eye”).

Noun

а́-ла • (á-la)

1. eye (organ of sight)

Bashkir

Etymology

From Proto-Turkic *āla. Cognate with Kyrgyz ала (ala), etc.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɑˈɫɑ/

Adjective

ала • (ala)

1. variegated

See also

• ал

References

• Башҡортса-Русса Һүҙлек [Bashkir-Russian Dictionary]‎^[1] (in Bashkir), Мәскәү: СССР Фәндәр Академияһы, Башҡортостан Филиалы, Тарих, Тел һәм Әҙәбиәт Институты, 1958

Bulgarian

Etymology 1

Believed to be borrowed from Ancient Greek ἀλλά (allá, “but”), although Bulgarian Etymological Dictionary also claims a joint Slavic origin, namely Proto-Slavic *ale. Under this theory, the two influences are merged into one in this term. (This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “Which is correct?”)

Alternative forms

• ал (al)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ɐˈɫa]

• Audio (Standard Bulgarian, l-vocalization):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɫa
• Syllabification^(key): а‧ла
• Hyphenation^(key): ала

Conjunction

ала́ • (alá)

1. but (conjunction)

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:но

Usage notes

This conjunction is often used in literature and children's stories and may contribute to an ominous or moralizing tone.

References

• “ала̀¹”, in Речник на българския език [Dictionary of the Bulgarian Language] (in Bulgarian), Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 2014
• “ала”, in Речник на българския език [Dictionary of the Bulgarian Language] (in Bulgarian), Chitanka, 2010
• Georgiev, Vladimir I., editor (1971), “ала̀¹”, in Български етимологичен речник [Bulgarian Etymological Dictionary] (in Bulgarian), volume 1 (А – З), Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Pubg. House, →ISBN, page 8
• “ала”, in Български тълковен речник [Bulgarian Explanatory Dictionary] (in Bulgarian), fourth edition, Sofia: Nauka i Izkustvo, 2005, →ISBN, page 23

Etymology 2

From French à la or Italian alla.

Pronunciation

• (unstressed) IPA^(key): [ɐɫɐ]
• (stressed, usually in isolation) IPA^(key): [ɐˈɫa]

  • Audio (Standard Bulgarian, l-vocalization):

    (file)

  • Rhymes: -ɫa
• Syllabification^(key): а‧ла
• Hyphenation^(key): ала

Preposition

ала́ • (alá) (informal, rare)

1. a la (in the style of)

Derived terms

• ала гарсо́н (ala garsón, “(of female hair) cut short”)
• алабро́с (alabrós)
• алату́рка (alatúrka)
• алафра́нга (alafránga)

References

• “ала̀²”, in Речник на българския език [Dictionary of the Bulgarian Language] (in Bulgarian), Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 2014
• Georgiev, Vladimir I., editor (1971), “ала̀²”, in Български етимологичен речник [Bulgarian Etymological Dictionary] (in Bulgarian), volume 1 (А – З), Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Pubg. House, →ISBN, page 8
• “ала”, in Български тълковен речник [Bulgarian Explanatory Dictionary] (in Bulgarian), fourth edition, Sofia: Nauka i Izkustvo, 2005, →ISBN, page 23

Chechen

Etymology

From Proto-Nakh.

Verb

ала • (ala)

1. to say

Dolgan

Noun

ала • (ala)

1. a strap in a reindeer yoke
2. reindeer yoke

Eastern Mari

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɑˈlɑ/
• Rhymes: -ɑ
• Hyphenation: ала

Etymology 1

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Conjunction

ала • (ala)

1. maybe, probably, could be
2. hardly, doubtful, who knows
3. sometimes... sometimes, either... or, now... now

   ала йӱр йӱреш, ала лум лумеш

   ala jür jüreš, ala lum lumeš

   sometimes it rains, sometimes it snows

4. or

   эрла толам ала уке, ом пале

   erla tolam ala uke, om paĺe

   I'll come tomorrow or I won't, I don't know

5. about, roughly

Particle

ала • (ala)

1. emphatic particle

   шонет мо тый мыйым ала?

   šońet mo tyj myjym ala?

   well, are you thinking about me?

Derived terms

pronouns

• ала-кӧ (ala-kö)

Etymology 2

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

ала • (ala)

1. pitch, tar, resin

   Synonym: киш (kiš)

Declension

Declension of ала

		singular	plural
nominative		ала (ala)	ала-влак (ala-vlak)
accusative		алам (alam)	ала-влакым (ala-vlakym)
genitive		алан (alan)	ала-влакын (ala-vlakyn)
dative		алалан (alalan)	ала-влаклан (ala-vlaklan)
comitative		алаге (alage)	ала-влакге (ala-vlakge)
comparative		алала (alala)	ала-влакла (ala-vlakla)
inessive		алаште (alašte)	ала-влакыште (ala-vlakyšte)
illative	short	алаш (alaš)	ала-влакыш (ala-vlakyš)
	long	алашке (alaške)	ала-влакышке (ala-vlakyške)
lative		алаш (alaš)	ала-влакеш (ala-vlakeš)

Possessed forms of ала

	singular	plural
1st person	алам (alam)	алана (alana)
2nd person	алат (alat)	алада (alada)
3rd person	алаже (alaže)	алашт (alašt)

References

• J. Bradley et al. (2023), “ала”, in The Mari Web Project: Mari-English Dictionary, University of Vienna

Evenki

Adjective

ала • (ala)

1. sweet

Ingush

Etymology 1

Akin to Chechen алу (alu).

Noun

ала • (ala)

1. flame

Etymology 2

From Proto-Nakh.

Verb

ала • (ala)

1. to say

Kazakh

Alternative scripts

Arabic	الا
Cyrillic	ала
Latin	ala

Etymology

From Proto-Turkic *āla. Cognate with Kyrgyz ала (ala), etc.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɑˈɫɑ/

• Audio:

  (file)

Adjective

ала • (ala)

1. variegated

Macedonian

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *xala, unless borrowed from Ottoman Turkish آلا (ala, “spotted, variegated”), euphemistic for ییلان (yılan, “snake”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈaɫa]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: а‧ла

Noun

а́ла • (ála) f (plural а́ли)

1. (archaic) dragon (mythical creature)

   Synonyms: а́ждер (ážder), змеј (zmej), дра́кон (drákon)

2. (figurative) monster

Declension

Declension of ала

	singular	plural
indefinite	ала (ala)	али (ali)
definite unspecified	алата (alata)	алите (alite)
definite proximal	алава (alava)	аливе (alive)
definite distal	алана (alana)	алине (aline)
vocative	ало (alo)	али (ali)

References

• Knüppel, Michael (2009), “Zu serbo-kroatisch hȁla ∼ ȁla ‘Drache’”, in Wiener Slavistisches Jahrbuch‎^[2] (in German), volume 55, pages 179–183
• “ала” in Дигитален речник на македонскиот јазик (Digitalen rečnik na makedonskiot jazik) [Digital dictionary of the Macedonian language] − drmj.eu

Moksha

Etymology

From Proto-Mordvinic *alə, from Proto-Uralic *ëla. Perhaps by error “ala”, in [ETY] Eesti etümoloogiasõnaraamat [Estonian Etymological Dictionary] (in Estonian) (online version), Tallinn: Eesti Keele Sihtasutus (Estonian Language Foundation), 2012 lists Moksha ал (al, “egg”) as a cognate of Estonian ala. Compare, however, Estonian alus (“foundation”), Livonian alā (“down; under”), alli (“foundation; underside”), among others. Veršinin, however, lists “the lower part of something” as an alternative sense for the word ал (al) in both Mordvinic languages. He speculates that the “egg” sense is secondary to the “underside” sense (as eggs are found under birds), a possible taboo replacement, as collecting eggs in the spring was very important in historic times.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɑlɑ/

Postposition

ала • (ala)

1. under
   • O. Je. Poljakov (1995) Učimsja govoritʹ po-mokšanski [Let's learn to speak Moksha], Saransk: Mordovskoje knižnoje izdatelʹstvo, →ISBN, page 135

     кудть ала

     kudť ala

     under the house

Usage notes

This postposition is used with the genitive case.

Northern Mansi

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈala]
• Hyphenation: ала
• Rhymes: -la

Noun

ала (ala) (Sosva, Upper Lozva)

1. roof, top
2. lid

Declension

Sosva:

Inflection of ала (ala)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	ала (ala)	алаг (alag)	алат (alat)
locative	алат (alat)	алагт (alagt)	алатт (alatt)
lative	алан (alan)	алагн (alagn)	алатн (alatn)
ablative	аланыл (alanyl)	алагныл (alagnyl)	алатныл (alatnyl)
instrumental	алал (alal)	алагтыл (alagtyl)	алатыл (alatyl)
translative	алаг (alag)	――	――

Possessive forms of ала (ala)

possessor	single possession	double possession	multiple possession
1st person sing.	алам (alam)	алагум (alagum)	аланум (alanum)
2rd person sing.	алан (alan)	алагын (alagyn)	алан (alan)
3rd person sing.	алатэ (alatè)	алаге (alage)	аланэ (alanè)
1st person dual	аламе̄н (alamēn)	алагаме̄н (alagamēn)	аланаме̄н (alanamēn)
2rd person dual	алан (alan)	алагы̄н (alagȳn)	аланы̄н (alanȳn)
3rd person dual	алатэ̄н (alatè̄n)	алаге̄н (alagēn)	аланэ̄н (alanè̄n)
1st person plural	алав (alav)	алагув (alaguv)	аланув (alanuv)
2rd person plural	алан (alan)	алагы̄н (alagȳn)	аланы̄н (alanȳn)
3rd person plural	аланыл (alanyl)	алаганыл (alaganyl)	алананыл (alananyl)

Upper Lozva

Inflection of ала (ala)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	ала (ala)	алай (alaj)	алат (alat)
locative	алат (alat)	алайт (alajt)	алатт (alatt)
lative	алан (alan)	алайн (alajn)	алатн (alatn)
ablative	аланыл (alanyl)	алайныл (alajnyl)	алатныл (alatnyl)
instrumental	алал (alal)	алайтыл (alajtyl)	алатыл (alatyl)
translative	алай (alaj)	――	――

Possessive forms of ала (ala)

possessor	single possession	double possession	multiple possession
1st person sing.	алам (alam)	алайум (alajum)	аланум (alanum)
2rd person sing.	алан (alan)	алайын (alajyn)	алан (alan)
3rd person sing.	алатэ (alatè)	алайе (alaje)	аланэ (alanè)
1st person dual	аламе̄н (alamēn)	алайаме̄н (alajamēn)	аланаме̄н (alanamēn)
2rd person dual	алан (alan)	алайы̄н (alajȳn)	аланы̄н (alanȳn)
3rd person dual	алатэ̄н (alatè̄n)	алайе̄н (alajēn)	аланэ̄н (alanè̄n)
1st person plural	алав (alav)	алайув (alajuv)	аланув (alanuv)
2rd person plural	алан (alan)	алайы̄н (alajȳn)	аланы̄н (alanȳn)
3rd person plural	аланыл (alanyl)	алайаныл (alajanyl)	алананыл (alananyl)

Related terms

• алаӈ пӯт (alaň pūt, “saucepan”)

References

• “ала”, in Northern Mansi-Hungarian dictionary, Tromsø: University of Tromsø, 2023
• Afanasʹjeva, K. V.; Sobjanina, S. A. (2012), “ала”, in Školʹnyj mansijsko-russkij slovarʹ [Mansi-Russian school dictionary], Khanty-Mansiysk: RIO IRO

Russian

Pronunciation

• ала́: IPA^(key): [ɐˈɫa]
• а́ла: IPA^(key): [ˈaɫə]

Adjective

ала́ or а́ла • (alá or ála)

1. short feminine singular of а́лый (ályj)

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology 1

Possibly related to Polish ale. In that case, inherited from Proto-Slavic *ale.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ǎla/

Adverb

а̀ла (Latin spelling àla)

1. (used for emphasis, or as an intensifier) expression of awe, surprise, dismay, etc.

   Ала је било лепо! ― It sure was nice!

   Aла лажеш! ― Oh, you're lying!

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Ottoman Turkish آلا (ala, “spotted, variegated”).

Alternative forms

• хала

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ǎːla/, /ǎla/, /âla/

Adjective

а́ла or а̀ла or а̏ла (Latin spelling ála or àla or ȁla)

1. piebald, spotted

Etymology 3

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *xala, unless borrowed from Ottoman Turkish آلا (ala, “spotted, variegated”), euphemistic for a snake.

Alternative forms

• хала

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ǎːla/, /ǎla/, /âla/

Noun

а́ла or а̀ла or а̏ла f (Latin spelling ála or àla or ȁla)

1. dragon, type of mythical creature similar to dragon

See also

• аждаха
• змај

Southern Altai

Etymology

From Proto-Turkic *āla. Cognate to Kyrgyz ала (ala), etc.

Adjective

ала • (ala)

1. variegated

References

• Čumakajev, A. E., editor (2018), “ала”, in Altajsko-russkij slovarʹ [Altaic–Russian Dictionary], Gorno-Altaysk: NII altaistiki im. S.S. Surazakova, →ISBN

Talysh

Adjective

ала

1. Cyrillic spelling of ala

Yakut

Etymology 1

From Proto-Turkic *āla (“variegated”). Akin to Turkish ala.

Adjective

ала • (ala)

1. piebald

   Synonym: эриэн (erien, “variegated”)

Etymology 2

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Cognate with the Dolgan term above.

Noun

ала • (ala)

1. (dialectal) strap (for a reindeer sled)