أ

See also: ا [U+0627 ARABIC LETTER ALEF], اً, ٱ [U+0671 ARABIC LETTER ALEF WASLA], آ [U+0622 ARABIC LETTER ALEF WITH MADDA ABOVE], إ [U+0625 ARABIC LETTER ALEF WITH HAMZA BELOW], and ا-

Arabic

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʔ/

Combined with fatha: أَ : /ʔa/

Combined with damma: أُ : /ʔu/

Letter

أ / ‍أ • (ʾ)

1. The first letter of the Arabic alphabet is the small hamza (ء) that sits on top of أ, and the tall column is its bearer. The composite letter is called أَلِف (ʔalif) and the hamza represents a glottal stop (/ʔ/). (See also ا.) It is followed by ب (b).

See also

• (Arabic script letters) ا (ʔalif), ب (bāʔ), ت (tāʔ), ث (ṯāʔ), ج (jīm), ح (ḥāʔ), خ (ḵāʔ), د (dāl), ذ (ḏāl), ر (rāʔ), ز (zāy), س (sīn), ش (šīn), ص (ṣād), ض (ḍād), ط (ṭāʔ), ظ (ẓāʔ), ع (ʕayn), غ (ḡayn), ف (fāʔ), ق (qāf), ك (kāf), ل (lām), م (mīm), ن (nūn), ه (hāʔ), و (wāw), ي (yāʔ)
• ا, إ (ʔ)
• Wikipedia article on the Arabic alphabet
• Search en.wiktionary.org for articles beginning with: أ

Etymology 2

From former هَـ (ha-), from Proto-Semitic *ha. Cognate to Hebrew הֲ־ (hă-).

Particle

أَ • (ʾa-)

1. Initial interrogative particle that indicates a yes-or-no question. It’s written together with the following word as all one letter words. Often used in the negative, e.g. أَلَا (ʾa-lā, “isn't, doesn't”), أَلَيْسَ (ʾa-laysa, “isn't, doesn't”).
2. Initial interrogative particle that introduces a choice question.
   1. (in indirect questions) whether
      • 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 21:109:

        وَإِنْ أَدْرِي أَقَرِيبٌ أَم بَعِيدٌ مَّا تُوعَدُونَ

        waʔin ʔadrī ʔaqarībun ʔam baʕīdun mā tūʕadūna

        I know not whether nigh or far is that which ye are promised.

Alternative forms

• آ (ʔā) (before اَلْ (al-))

Usage notes

• Unlike هَلْ (hal), أَ (ʔa) precedes وَ (wa), فَـ (fa-), and ثُمَّ (ṯumma):

  أَفَحَسِبْتُمْ أَنَّمَا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ عَبَثًا وَأَنَّكُمْ إِلَيْنَا لَا تُرْجَعُونَ

  ʔafaḥasibtum ʔannamā ḵalaqnākum ʕabaṯan waʔannakum ʔilaynā lā turjaʕūna

  Qur'an 23:115

References

• Tropper, Josef (2003) “Sekundäres wortanlautendes Alif im Arabischen”, in Kogan, Leonid, editor, Studia Semitica (Orientalia: Papers of the Oriental Institute; III), Moscow, →ISBN, page 200

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Khowar

Pronunciation

• (letter name): IPA^(key): /həmza alif/
• (phoneme): IPA^(key): /a/

Letter

أ (hamzā ālif)

1. The second other alif letter of the Khowar abjad.

Forms

Isolated form	Final form
أ	ـأ

See also

• Previous letter: ﺁ
• Next letter: ب

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Kyrgyz

Letter

أ • (transliteration needed)

1. The first letter of the Kyrgyz alphabet.

See also

• (Arabic script letters) ا, ب, پ, ﻥ, ﺕ, ﺝ, ﭺ, ﺡ, ﻑ, ﻕ, ﻉ, ك, گ, ڭ, ﻝ, ﻡ, و, ۅ, ۉ, ﯗ, ﯞ, ﺱ, ﺵ, ﺩ, ﺭ, ﺯ, ﻩ, ﻯ, ﯗﺀ, ﻰﺋ, ﻲ, ﻯ, ء, يۋ, ﻻ,

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Malay

Letter

أ

1. The first letter of the malay alphabet, written in the arabic script.

See also

• (Arabic script letters) ا,‎ ب,‎ ت,‎ ة,‎ ث,‎ ج,‎ چ,‎ ح,‎ خ,‎ د,‎ ذ,‎ ر,‎ ز,‎ س,‎ ش,‎ ص,‎ ض,‎ ط,‎ ظ,‎ ع,‎ غ,‎ ڠ,‎ ف,‎ ڤ,‎ ق,‎ ک,‎ ݢ,‎ ل,‎ م,‎ ن,‎ و,‎ ۏ,‎ ه,‎ ء,‎ ي,‎ ى,‎ ڽ ^[edit]

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Persian

Letter

أ • (alef)

1. The first letter of the Persian alphabet.

See also

• (Letters of the Persian Alphabet) ا, ب, پ, ت, ث, ج, چ, ح, خ, د, ذ, ر, ز, ژ, س, ش, ص, ض, ط, ظ, ع, غ, ف, ق, ک, گ, ل, م, ن, و, ه, ی

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Punjabi

Letter

أ • (transliteration needed)

1. The first letter of the Punjabi alphabet, written in the arabic script.

See also

• (Shahmukhi script letters) ا, ب (b), پ (p), ت (t), ٹ (ṭ), ث (s̱), ج (j), چ (c), ح (ḥ), خ (x), د (d), ڈ (ḍ), ذ (ẕ), ر (r), ڑ (ṛ), ز (z), ژ (ž), س (s), ش (ś), ص (ṣ), ض (ẓ), ط (t̤), ظ (z̤), ع (ʻ), غ (ġ), ف (f), ق (q), ک (k), گ (g), ل (l), ࣇ (ḷ), م (m), ن (n), ݨ (ṇ), ں (ṉ), ہ (h), و (v), ی (y), ے (e) ^{(Category: Punjabi letters)}