a

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See also: A, Appendix:Variations of "a", and 𐌳

Contents

Translingual[edit]

Letter a.svg
Unicode name LATIN SMALL LETTER A
Codepoint U+0061
 ` ← Basic Latin → b 
Wikisource
See also the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica's article on:
A.

Etymology 1[edit]

Approximate form of Greek upper case Α (a, “alpha”) that was the source for both common variants of a Modification of capital letter A, from Latin A, from Ancient Greek letter Α (A).

Pronunciation[edit]

  • (letter, most languages): IPA(key): /ɑː/, /a/
  • IPA
    		(file)

Letter[edit]

a lower case (upper case A)

  1. The first letter of the basic modern Latin alphabet.

Symbol[edit]

a

  1. (phonetics) Used in the International Phonetic Alphabet and in several romanization systems of non-Latin scripts to represent an open front unrounded vowel.

See also[edit]

External links[edit]

Etymology 2[edit]

Abbreviation of atto-, from Danish and Norwegian atten (“eighteen”).

Symbol[edit]

a

  1. atto-, the prefix for 10-18 in the International System of Units.

Etymology 3[edit]

From Latin annus

Symbol[edit]

a

  1. A year in SI Units, specifically a Julian year or exactly 365.25 days.

Etymology 4[edit]

Abbreviation

Symbol[edit]

a

  1. An are, a unit of area of which 100 comprise a hectare; ares.
  2. (physics) acceleration

Other representations of A:

  • Letter styles

  • Capital and lowercase versions of A, in normal and italic type

  • Uppercase and lowercase A in Fraktur

  • Approximate form of Greek upper case Α (a, “alpha”) that was the source for both common variants of aA in uncial script

English[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

Runic letter ᚫ (a, “ansuz”), source for Anglo-Saxon Futhorc letters replaced by a

From Middle English and Old English lower case letter a and split of Middle English and Old English lower case letter æ.

  • Anglo-Saxon Futhorc letter ᚪ (a, “āc”) Old English lower case letter a from 7th century replacement by Latin lower case letter a of the Anglo-Saxon Futhorc letter ᚪ (a, “āc”), derived from Runic letter ᚫ (a, “Ansuz”).
  • Anglo-Saxon Futhorc letter ᚫ (æ, “æsc”) Old English lower case letter æ from 7th century replacement by Latin lower case ligature æ of the Anglo-Saxon Futhorc letter ᚫ (æ, “æsc”), also derived from Runic letter ᚫ (a, “Ansuz”).

Alternative forms[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

  • (letter name)
    The current pronunciation resulted from the Great Vowel Shift. Before the early part of the 17th century, the pronunciation was similar to that in other languages.
  • (phoneme) IPA(key): /æ/, /ɑː/, /eɪ/, ...

Letter[edit]

a (lower case, upper case A)

  1. The first letter of the English alphabet, called a and written in the Latin script.
Usage notes[edit]

In English, the letter a usually denotes the near-open front unrounded vowel (IPA(key): /æ/), as in pad, the open back unrounded vowel (IPA(key): /ɑː/) as in father, or, followed by another vowel, the diphthong IPA(key): /eɪ/, as in ace.

a is the third-most common letter in English.

Derived terms[edit]
See also[edit]

Cardinal number[edit]

a (lower case, upper case A)

  1. The ordinal number first, derived from this letter of the English alphabet, called a and written in the Latin script.

Noun[edit]

a (plural a's or as or aes)[1]

  1. The name of the Latin script letter A/a.
See also[edit]
Translations[edit]

Etymology 2[edit]

Middle English, from Old English ān (“one, a, lone, sole”). The "n" was gradually lost before consonants in almost all dialects by the 15th century.

Pronunciation[edit]

  • (stressed) IPA(key): /eɪ/
  • (unstressed) IPA(key): /ə/
  • Audio (US), stressed
    		(file)
  • Audio (US), unstressed
    		(file)

Article[edit]

a (indefinite)

  1. One; any indefinite example of; used to denote a singular item of a group. [First attested prior to 1150][2]
    There was a man here looking for you yesterday.
    • 1992, Rudolf M. Schuster, The Hepaticae and Anthocerotae of North America: East of the Hundredth Meridian, volume V, page vii
      With fresh material, taxonomic conclusions are leavened by recognition that the material examined reflects the site it occupied; a herbarium packet gives one only a small fraction of the data desirable for sound conclusions. Herbarium material does not, indeed, allow one to extrapolate safely: what you see is what you get […]
    • 2005, Emily Kingsley (lyricist), Kevin Clash (voice actor), “A Cookie is a Sometime Food”, Sesame Street, season 36, Sesame Workshop:
      Hoots the Owl: Yes a, fruit, is a [sic], any, time, food!
  2. Used in conjunction with the adjectives score, dozen, hundred, thousand, and million, as a function word.
    I've seen it happen a hundred times.
  3. One certain or particular; any single. [First attested between around 1150 to 1350][2]
    We've received an interesting letter from a Mrs. Miggins of London.
  4. The same; one. [16th Century][2]
    We are of a mind on matters of morals.
  5. Any, every; used before a noun which has become modified to limit its scope;[1] also used with a negative to indicate not a single one.[3]
    A man who dies intestate leaves his children troubles and difficulties.
    He fell all that way, and hasn't a bump on his head?
  6. Used before plural nouns modified by few, good many, couple, great many, etc.
  7. Someone or something like; similar to;[3] Used before a proper noun to create an example out of it.
    The center of the village was becoming a Times Square.
Usage notes[edit]
Main appendix: English articles#Indefinite articles
  • The article an is used before vowel sounds, and a before consonant sounds.
Translations[edit]
an — see an

Etymology 3[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Preposition[edit]

a

  1. (archaic) To do with position or direction; In, on, at, by, towards, onto. [First attested before 1150][2]
    Stand a tiptoe.
  2. To do with separation; In, into. [First attested before 1150][2]
    Torn a pieces.
  3. To do with time; Each, per, in, on, by. [First attested before 1150][2]
    I brush my teeth twice a day.
    • 1601, Shakespeare, Hamlet, IV-v
      A Sundays
  4. (obsolete) To do with method; In, with. [First attested before 1150][2]
    • Marlowe, C.
      Stands here a purpose.
  5. (obsolete) To do with role or capacity; In. [First attested before 1150][2]
    A God’s name.
  6. To do with status; In. [First attested before 1150][2]
    • Bible
      To set the people a worke.
  7. (archaic) To do with process, with a passive verb; In the course of, experiencing. [First attested before 1150][2]
    • 1964, Bob Dylan, The Times They Are a-Changin’
      The times, they are a-changin'.
  8. (archaic) To do with an action, an active verb; Engaged in. [16th century][2]
    • (Can we date this quote?) Shakespeare
      It was a doing.
    • 1611, King James Bible, Hebrews 11-21
      Jacob, when he was a dying
  9. (archaic) To do with an action/movement; To, into. [16th century][2]
Usage notes[edit]
  • (position, direction): Can also be attached without a hyphen, as aback, ahorse, afoot. See a-
  1. (separation): Can also be attached without hyphen, as asunder. See a-
  2. (status): Can also be attached without hyphen, as afloat, awake. See a-.
  3. (process): Can also be attached with or without hyphen, as a-changing

Etymology 4[edit]

From Middle English a, ha contraction of have, or haven

Alternative forms[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Verb[edit]

a (third-person singular simple present -, present participle -, simple past and past participle -)

  1. ​ (archaic or slang) Have. [between 1150 and 1350, continued in some use until 1650; used again after 1950]
    I'd a come, if you'd a asked
    • 1604 (facsimile printed between 1830 and 1910), William Shakespeare, Hamlet:
      So would I a done by yonder ſunne
      And thou hadſt not come to my bed.
Derived terms[edit]
Derived terms
Usage notes[edit]
  • Now often attached to preceding auxiliary verb. See -a.

Etymology 5[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Pronoun[edit]

a

  1. (obsolete except UK, Scotland, dialectal) He. [1150-1900][2]
    • 1599, Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing, III-ii:
      a’ brushes his hat o’ mornings.
    • 1874 Thomas Hardy, Far from the Madding Crowd (Barnes & Noble Classics reprint [reset], 2005, chapter 5, page 117; from "Hardy's 1912 Wessex edition"):
      "And how Farmer James would cuss, and call thee a fool, wouldn't he, Joseph, when 'a seed his name looking so inside-out-like?" continued Matthew Moon, with feeling. / "Ay — 'a would," said Joseph meekly.

Etymology 6[edit]

Variant spelling of ah.

Pronunciation[edit]

Interjection[edit]

a

  1. A meaningless syllable; ah.
    • (Can we date this quote?) Shakespeare, The Winter’s Tale, IV-iii:
      A merry heart goes all the day
      Your sad tires in a mile-a
    • (Can we date this quote?) Avery, I Love to Singa:
      I love to sing-a
      About the moon-a and the June-a and the Spring-a.

Etymology 7[edit]

From Middle English, contraction of of.

Pronunciation[edit]

Preposition[edit]

a

  1. (archaic, slang) Of.
    The name of John a Gaunt.

Usage notes[edit]

  • Often attached without a hyphen to preceding word.

Etymology 8[edit]

From Middle English (Northern dialect) aw, alteration of all.

Pronunciation[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

Adverb[edit]

a (not comparable)

  1. (chiefly Scotland) All. [First attested from 1350 to 1470.]

Adjective[edit]

a (not comparable)

  1. (chiefly Scotland) All. [First attested from 1350 to 1470.]

Etymology 9[edit]

Symbols

Symbol[edit]

a

  1. Distance from leading edge to aerodynamic center.
  2. specific absorption coefficient
  3. specific rotation
  4. allele (recessive)

See also[edit]

Statistics[edit]

References[edit]

  • Lesley Brown (editor), The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, 5th edition (Oxford University Press, 2003 [1933], ISBN 978-0-19-860575-7), page 1
  • Philip Babcock Gove (editor), Webster's Third International Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged (G. & C. Merriam Co., 1976 [1909], ISBN 0-87779-101-5)
  • Christine A. Lindberg (editor), The Oxford College Dictionary, 2nd edition (Spark Publishing, 2007 [2002], ISBN 978-1-4114-0500-4), page 1
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Gove, Philip Babcock, (1976)
  2. ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 Brown, Lesley, (2003)
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lindberg, Christine A. (2007)
  4. ^ YouTube video with lyrics

External links[edit]

Abau[edit]

Noun[edit]

a

  1. house

Afar[edit]

Determiner[edit]

a

  1. this

Albanian[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

From Proto-Albanian *(h)au, from Proto-Indo-European *h2eu-, from root *h2u 'that'. Cognate to Ancient Greek αὖ (au, “on the other hand, again”). A proclitic disjunctive particle, used with one or more parts of the sentence.

Particle[edit]

a

  1. or
  2. there

Etymology 2[edit]

From Proto-Albanian *(h)an, from Proto-Indo-European *h2en, from the root *h2n 'there'. Cognate to Latin an (“yes, perhaps”). Interrogative particle, usually used proclitically in simple sentences.

Particle[edit]

a

  1. probably, perhaps

Ama[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

a

  1. tree

Aragonese[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Latin illa.

Article[edit]

a f sg

  1. the
    A luenga aragonesa — “The Aragonese language”

Asturian[edit]

Preposition[edit]

a

  1. to, towards

Derived terms[edit]

Noun[edit]

a f

  1. a (name of the letter A, a)

Azeri[edit]

Letter[edit]

a (lower case, upper case A)

  1. The first letter of the Azeri alphabet, written in the Latin script.

See also[edit]

Bavarian[edit]

Article[edit]

a

  1. a

Catalan[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Letter[edit]

a (lower case, upper case A)

  1. The first letter of the Catalan alphabet, written in the Latin script.
Derived terms[edit]
See also[edit]

Etymology 2[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Preposition[edit]

a

  1. in, at; indicating a particular time or place
    Sóc a Barcelona.
    I am in Barcelona.
  2. to; indicating movement towards a particular place
    Vaig a Barcelona.
    I'm going to Barcelona.
  3. to; indicating a target or indirect object
    Escric una carta a la meva àvia.
    I'm writing my grandmother a letter.
  4. per
  5. by
    dia a dia.
    day by day.
Usage notes[edit]

When the preposition a is followed by a masculine definite article, el or els, it is contracted with it to the forms al and als respectively. If el would be elided to the form l’ because it is before a word beginning with a vowel, the elision to a l’ takes precedence over contracting to al.

The same occurs with the salat article es, to form as except where es would be elided to s’

Derived terms[edit]

Czech[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Conjunction[edit]

a

  1. and

Dalmatian[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Latin ad.

Preposition[edit]

a

  1. to
  2. at

Danish[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Letter[edit]

a (lower case, upper case A)

  1. The first letter of the English alphabet, written in the Latin script.
See also[edit]

Etymology 2[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

a n (singular definite a'et, plural indefinite a'er)

  1. The first letter of the Danish alphabet, written in the Latin script.
Inflection[edit]
Inflection of a
missing
gender		 Singular Plural
indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative a a'et a'er a'erne
genitive a's a'ets a'ers a'ernes

Etymology 3[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

  • à (unofficial but common)

Pronunciation[edit]

Preposition[edit]

a

  1. of, of...each, each containing
  2. at
  3. to, or

Etymology 4[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Verb[edit]

a

  1. Imperative of ae.

Dutch[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

Letter[edit]

a (lower case, upper case A)

  1. The first letter of the Dutch alphabet, written in the Latin script.

See also[edit]

Etymology 2[edit]

Dutch Wikipedia has an article on:

Wikipedia nl

From Middle Dutch aa, from Old Dutch ā, from Proto-Germanic *ahwō. Cognate with Old English ēa, Old High German aha (German Ache), Old Norse á (Swedish å).

Alternative forms[edit]

  • aa (especially in names)
  • ie

Noun[edit]

a f (plural a's, diminutive aatje n)

  1. (archaic) a stream or water
Related terms[edit]

Egyptian[edit]

Romanization[edit]

a

  1. Manuel de Codage transliteration of ˤ.

Esperanto[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Letter[edit]

a (lower case, upper case A)

  1. The first letter of the Esperanto alphabet, written in the Latin script.

See also[edit]

Noun[edit]

a (plural a-oj, accusative singular a-on, accusative plural a-ojn)

  1. The name of the Latin script letter A/a.

See also[edit]

Fala[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

From Old Portuguese á, from Latin illa (“that”).

Article[edit]

a f (plural as, masculine o, masculine plural os)

  1. feminine singular of definite article o
    • 2000, Domingo Frades Gaspar, Vamus a falal: Notas pâ coñocel y platical en nosa fala, Editora regional da Extremadura, Chapter 1: Lengua Española:
      A grandeda da lengua española é indiscotibli, i sei estudio, utilización defensa debin sel algo consostancial a nos, […]
      The greatness of the Spanish language is unquestionable, and its study, use and defense must be something consubstantial to us, […]

Etymology 2[edit]

From Old Portuguese a, from Latin ad (“to”), from Proto-Indo-European *ád (“near, at”).

Preposition[edit]

a

  1. to
    • 2000, Domingo Frades Gaspar, Vamus a falal: Notas pâ coñocel y platical en nosa fala, Editora regional da Extremadura, Chapter 1: Lengua Española:
      A grandeda da lengua española é indiscotibli, i sei estudio, utilización defensa debin sel algo consostancial a nos, […]
      The greatness of the Spanish language is unquestionable, and its study, use and defense must be something consubstantial to us, […]

Faroese[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Letter[edit]

a (upper case A)

  1. First letter of the Faroese alphabet.

See also[edit]

Finnish[edit]

Abbreviation[edit]

a

  1. approbatur

French[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

Letter[edit]

a (lower case, upper case A)

  1. The first letter of the French alphabet, written in the Latin script.

Etymology 2[edit]

Quebec eye-dialect spelling of elle.

Pronunciation[edit]

Pronoun[edit]

a

  1. (Quebec, colloquial) She: alternative form of elle.

Etymology 3[edit]

Symbol[edit]

a

  1. are (100 square metres)

Etymology 4[edit]

Verb[edit]

a

  1. third-person singular indicative present of avoir
    Elle a un chat.
    She has a cat.

See also[edit]

Fula[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

Letter[edit]

a (lower case, upper case A)

  1. A letter of the Fula alphabet, written in the Latin script.

Usage notes[edit]

Common to all varieties of Fula / Fulfulde / Fula / Pular.

Etymology 2[edit]

Pronoun[edit]

a

  1. you (second person singular subject pronoun; short form)

Usage notes[edit]

Common to all varieties of Fula / Fulfulde / Fula / Pular.

  • Used in all conjugations except the affirmative non-accomplished, where the long form is used.

See also[edit]

  • aɗa (second person singular subject pronoun; long form), hiɗa (variant used in the Pular dialect of Futa Jalon)
  • aan (emphatic form)

Galician[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

From Latin ad (“to, toward”).

Preposition[edit]

a

  1. to, toward; indicating direction of motion
  2. introduces indirect object
  3. used to indicate time of an action
  4. (with de) to, until; used to indicate the end of a range
    de cinco a oito — "from five to eight"
  5. by, on, by means of; expresses a mode of action
    a pé — on foot
  6. for; indicates price or cost
Usage notes[edit]

The preposition a regularly forms contractions when it precedes the definite article o, a, os, and as. For example, a o ("to the") contracts to ao or ó, and a a ("to the") contracts to á.

Derived terms[edit]

Etymology 2[edit]

From Latin illa, feminine of ille (“that”).

Article[edit]

a f (masculine singular o, feminine plural as, masculine plural os)

  1. (definite) the
Usage notes[edit]

The definite article o (in all its forms) regularly forms contractions when it follows the prepositions a (“to”), con (“with”), de (“of, from”), and en (“in”). For example, con a (“with the”) contracts to coa, and en a (“in the”) contracts to na.

Derived terms[edit]

Pronoun[edit]

a f accusative (nominative ela, oblique ela, dative lle)

  1. her: feminine singular third-person personal pronoun
Usage notes[edit]

The third-person direct object pronouns o, os, a, and as, have variant forms prefixed with l- or n-. These alternative forms appear depending on the ending of the preceding word. The l- forms (e.g. la) are used when the preceding word ends in -r or -s. The n- forms (e.g. na) are used when the preceding word ends in -u or a diphthong. These alternative forms are then suffixed to the preceding word.

In all other situations, the standard forms of the pronouns are used (o, os, a, as) and are not suffixed to the preceding word.

These direct object pronouns also form contractions when they immediately follow an indirect object pronoun. For example, Dou che a (“I gave you it”) contracts to Dou cha.

Derived terms[edit]
Related terms[edit]
See also[edit]

Etymology 3[edit]

Noun[edit]

a m (plural as)

  1. a (name of the letter A, a)

German[edit]

Letter[edit]

a (lower case, upper case A)

  1. The first letter of the German alphabet, written in the Latin script.

Gilbertese[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Proto-Oceanic *pat, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *pat, from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *əpat, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *əpat, from Proto-Austronesian *Səpat.

Numeral[edit]

a

  1. (cardinal) four

Haitian Creole[edit]

Article[edit]

a

  1. the: definite article

Usage notes[edit]

This term only follows words that end with an oral (non-nasal) consonant and an oral vowel in that order, and can only modify singular nouns.

See also[edit]

Hawaiian[edit]

Conjunction[edit]

a

  1. and (used between sentences)
  2. until, up to

Preposition[edit]

a

  1. of, belonging to

Usage notes[edit]

  • Used for acquired possessions, while o is used for possessions that are inherited, out of personal control, and for things that can be got into (houses, clothes, cars).

Hungarian[edit]

Article[edit]

a (definite)

  1. the
    a hölgy - the lady

Usage notes[edit]

Used before words starting with a consonant.

Related terms[edit]

  • az, for words starting with a vowel

Ido[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

  • (before a vowel) ad

Preposition[edit]

a

  1. to

Indo-Portuguese[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Portuguese a, from Old Portuguese a, from Latin ad (“to”), from Proto-Indo-European *át (“near; at”).

Preposition[edit]

a

  1. to
    • 1883, Hugo Schuchardt, Kreolische Studien, volume 3:
      […] , que da-cá su quião que ta pertencê a êll.
      […] , to give him his share which belongs to him.

Interlingua[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Preposition[edit]

a

  1. to, at
  2. to, for (indicating purpose)
    sala a attender - waiting room

Derived terms[edit]

Irish[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Determiner[edit]

a (triggers lenition)

  1. his, its
    a athair agus a mháthair — his father and mother
    Chaill an t-éan a chleití. — The bird lost its feathers.

Determiner[edit]

a (triggers h-prothesis)

  1. her, its
    a hathair agus a máthair — her father and mother
    Bhris an mheaig a heiteog. — The magpie broke its wing.

Determiner[edit]

a (triggers eclipsis)

  1. their
    a n-athair agus a máthair — their father and mother
    a dtithe — their houses
    a n-ainmneacha — their names

Determiner[edit]

a (triggers lenition)

  1. how (used with an abstract noun)
    A ghéire a labhair sí! — How sharply she spoke!
    A fheabhas atá sé! — How good it is!

Particle[edit]

a (triggers lenition)

  1. Introduces a vocative
    A Dhia! — O God!
    A dhuine uasail! — Sir!
    Tar isteach, a Sheáin. — Come in, Seán.
    A amadáin! — You fool!

Particle[edit]

a (triggers lenition except of d' and of past autonomous forms)

  1. Introduces a direct relative clause, takes the independent form of an irregular verb
    an fear a chuireann síol — the man who sows seed
    an síol a chuireann an fear — the seed that the man sows
    an síol a cuireadh — the seed that was sown
    nuair a bhí mé óg — when I was young
    an cat a d'ól an bainne — the cat that drank the milk

Particle[edit]

a (triggers eclipsis, takes the dependent form of an irregular verb; not used in the past tense except with some irregular verbs)

  1. Introduces an indirect relative clause
    an bord a raibh leabhar air — the table on which there was a book
    an fear a bhfuil a mhac ag imeacht — the man whose son is going away

Related terms[edit]

  • ar (used with the past tense of regular and some irregular verbs)

Particle[edit]

a (triggers h-prothesis)

  1. Introduces a numeral
    a haon, a dó, a trí... — one, two, three...
    Séamas a Dó — James the Second
    bus a seacht — the number seven bus

Preposition[edit]

a (triggers lenition)

  1. to (used with a verbal noun)
    síol a chur — to sow seed
    uisce a ól — to drink water
    an rud atá sé a scríobh — what he is writing
    D’éirigh sé a chaint. — He rose to speak.
    téigh a chodladh. — Go to sleep.

Pronoun[edit]

a (triggers eclipsis, takes the dependent form of an irregular verb; not used in the past tense except with some irregular verbs)

  1. all that, whatever
    Sin a bhfuil ann. — That's all that is there.
    An bhfuair tú a raibh uait? — Did you get all that you wanted?
    Íocfaidh mé as a gceannóidh tú. — I will pay for whatever you buy.

Related terms[edit]

  • ar (used with the past tense of regular and some irregular verbs)

Istriot[edit]

Preposition[edit]

a

  1. at
    • 1877, Antonio Ive, Canti popolari istriani: raccolti a Rovigno, volume 5, Ermanno Loescher, page 99:
      A poûpa, a prùa a xì doûto bandere,
      At the stern, at the bow everything is flags,

Particle[edit]

a

  1. emphasises a verb; mandatory with impersonal verbs
    • 1877, Antonio Ive, Canti popolari istriani: raccolti a Rovigno, volume 5, Ermanno Loescher, page 99:
      A poûpa, a prùa a xì doûto bandere,
      At the stern, at the bow everything is flags,

Italian[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

From Latin ad. In a few phrases, a stems from Latin a, ab.[1]

Preposition[edit]

a

  1. in
  2. at
  3. to
  4. Indicates the direct object, mainly to avoid confusion when it, the subject, or both are displaced, or for emphasis
    A me non importa. — “It doesn’t matter to me.” (literally, "To me it doesn’t matter.")
    A lei non piace, ma a lui piace molto — “She doesn't like it, but he likes it very much.”
Usage notes[edit]

When followed by a word that begins with a vowel sound, the form ad is used instead.

When followed by a definite article, a is combined with the article to give the following combined forms:

a + article Combined form
a + il al
a + lo allo
a + l' all'
a + i ai
a + gli agli
a + la alla
a + le alle

Etymology 2[edit]

Noun[edit]

a f, m (invariable)

  1. a (name of the letter A, a)

Etymology 3[edit]

Verb[edit]

a

  1. Common misspelling of ha.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Angelo Prati, "Vocabolario Etimologico Italiano", Torino, 1951

Japanese[edit]

Romanization[edit]

a

  1. rōmaji reading of あ
  2. rōmaji reading of ア

Krisa[edit]

Noun[edit]

a m

  1. pig

Ladin[edit]

Preposition[edit]

a

  1. in
  2. at
  3. to

Latgalian[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Shortened from an older Baltic form *ā, which cognates with Lithuanian o (the same meaning).

Pronunciation[edit]

Conjunction[edit]

a f

  1. but, however, while, signal

Particle[edit]

a f

  1. and, but, so, well

Latin[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

From the Ancient Greek "Α", likely through Etruscan.

Letter[edit]

a (lower case, upper case A)

  1. (sometimes with littera) the first letter of the Latin alphabet.
    littera a — “the letter a”
Usage notes[edit]

See Appendix:Mutations of the letter and sound a in the Latin language

Etymology 2[edit]

From Etruscan.

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

ā (indeclinable)

  1. The name of the letter A.
Coordinate terms[edit]

References[edit]

  • Arthur E. Gordon, The Letter Names of the Latin Alphabet (University of California Press, 1973; volume 9 of University of California Publications: Classical Studies), part III: “Summary of the Ancient Evidence”, page 32
    Clearly there is no question or doubt about the names of the vowels A, E, I, O, U. They are simply long A, long E, etc. (ā, ē, ī, ō, ū). Nor is there any uncertainty with respect to the six mutes B, C, D, G, P, T. Their names are bē, cē, dē, gē, pē, tē (each with a long E). Or about H, K, and Q: they are hā, kā, kū — each, again, with a long vowel sound.

Etymology 3[edit]

Shortened form of ab.

Pronunciation[edit]

Preposition[edit]

ā (takes object in ablative case)

  1. of; from
Alternative forms[edit]
Derived terms[edit]

Etymology 4[edit]

EB1911 - Volume 01 - Page 001 - 1.svg This entry lacks etymological information. If you are familiar with the origin of this term, please add it to the page as described here.

Pronunciation[edit]

Interjection[edit]

ā!

  1. ah

Latvian[edit]

Latvian Wikipedia has an article on:

Wikipedia lv

Etymology[edit]

Proposed in 1908 as part of the new Latvian spelling by the scientific commission headed by K. Mīlenbahs, which was accepted and began to be taught in schools in 1909. Prior to that, Latvian had been written in German Fraktur, and sporadically in Cyrillic.

Pronunciation[edit]

Letter[edit]

A

a (lower case, upper case A)

  1. The first letter of the Latvian alphabet, called a and written in the Latin script.

See also[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

a m (invariable)

  1. The name of the Latin script letter A/a.

See also[edit]

Lower Sorbian[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Conjunction[edit]

a

  1. and

Malay[edit]

Letter[edit]

a

  1. The first letter of the Malay alphabet, written in the Latin script.

See also[edit]

Mandarin[edit]

Romanization[edit]

a (Zhuyin ㄚ˙)

  1. Pinyin reading of 啊
  2. Nonstandard spelling of ā.
  3. Nonstandard spelling of á.
  4. Nonstandard spelling of ǎ.
  5. Nonstandard spelling of à.

Usage notes[edit]

  • English transcriptions of Mandarin speech often fail to distinguish between the critical tonal differences employed in the Mandarin language, using words such as this one without the appropriate indication of tone.

Mandinka[edit]

Pronoun[edit]

a

  1. he, him (personal pronoun)
    a m busa — he/she struck me.
    y a busa — they struck him/her.
  2. she, her (personal pronoun)
  3. it (personal pronoun)

See also[edit]

Mandinka personal pronouns
singular plural
1st person nte, n, m ntolu, ntelu, n
2nd person ite, i altolu, altelu, al
3rd person ate, a itolu, itelu, y

Maori[edit]

Particle[edit]

a

  1. of
  2. (determinative particle for names)
  3. (particle for pronouns when succeeding ki, i, kei, and hei)

Usage notes[edit]

  • When used in the sense of of, suggests that the possessor has control of the relationship (alienable possession).

Middle French[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

Old French, from Latin ad.

Alternative forms[edit]

  • à (after 1550)

Preposition[edit]

a

  1. to; towards

Etymology 2[edit]

Old French, from Latin habet.

Verb[edit]

a

  1. third-person singular present indicative of avoir

Min Nan[edit]

simpl. and trad.
啊

Pronunciation[edit]

Interjection[edit]

a (POJ, traditional and simplified 啊)

  1. ah; oh

Usage notes[edit]

  • Placed at the end of a sentence, or used by itself to express surprise.

References[edit]

  • "啊" (in Taiwanese/English), On-line Taiwanese/Mandarin Dictionary (台文／華文線頂辭典). URL accessed on 2011-01-29.

Mopan Maya[edit]

Article[edit]

a

  1. the

References[edit]

  • Hofling, Charles Andrew (2011). Mopan Maya–Spanish–English Dictionary, University of Utah Press.

Navajo[edit]

Letter[edit]

a (lower case, upper case A)

  1. The first letter of the Navajo alphabet, written in the Latin script.
    a = /a˨/
    ą = /ã˨/
    á = /a˥/
    ą́ = /ã˥/
    aa = /aː˨˨/
    ąą = /ãː˨˨/
    áa = /aː˥˨/
    ą́ą = /ãː˥˨/
    aá = /aː˨˥/
    ąą́ = /ãː˨˥/
    áá = /aː˥˥/
    ą́ą́ = /ãː˥˥/

Neapolitan[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

From Latin de ab

Preposition[edit]

a

  1. from (referring to a place)
  2. by (introducing the actor in the passive voice)
  3. to (implying necessity)

Etymology 2[edit]

From Latin ad

Preposition[edit]

a

  1. in (locative: staying in a place of relative width)
  2. to (locative: moving towards a place of relative width)
  3. to (dative)

Norwegian Bokmål[edit]

Norwegian Bokmål Wikipedia has an article on:

Wikipedia nb

Pronunciation[edit]

  • (letter name): IPA(key): /ɑː/
  • (phoneme): IPA(key): /ɑː/, /a/

Letter[edit]

a (lowercase, uppercase A)

  1. The first letter of the Norwegian Bokmål alphabet, written in the Latin script.

See also[edit]

Noun[edit]

a m (definite singular aen; indefinite plural a-er; definite plural a-ene)

  1. the letter a

Norwegian Nynorsk[edit]

Norwegian Nynorsk Wikipedia has an article on:

Wikipedia nn

Pronunciation[edit]

Letter[edit]

a (lowercase, uppercase A)

  1. The first letter of the Norwegian Nynorsk alphabet, written in the Latin script.

See also[edit]

Noun[edit]

a m (definite singular a-en, indefinite plural a-ar, definite plural a-ane)

  1. the letter a

Novial[edit]

Preposition[edit]

a

  1. to

Usage notes[edit]

When followed by the definite article li, a may optionally be combined with the article to give al.

Old English[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Proto-Germanic *aiw-, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eyu- (“vitality”). Cognate with Old Saxon eo, Old High German io, eo (German je), Old Norse ei, ey (English aye), Gothic 𐌰𐌹𐍅𐍃 (aiws, “age, eternity”).

Pronunciation[edit]

Adverb[edit]

ā

  1. ever, always

Descendants[edit]

Old French[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

Letter[edit]

a (lower case, upper case A)

  1. The first letter of the Old French alphabet, written in the Latin script.

Etymology 2[edit]

Latin ad

Preposition[edit]

a

  1. to
  2. towards
  3. belonging to
    fil a putain - son of a whore
Derived terms[edit]
Descendants[edit]
  • French: à

Etymology 3[edit]

From the verb avoir, aveir

Verb[edit]

a

  1. third-person singular present indicative of avoir

Old Irish[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

From Proto-Celtic *sindom (“this”).

Alternative forms[edit]

  • (relative pronoun): an

Article[edit]

a (neuter singular nominative/accusative definite) (triggers eclipsis)

  1. the
    • circa 800, Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles, Wb. 15b28
      A mbás tiagme-ni do·áirci bethid dúib-si.
      The death to which we go causes life unto you.
Related terms[edit]
  • in (which see for the complete declension of the definite article)

Pronoun[edit]

a (triggers eclipsis, takes a leniting relative clause)

  1. that which, what
    • circa 875, Milan Glosses on the Psalms, Ml. 112b13
      Is demniu liunn a n-ad·chiam hua sulib ol·daas an ro·chluinemmar hua chluasaib.
      What we see with the eyes is more certain for us than what we hear with the ears.
Descendants[edit]
  • Irish: a

Etymology 2[edit]

Conjunction[edit]

a (triggers eclipsis, takes a nasalizing relative clause)

  1. when
    • circa 875, Milan Glosses on the Psalms, Ml. 55d11
      Ícaid-som didiu anisin, a n-as·mbeir "iudicia Domini abyssus multa".
      He solves that then, when he says "iudicia Domini abyssus multa".
    • circa 875, Milan Glosses on the Psalms, Ml. 112b17
      ⁊ a no·nda imbide
      and when thou art hedged round

Etymology 3[edit]

From Proto-Celtic *esyo (m and n), *esyās (f), and *esōm (pl); compare Welsh ei (“his, her, its”), eu (“their”); Old High German iro (“their”); and Sanskrit अस्य (asyá, “his, its”), अस्यास् (asyā́s, “her”), and एषाम् (eṣā́m, “their”).

Alternative forms[edit]

Determiner[edit]

a (3rd person possessive) (triggers lenition in the masculine and neuter singular, an unwritten prothetic /h/ before a vowel in the feminine singular, and eclipsis in the plural)

  1. his, its
    • circa 800, Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles, Wb. 5a23
      Cossóit a thuaithe fri Dia inso.
      This is a slandering of his folk before God.
    • circa 800, Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles, Wb. 5d10
      Bad hi forcitul .i. a chomalnad condib desimrecht do chách.
      Let it be in teaching, that is, to fulfill it [lit. "its fulfillment"] so that he may be an example to everyone.
  2. her, its
    • circa 845, St. Gall Glosses on Priscian, Sg. 32b6
      A mmuntar-sidi ad·rothreb-si lee, it he con·rótgatar in cathraig.
      Her folk whom she had with her, it is they who built the city.
  3. their
    • circa 800, Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles, Wb. 24a38
      Ní epur a n-anman sund.
      I do not say their names here.
Descendants[edit]
  • Irish: a (“his, her, its, their”)
  • Scottish Gaelic: a (“his, her, its”); an (“their”)

Etymology 4[edit]

From Proto-Celtic *ō (compare Welsh a, from Proto-Indo-European *ō (compare Ancient Greek ὦ (ō), Latin ō).

Alternative forms[edit]

Particle[edit]

a (triggers lenition)

  1. O (vocative particle)
    • circa 875, Milan Glosses on the Psalms, Ml. 134d3
      Ar·troídfe-siu inna drochdaíni, a Dǽ, dia n-anduch, air is fechtnach a n-andach mani erthroítar húa Día.
      Thou wilt restrain the evil men, O God, from their iniquity, for their iniquity is prosperous if it be not restrained by God.
Descendants[edit]
  • Irish: a

Etymology 5[edit]

Particle[edit]

a (triggers an unwritten prothetic /h/ before a vowel)

  1. introduces a numeral
    a deich — ten
Descendants[edit]
  • Irish: a

Etymology 6[edit]

From Proto-Celtic *exs, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁eǵʰs.

Preposition[edit]

a (combined with plural article asnaib, combined with 1st singular possessive determiner asmo, combined with 3rd person possessive determiner assa)

  1. out of
    • circa 875, Milan Glosses on the Psalms, Ml. 127d6
      in tan ro·mmemaid re n-Abrachan forsna coíc riga bertar Loth a Sodaim
      when the five kings who carried Lot out of Sodom had been routed by Abraham
Related terms[edit]
Descendants[edit]
  • Irish: as
  • Manx: ass
  • Scottish Gaelic: à

Old Portuguese[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

From Latin ad (“to”), from Proto-Indo-European *ád (“near; at”).

Preposition[edit]

a

  1. to; towards
Descendants[edit]
  • Fala: a
  • Galician: a
  • Portuguese: a

Etymology 2[edit]

Article[edit]

a

  1. Alternative spelling of á.

Polish[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Conjunction[edit]

a

  1. and; but
    A ty? - “And you?”
    Ty wolisz tabletki, a ja wolę zastrzyki. - “You prefer pills and I prefer injections.”
  2. and
    walka między dobrem a złem – battle between good and evil

Portuguese[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Letter

Article, pronoun

Etymology 1[edit]

From Latin a, form of A, from Etruscan 𐌀, from Ancient Greek Α (A, “alpha”), from Phoenician 𐤀 (“aleph”), from Egyptian 𓃾.

Letter[edit]

a (lower case, upper case A)

  1. The first letter of the Portuguese alphabet, written in the Latin script.

Noun[edit]

a m (plural as)

  1. Alternative spelling of á.
Related terms[edit]

Etymology 2[edit]

From Old Portuguese a, from Latin illa (with the disappearance of an initial l; compare Spanish la).

Article[edit]

a f

  1. Feminine singular of article o.
    • 2005, Lya Wyler (translator), J. K. Rowling (English author), Harry Potter e o Enigma do Príncipe (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince), Rocco, page 219:
      Então, como foi a última festinha de Slughorn?
      So, how was the last Slughorn's little party?
    • 2007, Lya Wyler (translator), J. K. Rowling (English author), Harry Potter e as Relíquias da Morte (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows), Rocco, page 147:
      Entregou a foto rasgada, [...]
      He handed over the torn photograph, [...]

See also[edit]

Portuguese articles (edit)
Singular Plural
Masculine Feminine Masculine Feminine
Definite articles
(the)		 o a os as
Indefinite articles
(a, an; some)		 um uma uns umas

Pronoun[edit]

a f (third-person singular)

  1. Her, it (as a direct object; as an indirect object, see lhe; after prepositions, see ela).
    Encontrei-a na rua. — “I met her/it on the street.”
Usage notes[edit]
  • Becomes -la after verb forms ending in -r, -s, or -z, the pronouns nos (“us”) and vos (“plural you”), and the adverb eis (“here is; behold”); the final letter causing the change disappears.
    After ver (“to see”): Posso vê-la? — “May I see her/it?”
    After pôs (“he/she/it put”): Ele pô-la ali. — “He put her/it there.”
    After fiz (“I made; I did”): Fi-la ficar contente. — “I made her/it become happy.”
    After nos (“us”): Ela deu-no-la relutantemente. — “She gave her/it to us reluctantly.”
    After eis (“here is; behold”): Ei-la! — “Behold her/it!”
  • Becomes -na after a nasal vowel or diphthong: -ão, -am [ɐ̃w̃], -õe [õj̃], -em, -êm [ẽj̃].
    Detêm-na como prisioneira. — “They detain her/it as a prisoner.”
  • In informal Brazilian Portuguese, the nominative form ela (“she”) is more commonly used.
    Eu a vi. → Eu vi ela.: “I saw her/it.”
See also[edit]
Portuguese personal pronouns (edit)
Number Person Nominative
(subject)		 Objective
(direct object)		 Objective
(indirect object)		 Prepositional Prepositional
with com		 Non-declining
m f m f m and f m f m f m f
Singular First eu me mim comigo
Second tu te ti contigo você
o senhor a senhora
Third ele ela o
(lo, no)		 a
(la, na)		 lhe ele ela com ele com ela o mesmo a mesma
se (reflexive) si (reflexive) consigo (reflexive)
Plural First nós nos nós connosco (Portugal)
conosco (Brazil)		 a gente
Second vós vos vós convosco vocês
os senhores as senhoras
Third eles elas os
(los, nos)		 as
(las, nas)		 lhes eles elas com eles com elas os mesmos as mesmas
se (reflexive) si (reflexive) consigo (reflexive)
Indefinite se (reflexive) si (reflexive) consigo (reflexive)

Etymology 3[edit]

From Old Portuguese a, from Latin ad (“to”), from Proto-Indo-European *ád (“near, at”).

Preposition[edit]

a

  1. to
    • 2005, Lya Wyler (translator), J. K. Rowling (English author), Harry Potter e o Enigma do Príncipe (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince), Rocco, page 143:
      Deixe-me mostrar a você...
      Let me show to you...
    • 2007, Lya Wyler (translator), J. K. Rowling (English author), Harry Potter e as Relíquias da Morte (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows), Rocco, page 516:
      Não é bonito dizer isso a uma pessoa.
      It's not nice to say that to a person.
    Vamos a Paris! — “Let’s go to Paris!”
    a você — “to you” (***)
    a onze milhas — “eleven miles away” (*.*)
    a vinte metros — “twenty meters away” (*.*)
    a mim — “to me” (***)
    a ti — “to you” (***)
    a ele — “to him” (***)
    a ela — “to her” (***)
    a nós — “to us” (***)
    a vós — “to you” (***)
    a eles — “to them” (***)
    a elas — “to them” (***)
    à distância — “at a distance” (*.*)
    a cavalo — “on horseback” (*.*)
    a convite de — “at the invitation of” (***)
    uma viagem a Paris — “a trip to Paris” (*.*)
    fazer uma visita a um lugar (ou pessoa) — “to pay a visit to some place (or person)” (***)
    Meu coração pertence a você.=“My heart belongs to you.”
  2. at
    Onde vai ele a esta hora da noite? — “Where is he going at this time of night?”
  3. Indicates the direct object, mainly to avoid confusion when it, the subject, or both are displaced.
    A mim ele não engana. — “He doesn’t deceive me.” (literally, “To me he doesn’t deceive.”)
  4. (Portugal, followed by a verb in the infinitive form) forms the present participle. In Brazil, the gerund is used instead.
Usage notes[edit]

When followed by a definite article, a is combined with the article to give the following combined forms:

Synonyms[edit]
See also[edit]

Etymology 4[edit]

Interjection[edit]

a

  1. oh
    A, tudo bem então.
    Oh, all right then.

Etymology 5[edit]

From homophone há

Verb[edit]

a

  1. Common misspelling of há.

Etymology 6[edit]

From homophone à

Contraction[edit]

a

  1. Common misspelling of à.

Rapa Nui[edit]

Particle[edit]

a

  1. possessive particle marking an alienable possession; of

Usage notes[edit]

Inserted before the relevant pronoun. Only for possessions like houses or beliefs that have the ability to no longer be yours; otherwise, use o.

Romanian[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Letter[edit]

a (lower case, upper case A)

  1. The first letter of the Romanian alphabet, written in the Latin script.

Usage notes[edit]

In Romanian, the letter a represents the phoneme /a/.

See also[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

Article[edit]

a (feminine singular possessive article)

  1. of
    sora a lui Alexandru
    Alexandru's sister
    cartea a mea
    my book
Coordinate terms[edit]
  • al (masculine/neuter singular)
  • ai (masculine plural)
  • ale (feminine/neuter plural)

Etymology 2[edit]

From Latin ad.

Preposition[edit]

a

  1. (used with infinitive verbs) the infinitive marker: to
    A fi.
    To be.
  2. (archaic) at (now almost completely replaced by la)

Etymology 3[edit]

Verb[edit]

(el/ea) a (modal auxiliary; third-person singular form of avea, used with past participles to form perfect compus tenses)

  1. modal auxiliary
    A văzut acest film?
    Has he/she seen this film?
Usage notes[edit]

a is used instead of are to form the third-person singular perfect compus.

Scots[edit]

Determiner[edit]

a

  1. Alternative spelling of aw.

Noun[edit]

a (uncountable)

  1. Alternative spelling of aw.

Scottish Gaelic[edit]

Pronoun[edit]

a

  1. his
  2. her
  3. its
  4. who, which, that

Usage notes[edit]

  • As his/its lenites the following word.
    a mhac - his son
    a mac - her son
  • As his/its is omitted if the following word begins with a vowel or fh followed by a vowel.
    athair - a father or his father (depending on the context)

Preposition[edit]

a

  1. Alternative form of do.

Particle[edit]

a

  1. to (precedes the infinitive form)
    Tha mi a' dol a chadal. - I'm going to sleep.
  2. Used before cardinal numbers which are not followed by a noun.
    A bheil agad a ceithir? - Do you have four?
  3. Used before the vocative form.
    Hallo, a Ruairidh. - Hello, Roderick.

Serbo-Croatian[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

See Translingual section.

Alternative forms[edit]

  • (uppercase): A

Letter[edit]

a (Cyrillic spelling а)

  1. The 1st letter of the Serbo-Croatian Latin alphabet (gajica), followed by b.

Etymology 2[edit]

From Proto-Slavic *a (“and, but”), from Proto-Balto-Slavic *ō.

Conjunction[edit]

a (Cyrillic spelling а)

  1. but, and (compare ȁli)
    učio sam c(ij)elo posl(ij)epodne, a ništa nisam naučio — I studied for the whole afternoon, but I didn't learn anything
    a kako biste vi to napravili? — and how would you do that?
  2. while (on the contrary), whereas
    stolovi su crveni, a stolice su zelene — the tables are red, whereas the chairs are green
  3. (with da ne) without (usually after negative verbs)
    ne mogu se uključiti u raspravu, a da ne napravim nered — I cannot enter a discussion without making a mess
    odlazi, a da nije rekao ni zbogom — he's leaving without even saying goodbye
  4. (a ȉpāk) and yet
    pravi prijatelj zna sve o tebi, a ipak te voli — the real friend knows everything about you, and yet he loves you
  5. (a kȁmoli) not to mention, let alone
    u moru loših v(ij)esti teško je ostati objektivan, a kamoli optimističan — in the sea of bad news it's hard to stay objective, let alone optimistic
  6. (a + i + da) even if
    a i da jesam to napravio, ne bi to učinilo neku razliku — even if I did it, it wouldn't have made much of a difference
  7. (a + i) and so, and also, and too
    sviđaju mi se plavuše, a i ja se pokojoj svidim — I like blondes, and some of them even like me
    bili su žalosni, a i ja sam — they were sad, and so am I

Etymology 3[edit]

Attested since the 15th century. Probably of onomatopoeic origin. Compare Slovene a, Russian а (a), Lithuanian õ, Latin ō and Ancient Greek ὦ (ō). These could all derive from Proto-Indo-European interjection ō (“oh, ah”), but each form in individual languages could easily be an independent, expressive formation.

Interjection[edit]

a (Cyrillic spelling а)

  1. oh, ah
    a da? — oh really?

References[edit]

  • “a” in Hrvatski jezični portal
  • “a” in Hrvatski jezični portal
  • Petar Skok (1971), Etimologijski rječnik hrvatskoga ili srpskoga jezika, Zagreb: JAZU, volume 1, page 1

Skolt Sami[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Letter[edit]

a (upper case A)

  1. The first letter of the Skolt Sami alphabet, written in the Latin script.

See also[edit]

Slovak[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Proto-Slavic *a (“and, but”), from Proto-Balto-Slavic *ō, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁ōd. Cognates include Old Church Slavonic а (a), Lithuanian õ (“and, but”) and Sanskrit आत् (ā́t, “so, then, afterwards”).

Conjunction[edit]

a

  1. and

Derived terms[edit]

Slovene[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

Letter[edit]

a (lower case, upper case A)

  1. The first letter of the Slovene alphabet, written in the Latin script.
See also[edit]

Etymology 2[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Conjunction[edit]

a

  1. but

Spanish[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

Letter[edit]

a (lower case, upper case A)

  1. The first letter of the Spanish alphabet, called a and written in the Latin script.

Noun[edit]

a f (plural aes)

  1. Name of the letter A.
See also[edit]

Etymology 2[edit]

From Latin ad (“to”).

Alternative forms[edit]

  • (obsolete) á

Preposition[edit]

a

  1. to
    • 1605, Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, Don Quijote de la Mancha1, Chapter I:
      Tenía en su casa una ama que pasaba de los cuarenta y una sobrina que no llegaba a los veinte, y un mozo de campo y plaza que así ensillaba el rocín como tomaba la podadera.
      He had in his house a housekeeper past forty, a niece under twenty, and a lad for the field and market-place, who used to saddle the hack as well as handle the billhook.
  2. by
  3. at
  4. Used before words referring to people, pets, or personified objects or places that function as direct objects: personal a.
    Lo busca a Usted. — “He is looking for you.”
Usage notes[edit]
  • (before words referring to people or personified objects): Personal a is not translated in English.

See also[edit]

Sranan Tongo[edit]

Noun[edit]

a

  1. it

Swedish[edit]

Preposition[edit]

a

  1. from (very formal, seldom used outside written formal texts.)
Usage notes[edit]

See also[edit]

Letter[edit]

a (name a, uppercase form A)

  1. The first letter of the Swedish alphabet.

Tagalog[edit]

Interjection[edit]

a

  1. ah: an exclamation of pity, admiration or surprise
    A! Kailan namatay ang iyong ina? — "Ah! When did your mother die?"

Letter[edit]

a (lower case, upper case A)

  1. The first letter of the Tagalog alphabet, written in the Latin script.

Tarantino[edit]

Preposition[edit]

a

  1. in
  2. at
  3. to

Tok Pisin[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Imitative or onomatopoeia.

Interjection[edit]

a

  1. eh?
    • 1989, Buk Baibel long Tok Pisin, Bible Society of Papua New Guinea, Genesis 3:1 (translation here):
      God, Bikpela i bin wokim olgeta animal, tasol i no gat wanpela bilong ol inap winim snek long tok gris. Na snek i askim meri olsem, “Ating God i tambuim yutupela long kaikai pikinini bilong olgeta diwai bilong gaden, a?”


This entry has fewer than three known examples of actual usage, the minimum considered necessary for clear attestation, and may not be reliable. Tok Pisin is subject to a special exemption for languages with limited documentation. If you speak it, please consider editing this entry or adding citations. See also Help and the Community Portal.

Turkish[edit]

Letter[edit]

a (lower case, upper case A)

  1. The first letter of the Turkish alphabet, called a and written in the Latin script.
See also[edit]

Noun[edit]

a

  1. The name of the Latin script letter A/a.

See also[edit]

Walloon[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Latin ad, from Proto-Indo-European *ád (“near, at”).

Preposition[edit]

a

  1. at

Welsh[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

  • (letter name): IPA(key): /ɑː/
  • (phoneme): IPA(key): /a/, /ɑː/

Letter[edit]

a (name â, uppercase form A)

  1. The first letter of the Welsh alphabet.
Derived terms[edit]

Etymology 2[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Verb[edit]

a

  1. (colloquial) first-person singular future of mynd
Synonyms[edit]
  • af (literary)

Etymology 3[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Conjunction[edit]

a (triggers Aspirate Mutation (but not always in the colloquial language))

  1. and
Synonyms[edit]
  • ac (used before a vowel)

Yoruba[edit]

Pronoun[edit]

a

  1. First-person plural subject pronoun: we
    a lo — "we went"

Zhuang[edit]

Noun[edit]

a

  1. crow
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