ぁ

See also: あ

ぁ U+3041, ぁ HIRAGANA LETTER SMALL A [unassigned: U+3040] ← 〿 [U+303F] Hiragana あ → [U+3042]

Japanese

Etymology 1

Small form of the hiragana character あ (a).

Combining form

ぁ 

1. Small combining form of hiragana あ (a).

   ふぁ - the sound [ɸa] rather than [ɸu] (ふ) or [ha] (は)

   ふぁん - transliteration of English fan

Usage notes

• Small combining kana ぁ, ぃ, ぅ, ぇ and ぉ are used in the following ways.
  1. After a kana of the same vowel, representing a nonstandard lengthening of the vowel.

     はぁ (hā) - (sound of breathing)

     うぉぉぉぉぉぉぉ (wooooooo) - (cry of excitement)

  2. After ふ (fu), ゔ (vu), し (shi), じ (ji), ち (chi), つ (tsu), replacing the preceding vowel.

     じぇ (je)

     つぁ (tsa)

     Three special combinations, すぃ (si), てぃ (ti), とぅ (tu), and their voiced versions are also used in this way.

  3. After other kana ending in -i or -u, changing the preceding vowel to a semivowel.

     いぇ (ye)

     くぃ (kwi)

Related terms

• ァ (katakana small a)
• あ (full-size a)

See also

• (Hiragana) 平仮名; あぁ, いぃ, うぅゔ, えぇ, おぉ, かゕが, きぎ, くぐ, けゖげ, こ𛄲ご, さざ, しじ, すず, せぜ, そぞ, ただ, ちぢ, つっづ, てで, とど, な, に, ぬ, ね, の, はばぱ, ひびぴ, ふぶぷ, へべぺ, ほぼぽ, ま, み, む, め, も, やゃ, 𛀆, ゆゅ, 𛀁, よょ, らら゚, りり゚, るる゚, れれ゚, ろろ゚, わゎわ゙, ゐ𛅐ゐ゙, 𛄟, ゑ𛅑ゑ゙, を𛅒を゙, ん, ー, ゝ, ゞ, ゟ

Etymology 2

Alternative forms

• ゃ

Particle

ぁ or ァ • (-a) 

1. Contraction of は (wa).
   • (Can we date this quote?), William Shakespeare, translated by 坪内逍遥(つぼうちしょうよう) [Tsubouchi Shōyō], ロミオとヂュリエット (Romio to Jurietto)‎^[1], translation of Romeo and Juliet:

     「はて、立(た)つと言(い)へば不動(ゐすわり)ぢゃがや。不動(ゐすわり)は立(たち)往(わう)生(じゃう)ぢゃ。出(で)向(むか)うて往(ゆ)かけんけりゃ鬪(けん)爭(くわ)にァならぬわい。」

     "Hate, tatsu to ieba isuwari ja ga ya. Isuwari wa tachiōjō ja. Demukōteyukakenkerya kenka nya naranu wai."

     "To move is to stir, and to be valiant is to stand. Therefore, if thou art moved, thou runn'st away."

     「はて、飼犬(いぬ)を見(み)たゞけでも向(むか)うてゆくわい。モンタギューの奴(やつ)等(ら)と見(み)りゃ、男(をとこ)でも女(をんな)でも關(かま)うたことァない。」

     "Hate, inu wo mita dake de mo mukōteyuku wai. Montagyū no yatsura to mirya, otoko de mo onna de mo kamōta kotwa nai."

     "A dog of that house shall move me to stand. I will take the wall of any man or maid of Montague's."