a
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Translingual[edit]
Etymology 1[edit]
Modification of capital A.
Pronunciation[edit]
Letter[edit]
a (upper case A)
- The first letter of the basic modern Latin alphabet.
Symbol[edit]
a
- Used in the International Phonetic Alphabet and several romanization systems of non-Latin scripts to represent an open front unrounded vowel.
See also[edit]
- (Latin script): Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee Ff Gg Hh Ii Jj Kk Ll Mm Nn Oo Pp Qq Rr Ss Tt Uu Vv Ww Xx Yy Zz
- (Variations of letter A): Áá Àà Ââ Ǎǎ Ăă Ãã Ảả Ȧȧ Ạạ Ää Åå Ḁḁ Āā Ąą ᶏ Ⱥⱥ Ȁȁ Ấấ Ầầ Ẫẫ Ẩẩ Ậậ Ắắ Ằằ Ẵẵ Ẳẳ Ặặ Ǻǻ Ǡǡ Ǟǟ Ȁȁ Ȃȃ Ɑɑ ᴀ Ɐɐ ɒ Aa Ææ Ǽǽ Ǣǣ Ꜳꜳ Ꜵꜵ Ꜷꜷ Ꜹꜹ Ꜻꜻ
- For more variations, see Appendix:Variations of "a".
Further reading[edit]
a on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
open front unrounded vowel on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
Etymology 2[edit]
Abbreviation of atto-, from Danish atten (“eighteen”).
Symbol[edit]
a
- atto-, prefix for 10-18 in the International System of Units.
Etymology 3[edit]
Symbol[edit]
a
- Year as a unit of time, specifically a Julian year or 365.25 days.
Etymology 4[edit]
Abbreviation of are, from French are.
Symbol[edit]
a
Etymology 5[edit]
Abbreviation for acceleration
Symbol[edit]
a
Other representations of A:
Gallery[edit]
- Letter styles
Upper and lowercase A in Fraktur
Approximate form of Greek uppercase Α (a, “alpha”), the source of both common variants of aA in uncial script
English[edit]
Etymology 1[edit]
From Middle English and Old English lower case letter a and split of Middle English and Old English lower case letter æ.
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”).
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/, etc.
Letter[edit]
a (lowercase, uppercase A, plural as or a's)
- The first letter of the English alphabet, 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]
- (Latin script letters) letter; Aa, Bb, Cc, Dd, Ee, Ff, Gg, Hh, Ii, Jj, Kk, Ll, Mm, Nn, Oo, Pp, Qq, Rr, Ss, Tt, Uu, Vv, Ww, Xx, Yy, Zz
Numeral[edit]
a (lower case, upper case A)
- The ordinal number first, derived from this letter of the English alphabet, called a and written in the Latin script.
Noun[edit]
- The name of the Latin script letter A/a.
Translations[edit]
See also[edit]
- (Latin script letter names) letter; a, bee, cee, dee, e, ef, gee, aitch, i, jay, kay, el, em, en, o, pee, cue, ar, ess, tee, u, vee, double-u, ex, wye, zee/zed (Category: en:Latin letter names)
Etymology 2[edit]
From Middle English a, an, 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): /ˈeɪ/
- (unstressed) IPA(key): /ə/
Audio (US), stressed (file) Audio (US), unstressed (file) - Rhymes: -eɪ, -ə
- Homophone: her (non-rhotic, unstressed)
Article[edit]
a (indefinite)
- 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[athias] Schuster, The Hepaticae and Anthocerotae of North America: East of the Hundredth Meridian, volume V, New York, N.Y.: Columbia University Press, →ISBN, 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!
- 2016, VOA Learning English (public domain)
- Anna, do you have a pen? — Yes. I have a pen in my bag. I have a (stressed) …
Audio (US) (file)
- Anna, do you have a pen? — Yes. I have a pen in my bag. I have a (stressed) …
- Used in conjunction with the adjectives score, dozen, hundred, thousand, and million, as a function word.
- I've seen it happen a hundred times.
- One certain or particular; any single. [First attested between around 1150 and 1350][2]
- We've received an interesting letter from a Mrs. Miggins of London.
- The same; one. [16th Century][2]
- We are of a mind on matters of morals.
- 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?
- Used before plural nouns modified by few, good many, couple, great many, etc.
- 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]
- In standard English, the article a is used before consonant sounds, while an is used before vowel sounds; for more, see the usage notes about an.
Translations[edit]
See also[edit]
Derived terms[edit]
Etymology 3[edit]
- From Middle English a, o, from Old English a-, an, on.
- Unstressed form of on.
Pronunciation[edit]
Preposition[edit]
a
- To do with separation; In, into. [First attested before 1150][2]
- Torn a pieces.
- To do with time; Each, per, in, on, by. [First attested before 1150][2]
- I brush my teeth twice a day.
- c. 1599–1602, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act IV, scene v]:
- A Sundays
- 2019 February 3, “UN Study: China, US, Japan Lead World AI Development”, in Voice of America[2], archived from the original on 7 February 2019:
- Patent requests for machine learning activities grew on average by 28 percent a year between 2013 and 2016, the study found.
Audio (US) (file)
- To do with status; In. [First attested before 1150][2]
- King James Bible (II Chronicles 2:18)
- To set the people a worke.
- King James Bible (II Chronicles 2:18)
- (archaic) To do with position or direction; In, on, at, by, towards, onto. [First attested before 1150][2]
- Stand a tiptoe.
- (archaic) To do with process, with a passive verb; In the course of, experiencing. [First attested before 1150][2]
- 1964, Bob Dylan (lyrics and music), “The Times They Are a-Changin'”:
- The times, they are a-changin'.
- (archaic) To do with an action, an active verb; Engaged in. [16th century][2]
- c. 1608–1609, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Coriolanus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act IV, scene ii]:
- It was a doing.
- 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981, Hebrews 11:21:
- Jacob, when he was a dying
- (archaic) To do with an action/movement; To, into. [16th century][2]
- (obsolete) To do with method; In, with. [First attested before 1150][2]
- c. 1589–1590, Christopher Marlo[we], Tho[mas] Heywood, editor, The Famous Tragedy of the Rich Ievv of Malta. […], London: […] I[ohn] B[eale] for Nicholas Vavasour, […], published 1633, OCLC 1121318438, Act 4, [scene 3]:
- Stands here a purpose.
- (obsolete) To do with role or capacity; In. [First attested before 1150][2]
Usage notes[edit]
- (position, direction): Can also be attached without a hyphen, as aback, ahorse, afoot. See a-
- (separation): Can also be attached without hyphen, as asunder. See a-
- (status): Can also be attached without hyphen, as afloat, awake. See a-.
- (process): Can also be attached with or without hyphen, as a-changing
See also[edit]
Etymology 4[edit]
From Middle English a, ha contraction of have, or haven.
Alternative forms[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Verb[edit]
a
- (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.
- Oi'd a gen im a clout, if oi'd been theer.from Robert Holland, M.R.A.C., A Glossary of Words Used in the County of Chester, Part I--A to F., English Dialect Society, London, 1884, 1
- c. 1599–1602, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):
- So would I a done by yonder ſunne<br?And thou hadſt not come to my bed.
Usage notes[edit]
- Now often attached to preceding auxiliary verb. See -a.
Derived terms[edit]
Etymology 5[edit]
From Middle English a, a reduced form of he (“he”)/ha (“he”), heo (“she”)/ha (“she”) and ha (“it”) (as well as of hie, hie (“they”)).
Alternative forms[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ə/
- (it): (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ə/, /ɑ/
- Rhymes: -ə, -ɑ
Pronoun[edit]
a
- (obsolete outside England and Scotland dialects) He, or sometimes she, it. [1150-1900][2] (clarification of this definition is needed)
- 1598–1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “Much Adoe about Nothing”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act III, scene ii]:
- a’ brushes his hat o’ mornings.
Etymology 6[edit]
From Middle English of, with apocope of the final f and vowel reduction.
Alternative forms[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Preposition[edit]
a
- (archaic or slang) Of.
- The name of John a Gaunt.
- c. 1597, William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Fourth, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act I, scene ii]:
- What time a day is it?
- 1598, Benjamin Jonson [i.e., Ben Jonson], “Euery Man in His Humour. A Comœdie. […]”, in The Workes of Ben Jonson (First Folio), London: […] Will[iam] Stansby, published 1616, OCLC 960101342, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):
- 1931, A. P. Carter, "When I'm Gone"[3]:
- Two bottles 'a whiskey for the way
Usage notes[edit]
- Often attached without a hyphen to preceding word.
Etymology 7[edit]
From Northern Middle English aw, alteration of all.
Pronunciation[edit]
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ɔ/
- Rhymes: -ɔ
Alternative forms[edit]
Adverb[edit]
a (not comparable)
Adjective[edit]
a (not comparable)
Etymology 8[edit]
Symbols
Symbol[edit]
a
- Distance from leading edge to aerodynamic center.
- specific absorption coefficient
- specific rotation
- allele (recessive)
- (stenoscript) (a) an initial letter ⟨a⟩
Etymology 9[edit]
Adverb[edit]
a
- (crosswords) across
- Do you have the answer for 23a?
Etymology 10[edit]
Particle[edit]
a
- Alternative form of -a (“empty syllable added to songs, poetry, verse and other speech”)
- 2001, Louis F. Newcomb, Car Salesman: A Legacy, iUniverse (→ISBN), page 91:
- “I show a you right a here I can fuck a you.” “Is she crazy?” I asked Wyman.
- 2001, Louis F. Newcomb, Car Salesman: A Legacy, iUniverse (→ISBN), page 91:
Quotations[edit]
Additional quotations for any terms on this page may be found at Citations:a.
References[edit]
- Lesley Brown, editor-in-chief; William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, editors (2002), “a”, in The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles, 5th edition, Oxford; New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 1.
- Philip Babcock Gove (editor), Webster's Third International Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged (G. & C. Merriam Co., 1976 [1909], →ISBN)
- “a” in Christine A. Lindberg, editor, The Oxford College Dictionary, 2nd edition, New York, N.Y.: Spark Publishing, 2002, →ISBN, page 1.
Further reading[edit]
- a at OneLook Dictionary Search
- “a” in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
Abau[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Noun[edit]
a
Afar[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Determiner[edit]
á
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- E. M. Parker; R. J. Hayward (1985), “a”, in An Afar-English-French dictionary (with Grammatical Notes in English), University of London, →ISBN
- Mohamed Hassan Kamil (2015) L’afar: description grammaticale d’une langue couchitique (Djibouti, Erythrée et Ethiopie)[4], Paris: Université Sorbonne Paris Cité (doctoral thesis)
Albanian[edit]
Etymology 1[edit]
- According to Orel, the particle and conjunction are etymologically identical. From Proto-Albanian *a and cognate to Ancient Greek ἦ (ê, “indeed”).[1]
- From Proto-Albanian *(h)au, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eu- (“that”). Cognate to Ancient Greek αὖ (aû, “on the other hand, again”). A proclitic disjunctive particle, used with one or more parts of the sentence.
Pronunciation[edit]
Conjunction[edit]
a
Etymology 2[edit]
From Proto-Albanian *(h)an, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂en (“there”). Cognate with Latin an (“yes, perhaps”). Interrogative particle, usually used proclitically in simple sentences.
Pronunciation[edit]
Particle[edit]
a
Letter[edit]
a (lower case, upper case A)
- The first letter of the Standard Albanian Latin-script alphabet.
Pronunciation[edit]
See also[edit]
- (Latin-script letters) shkronjë; A a, B b, C c, Ç ç, D d, Dh dh, E e, Ë ë, F f, G g, Gj gj, H h, I i, J j, K k, L l, Ll ll, M m, N n, Nj nj, O o, P p, Q q, R r, Rr rr, S s, Sh sh, T t, Th th, U u, V v, X x, Xh xh, Y y, Z z, Zh zh
References[edit]
- ^ Orel, Vladimir (1998), “a part. ('whether'), conj. ('or')”, in Albanian Etymological Dictionary, Leiden, Boston, Cologne: Brill, →ISBN, page 1
Ama[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Noun[edit]
a
Anguthimri[edit]
Verb[edit]
a
- (transitive, Mpakwithi) to pull
References[edit]
- Terry Crowley, The Mpakwithi dialect of Anguthimri (1981), page 184
Aragonese[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Article[edit]
a f sg
- the
- a luenga aragonesa ― the Aragonese language
Asturian[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Preposition[edit]
a
Derived terms[edit]
Noun[edit]
a f
- a (the name of the letter A, a)
Azerbaijani[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Letter[edit]
a (lower case, upper case A)
- The first letter of the Azerbaijani alphabet, written in the Latin script.
See also[edit]
- (Latin script letters) hərf; Aa, Bb, Cc, Çç, Dd, Ee, Əə, Ff, Gg, Ğğ, Hh, Xx, Iı, İi, Jj, Kk, Qq, Ll, Mm, Nn, Oo, Öö, Pp, Rr, Ss, Şş, Tt, Uu, Üü, Vv, Yy, Zz
Bambara[edit]
Article[edit]
a
- the (definite article).
Interjection[edit]
a
Pronoun[edit]
a
Synonyms[edit]
- (they): u
Basque[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Letter[edit]
a (lower case, upper case A)
- The first letter of the Basque alphabet, written in the Latin script.
See also[edit]
Noun[edit]
a (indeclinable)
- The name of the Latin-script letter A.
See also[edit]
Bavarian[edit]
Article[edit]
a
Adverb[edit]
a
Belizean Creole[edit]
Preposition[edit]
a
References[edit]
- Crosbie, Paul, ed. (2007), Kriol-Inglish Dikshineri: English-Kriol Dictionary. Belize City: Belize Kriol Project, p. 19.
Big Nambas[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Preposition[edit]
a
References[edit]
- Big Nambas Grammar Pacific Linguistics - G.J. Fox
Cameroon Pidgin[edit]
Pronoun[edit]
a
- Alternative spelling of I (“1st person singular subject personal pronoun”)
Catalan[edit]
Etymology 1[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Letter[edit]
a (lower case, upper case A)
- 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
- in, at; indicating a particular time or place
- Sóc a Barcelona.
- I am in Barcelona.
- to; indicating movement towards a particular place
- Vaig a Barcelona.
- I'm going to Barcelona.
- to; indicating a target or indirect object
- Escric una carta a la meva àvia.
- I'm writing my grandmother a letter.
- per
- 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]
Chayuco Mixtec[edit]
Etymology[edit]
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Conjunction[edit]
a
References[edit]
- Pensinger, Brenda J. (1974) Diccionario mixteco-español, español-mixteco (Serie de vocabularios y diccionarios indígenas “Mariano Silva y Aceves”; 18)[5] (in Spanish), México, D.F.: El Instituto Lingüístico de Verano en coordinación con la Secretaría de Educación Pública a través de la Dirección General de Educación Extraescolar en el Medio Indígena, pages 3, 110
Chibcha[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Noun[edit]
a
References[edit]
- Gómez Aldana D. F., Análisis morfológico del Vocabulario 158 de la Biblioteca Nacional de Colombia. Grupo de Investigación Muysccubun. 2013.
Chuukese[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Pronoun[edit]
a
Adjective[edit]
a
- he is
- she is
- it is
Related terms[edit]
Present and past tense | Negative tense | Future | Negative future | Distant future | Negative determinate | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | First person | ua | use | upwe | usap | upwap | ute |
Second person | ka, ke | kose, kese | kopwe, kepwe | kosap, kesap | kopwap, kepwap | kote, kete | |
Third person | a | ese | epwe | esap | epwap | ete | |
Plural | First person | aua (exclusive) sia (inclusive) |
ause (exclusive) sise (inclusive) |
aupwe (exclusive) sipwe (inclusive) |
ausap (exclusive) sisap (inclusive) |
aupwap (exclusive) sipwap (inclusive) |
aute (exclusive) site (inclusive) |
Second person | oua | ouse | oupwe | ousap | oupwap | oute | |
Third person | ra, re | rese | repwe | resap | repwap | rete |
Cimbrian[edit]
Alternative forms[edit]
- an (Sette Comuni)
Etymology[edit]
From Middle High German ein, from Old High German ein, from Proto-West Germanic *ain.
Article[edit]
a (oblique masculine an)
References[edit]
- Patuzzi, Umberto, ed., (2013) Luserna / Lusérn: Le nostre parole / Ünsarne börtar / Unsere Wörter [Our Words], Luserna, Italy: Comitato unitario delle isole linguistiche storiche germaniche in Italia / Einheitskomitee der historischen deutschen Sprachinseln in Italien
Coatepec Nahuatl[edit]
Noun[edit]
a
Cornish[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Particle[edit]
a
- Marks the following verb to the preceding subject.
Preposition[edit]
a
- of (expressing separation, origin, composition/substance or a quality)
- of (between a preceding large number and a following plural noun to express quantity)
- from (indicating provenance)
Inflection[edit]
Singular | Plural | |
---|---|---|
First person | ahanaf | ahanan |
Second person | ahanas | ahanowgh |
Third person | anodho (m) anedhy (f) |
anodhans, anedha |
Corsican[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From the earlier la.
Pronunciation[edit]
- IPA(key): /ˈa/
- Homophones: à, hà
Article[edit]
a f (masculine u, masculine plural i, feminine plural e)
- the (feminine)
Usage notes[edit]
- Before a vowel, a turns into l'
Pronoun[edit]
a f
Usage notes[edit]
- Before a vowel, a turns into l'
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- “a” in INFCOR: Banca di dati di a lingua corsa
Czech[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From Proto-Slavic *a.
Pronunciation[edit]
Conjunction[edit]
a
Further reading[edit]
- a in Příruční slovník jazyka českého, 1935–1957
- a in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého, 1960–1971, 1989
Dalmatian[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Preposition[edit]
a
Danish[edit]
Etymology 1[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Letter[edit]
a (lower case, upper case A)
- The first letter of the Danish 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)
Inflection[edit]
Etymology 3[edit]
Alternative forms[edit]
- à (unofficial but common)
Pronunciation[edit]
Preposition[edit]
a
Etymology 4[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Verb[edit]
a
- imperative of ae
Dutch[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Etymology 1[edit]
Letter[edit]
a (lower case, upper case A)
- The first letter of the Dutch alphabet, written in the Latin script.
See also[edit]
- (Latin script letters) letter; Aa, Bb, Cc, Dd, Ee, Ff, Gg, Hh, Ii, Jj, Kk, Ll, Mm, Nn, Oo, Pp, Qq, Rr, Ss, Tt, Uu, Vv, Ww, Xx, Yy, Zz
Etymology 2[edit]
From Middle Dutch â, from Old Dutch ā, from Proto-Germanic *ahwō.
Alternative forms[edit]
Noun[edit]
a f (plural a's, diminutive aatje)
Related terms[edit]
Further reading[edit]
Aa (waternaam) on the Dutch Wikipedia.Wikipedia nl
Etymology 3[edit]
From Middle Dutch jou, from Old Dutch
- jū, a northern (Frisian?) variant of *iu, from Proto-Germanic *iwwiz, a West Germanic variant of *izwiz. Doublet of u.
Pronoun[edit]
a
Synonyms[edit]
Egyptian[edit]
Romanization[edit]
a
Emilian[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Pronoun[edit]
a (personal, nominative case)
Alternative forms[edit]
Related terms[edit]
Number | Person | Gender | Disjunctive (tonic) |
Nominative (subject) |
Accusative (direct complement) |
Dative (indirect complement) |
Reflexive (-self) |
Comitative (with) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | First | — | mè | a | me | mêg | ||
Second | — | tè | et | te | têg | |||
Third | Masculine | ló | al | ge | se | sêg | ||
Feminine | lê | la | ||||||
Plural | First | Masculine | nuēter | a | se | nōsk | ||
Feminine | nuētri | |||||||
Second | Masculine | vuēter | a | ve | vōsk | |||
Feminine | vuētri | |||||||
Third | Masculine | lôr | i | ge | se | sêg | ||
Feminine | el | li |
Esperanto[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Letter[edit]
a (lower case, upper case A)
- The first letter of the Esperanto alphabet, written in the Latin script.
See also[edit]
Noun[edit]
a (accusative singular a-on, plural a-oj, accusative plural a-ojn)
- The name of the Latin script letter A/a.
See also[edit]
Estonian[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Letter[edit]
a (lower case, upper case A)
- The first letter of the Estonian alphabet, written in the Latin script.
Noun[edit]
a
Conjunction[edit]
a
- (colloquial, in fast speech) but
See also[edit]
Further reading[edit]
a on the Estonian Wikipedia.Wikipedia et
Fala[edit]
Etymology 1[edit]
From Old Portuguese á, from Latin illa (“that”).
Article[edit]
a f (plural as, masculine o, masculine plural os)
- feminine singular of the 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”).
Preposition[edit]
a
- 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]
Etymology[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Letter[edit]
a (upper case A)
- The first letter of the Faroese alphabet, written in the Latin script.
See also[edit]
- (Latin script letters) bókstavur; Aa, Áá, Bb, Dd, Ðð, Ee, Ff, Gg, Hh, Ii, Íí, Jj, Kk, Ll, Mm, Nn, Oo, Óó, Pp, Rr, Ss, Tt, Uu, Úú, Vv, Yy, Ýý, Ææ, Øø
Finnish[edit]
Etymology 1[edit]
Letter[edit]
a (lower case, upper case A)
- The first letter of the Finnish alphabet, written in the Latin script.
See also[edit]
- (Latin-script letters) kirjain; A a, B b, C c, D d, E e, F f, G g, H h, I i, J j, K k, L l, M m, N n, O o, P p, Q q, R r, S s (Š š), T t, U u, V v (W w), X x, Y y, Z z (Ž ž), Å å, Ä ä, Ö ö
Etymology 2[edit]
Noun[edit]
a
Usage notes[edit]
Capitalized for the great octave or any octave below that, or in names of major keys; not capitalized for the small octave or any octave above that, or in names of minor keys.
Declension[edit]
Declension of a (type maa)
|
French[edit]
Etymology 1[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Letter[edit]
a (lower case, upper case A)
- The first letter of the French alphabet, written in the Latin script.
Noun[edit]
a m or f (plural as)
Derived terms[edit]
Etymology 2[edit]
Quebec eye-dialect spelling of elle.
Pronunciation[edit]
Pronoun[edit]
a f
- (Quebec, colloquial) alternative form of elle (“she”)
- C'te fille-là, a'a l'air cute.
- This girl, she looks cute.
Etymology 3[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Verb[edit]
a
- third-person singular present indicative of avoir
- Elle a un chat.
- She has a cat.
See also[edit]
Further reading[edit]
- “a”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Fula[edit]
Etymology 1[edit]
Letter[edit]
a (lower case, upper case A)
- The first letter of the Fula alphabet, written in the Latin script.
Usage notes[edit]
See also[edit]
- (Latin-script letters) karfeeje; ', A a, B b, Mb mb, Ɓ ɓ, C c, D d, Nd nd, Ɗ ɗ, E e, F f, G g, Ng ng, Ɠ ɠ, H h, I i, J j, Nj nj, K k, L l, M m, N n, Ŋ ŋ, Ñ ñ, Ɲ ɲ, O o, P p, R r, S s, T t, U u, W w, Y y, Ƴ ƴ
Etymology 2[edit]
Pronoun[edit]
a
- you (second person singular subject pronoun; short form)
Usage notes[edit]
- Common to all varieties of Fula (Fulfulde / Pulaar / Pular).
- Used in all conjugations except the affirmative non-accomplished, where the long form is used instead.
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]
Pronunciation[edit]
Preposition[edit]
a
- to, toward; indicating direction of motion
- introducing an indirect object
- used to indicate the time of an action
- (with de) to, until; used to indicate the end of a range
- de cinco a oito ― from five to eight
- by, on, by means of; expresses a mode of action
- a pé ― on foot
- 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 Old Portuguese a, from Latin illa, feminine of ille (“that”).
Pronunciation[edit]
Article[edit]
a f (masculine singular o, feminine plural as, masculine plural os)
- (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.
Also, the definite article presents a second form that could be represented as <-lo/-la/-los/-las>, or either lack any specific representation. Its origin is in the assimilation of the last consonant of words ended in -s or -r, due to sandhi, with the /l/ present in the article in pre-Galician-Portuguese period. So Vou comer o caldo or Vou come-lo caldo are representations of /ˈβowˈkomelo̝ˈkaldo̝/ ("I'm going to have my soup"). This phenomenon, rare in Portuguese, is already documented in 13th century Medieval Galician texts, as the Cantigas de Santa Maria.[1]
Derived terms[edit]
Etymology 3[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Noun[edit]
a m (plural as)
- a (name of the letter A, a)
Etymology 4[edit]
See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.
Pronoun[edit]
a
- accusative of ela
References[edit]
- ^ Vaz Leão, Ângela (2000), “Questões de linguagem nas Cantigas de Santa Maria, de Afonso X”, in Scripta[1], volume 4, issue 7, DOI: , retrieved 16 November 2017, pages 11-24
German[edit]
Etymology 1[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Letter[edit]
a (lower case, upper case A)
- The first letter of the German alphabet, written in the Latin script.
Noun[edit]
a n (strong, genitive a or as, plural a or as)
- Alternative form of A
Etymology 2[edit]
Noun[edit]
a
Gilbertese[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From Proto-Oceanic *pat, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *əpat, from Proto-Austronesian *Səpat.
Pronunciation[edit]
Numeral[edit]
a
Gothic[edit]
Romanization[edit]
a
- Romanization of 𐌰
Grass Koiari[edit]
Pronoun[edit]
a
- you (singular)
References[edit]
- 2010, Terry Crowley & Claire Bowern, An Introduction to Historical Linguistics, fourth edition, Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 142.
Gun[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Pronoun[edit]
à
- you (second-person singular personal pronoun)
Haitian Creole[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Article[edit]
a
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]
- an#Haitian_Creole
- la#Haitian_Creole
- lan#Haitian_Creole
- nan#Haitian_Creole
- yo#Haitian_Creole
- yon#Haitian_Creole
Hawaiian[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Conjunction[edit]
a
Preposition[edit]
a
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]
Etymology 1[edit]
See az.
Pronunciation[edit]
Article[edit]
a (definite)
Usage notes[edit]
Used before words starting with a consonant.
Related terms[edit]
- az, for words starting with a vowel sound
Pronoun[edit]
a (demonstrative)
- (in reduplicated constructions formed with postpositions) that
- A mellett a ház mellett vártam rá. ― I waited for him/her next to that house.
Determiner[edit]
a (demonstrative)
- (rare, only in consonant-initial fixed phrases, with zero article) Alternative form of az (“that”).
- Foglalja össze, miről szóltak az a heti beszédek és leckék.[1] ― Summarize what that week’s sermons and lessons were about.
- November 12-én, az a havi frissítőkedden jelenhet meg. ― It may be released on November 12th, on the Patch Tuesday of that month.
- Kérjük szíves tájékoztatásukat a tekintetben, hogy… (= abban a tekintetben, see az) ― We kindly request your information in that [= the] aspect…
- amondó vagyok, hogy… ― I am of the opinion that…, what/all I can / want to say is that… (literally, “I am that-sayer/-saying…”)
Etymology 2[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
- (letter or phoneme itself): IPA(key): [ˈɒː][2]
- (identifier or musical note): IPA(key): [ˈaː] (in the names of minor scales; see also A)
Letter[edit]
a (lower case, upper case A)
- The first letter of the Hungarian alphabet, written in the Latin script.
- (music) designation of the sixth note from C and the corresponding tone
Derived terms[edit]
See also[edit]
- (Latin-script letters) betű; A a, Á á, B b, C c, Cs cs, D d, Dz dz, Dzs dzs, E e, É é, F f, G g, Gy gy, H h, I i, Í í, J j, K k, L l, Ly ly, M m, N n, Ny ny, O o, Ó ó, Ö ö, Ő ő, P p, R r, S s, Sz sz, T t, Ty ty, U u, Ú ú, Ü ü, Ű ű, V v, Z z, Zs zs. Only in the extended alphabet: Q q W w X x Y y. Commonly used: ch. Also defined: à ë. In surnames (selection): ä aa cz ds eé eö ew oe oó th ts ÿ.
References[edit]
- ^ a heti at e-nyelv.hu
- ^ Siptár, Péter and Miklós Törkenczy. The Phonology of Hungarian. The Phonology of the World’s Languages. Oxford University Press, 2007. →ISBN, p. 280
Further reading[edit]
- a in Ittzés, Nóra (ed.). A magyar nyelv nagyszótára (’A Comprehensive Dictionary of the Hungarian Language’). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 2006–2031 (work in progress; published A–ez as of 2021)
- Entries in Bárczi, Géza and László Országh. A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára (’The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language’). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: ISBN 9630535793
Icelandic[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Letter[edit]
a (upper case A)
- The first letter of the Icelandic alphabet, written in the Latin script.
Noun[edit]
a ?
- The name of the Latin-script letter A.
See also[edit]
- (Latin-script letters) bókstafur; A a, Á á, B b, D d, Ð ð, E e, É é, F f, G g, H h, I i, Í í, J j, K k, L l, M m, N n, O o, Ó ó, P p, R r, S s, T t, U u, Ú ú, V v, X x, Y y, Ý ý, Þ þ, Æ æ, Ö ö
Ido[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Letter[edit]
a (lower case, upper case A)
- The first letter of the Ido alphabet, written in the Latin script.
See also[edit]
- (Latin-script letters) litero; A a, B b, C c, D d, E e, F f, G g, H h, I i, J j, K k, L, l, M m, N n, O o, P p, Q q, R r, S s, T t, U u, V v, W w, X x, Y y, Z z
Noun[edit]
a (plural a-i)
- The name of the Latin script letter A/a.
See also[edit]
- (Latin script letter names) litero; a, be, ce, che, de, e, fe, ge, he, i, je, ke, le, me, ne, o, pe, que, re, se, she, te, u, ve, we, xe, ye, ze (Category: io:Latin letter names)
Preposition[edit]
a
Related terms[edit]
Igbo[edit]
Letter[edit]
a (upper case A, lower case a)
- The first letter of the Igbo alphabet, written in the Latin script.
Etymology 1[edit]
Alternative forms[edit]
- e (neutral tongue position)
Pronunciation[edit]
Pronoun[edit]
a
- (indefinite) somebody, one, they, people (an unspecified individual).
- A gwara ya ka ọ bịa.
- He/she was told to come.
- A gwara ya ka ọ bịa.
Usage notes[edit]
- Often gets translated into English with the passive voice.
See also[edit]
Etymology 2[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Determiner[edit]
à
Related terms[edit]
Indo-Portuguese[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From Portuguese a.
Pronunciation[edit]
Preposition[edit]
a
- to
- 1883, Hugo Schuchardt, Kreolische Studien, volume 3 (in German):
- […] , que da-cá su quião que ta pertencê a êll.
- […] , to give him his share which belongs to him.
Indonesian[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Letter[edit]
a (lower case, upper case A)
- The first letter of the Indonesian alphabet, called id and written in the Latin script.
See also[edit]
- (Latin-script letters) alfabet; A a, B b, C c, D d, E e, F f, G g, H h, I i, J j, K k, L l, M m, N n, O o, P p, Q q, R r, S s, T t, U u, V v, W w, X x, Y y, Z z
Ingrian[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Conjunction[edit]
a
- and, but
- 1936, N. A. Iljin and V. I. Junus, Bukvari iƶoroin șkouluja vart, Leningrad: Riikin Ucebno-pedagogiceskoi Izdateljstva, page 17:
- A siä Jaakko, kuhu määt?
- And you Jaakko, where are you going?
- 1936, L. G. Terehova; V. G. Erdeli, Mihailov and P. I. Maksimov, transl., Geografia: oppikirja iƶoroin alkușkoulun kolmatta klaassaa vart (ensimäine osa), Leningrad: Riikin Ucebno-Pedagogiceskoi Izdateljstva, page 7:
- keskipäivääl hää [päivyt] on kaikkiin ylemmääl, a siis alkaa laskiissa.
- on midday it [the Sun] is highest, and then it starts to descend.
References[edit]
- Ruben E. Nirvi (1971) Inkeroismurteiden Sanakirja, Helsinki: Suomalais-Ugrilainen Seura, page 1
Interlingua[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Preposition[edit]
a
Derived terms[edit]
Inupiaq[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Interjection[edit]
a
Irish[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Etymology 1[edit]
From Old Irish a, from Proto-Celtic *esyo (the final vowel triggering lenition), feminine Proto-Celtic *esyās (the final -s triggering h-prothesis), plural Proto-Celtic *eysom (the final nasal triggering eclipsis), all from the genitive forms of Proto-Indo-European *éy. Cognate with Welsh ei.
Determiner[edit]
a (triggers lenition)
- 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)
- 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)
- their
- a n-athair agus a máthair ― their father and mother
- a dtithe ― their houses
- a n-ainmneacha ― their names
- (Connacht) our
- (Connacht) your (plural)
See also[edit]
Number | Person (and gender) | Conjunctive (emphatic) |
Disjunctive (emphatic) |
Possessive determiner |
---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | First | mé (mise) |
mo L m' before vowel sounds | |
Second | tú (tusa)1 |
thú (thusa) |
do L d' before vowel sounds | |
Third masculine | sé (seisean) |
é (eisean) |
a L | |
Third feminine | sí (sise) |
í (ise) |
a H | |
Plural | First | muid, sinn (muidne, muide), (sinne) |
ár E | |
Second | sibh (sibhse)1 |
bhur E | ||
Third | siad (siadsan) |
iad (iadsan) |
a E |
Determiner[edit]
a (triggers lenition)
- how (used with an abstract noun)
- A ghéire a labhair sí!
- How sharply she spoke!
- A fheabhas atá sé!
- How good it is!
Etymology 2[edit]
A reduced form of older do (itself a reanalysis of do used in past tenses, and also present in early modern verbs like do-bheirim (“I give”), do-chím (“I see”)), or from the preverb a- in early modern verbs like a-tú (“I am”), a-deirim (“I say”) in relative clauses.
Particle[edit]
a (triggers lenition except of d’ and of past autonomous forms)
- 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
References[edit]
- Gerald O’Nolan (1920) Studies in Modern Irish[6], volume 1, pages 89, 93–94
Etymology 3[edit]
From Old Irish a (“that, which the relative particle used after prepositions”), reanalyzed as an independent indirect relative particle from forms like ar a (“on which, on whom”), dá (“to which, to whom”), or early modern le a (“with which, with whom”), agá (“at which, at whom”) when prepositional pronouns started to be repeated in such clauses (eg. don té agá mbíon cloidheamh (…) aige, daoine agá mbíonn grádh aco do Dhia). Compare the forms used in Munster instead: go (from agá (“at which”)) and na (from i n-a (“in which”), go n-a (“with which”), ria n-a (“before which”) and later lena (“with which”), tréna (“through which”)).
Particle[edit]
a (triggers eclipsis, takes the dependent form of an irregular verb; not used in the past tense except with some irregular verbs)
- 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)
Pronoun[edit]
a (triggers eclipsis, takes the dependent form of an irregular verb; not used in the past tense except with some irregular verbs)
- 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)
References[edit]
- Nicholas Williams (1994), “Na Canúintí a Theacht chun Solais”, in Kim McCone et al., editor, Stair na Gaeilge: in ómós do P[h]adráig Ó Fiannachta (in Irish), Coláiste Phádraig, Maigh Nuad, →ISBN, page 464: “Tháinig nós chun cinn sa 17ú haois freisin an réamhfhocal a dhúbláil: don té agá mbíonn cloidheamh..aige; daoine agá mbíonn grádh aco do Dhia (Ó Cuív, 1952b, 177), an tí ag a bhfuil a bheag do chuntabhairt aige (Williams, 1986, 155).”
- Gerald O’Nolan (1934) The New Era Grammar of Modern Irish, The Educational Company of Ireland Ltd., page 56
Etymology 4[edit]
Particle[edit]
a (triggers lenition)
- introduces a vocative
- A Dhia!
- O God!
- A dhuine uasail!
- Sir!
- Tar isteach, a Sheáin.
- Come in, Seán.
- A amadáin!
- You fool!
Etymology 5[edit]
Particle[edit]
a (triggers h-prothesis)
- introduces a numeral
- a haon, a dó, a trí... ― one, two, three...
- Séamas a Dó ― James the Second
- bus a seacht ― bus seven
Etymology 6[edit]
Originally a reduced form of do.
Preposition[edit]
a (plus dative, triggers lenition)
- to (used with verbal nouns)
- 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.
Mutation[edit]
Irish mutation | |||
---|---|---|---|
Radical | Eclipsis | with h-prothesis | with t-prothesis |
a | n-a | ha | not applicable |
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs. |
Further reading[edit]
- "a" in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, An Gúm, 1977, by Niall Ó Dónaill.
- G. Toner, M. Ní Mhaonaigh, S. Arbuthnot, D. Wodtko, M.-L. Theuerkauf, editors (2019), “1 a (vocative particle)”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
- G. Toner, M. Ní Mhaonaigh, S. Arbuthnot, D. Wodtko, M.-L. Theuerkauf, editors (2019), “2 a (‘his, her, their’)”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
- G. Toner, M. Ní Mhaonaigh, S. Arbuthnot, D. Wodtko, M.-L. Theuerkauf, editors (2019), “3 a (particle used before numerals)”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
- G. Toner, M. Ní Mhaonaigh, S. Arbuthnot, D. Wodtko, M.-L. Theuerkauf, editors (2019), “4 a (‘that which’)”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
Istriot[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Preposition[edit]
a
- 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,
- A poûpa, a prùa a xì doûto bandere,
- 1877, Antonio Ive, Canti popolari istriani: raccolti a Rovigno, volume 5, Ermanno Loescher, page 99:
Particle[edit]
a
- 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,
- A poûpa, a prùa a xì doûto bandere,
- 1877, Antonio Ive, Canti popolari istriani: raccolti a Rovigno, volume 5, Ermanno Loescher, page 99:
Italian[edit]
Etymology 1[edit]
From Latin ā (the name of the letter A).
Pronunciation[edit]
Noun[edit]
a f (invariable)
See also[edit]
- (Latin-script letter names) lettera; a, bi, ci, di, e, effe, gi, acca, i, i lunga, kappa, elle, emme, enne, o, pi, cu, erre, esse, ti, u, vu, doppia vu, ics, ipsilon, zeta
Etymology 2[edit]
From Latin ad. In a few phrases, a stems from Latin a, ab.
Preposition[edit]
a
- in
- at
- to
- 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 not important.”)
- 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 the definite article, a combines with the article to produce 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
Descendants[edit]
- Norwegian Bokmål: a
Etymology 3[edit]
Verb[edit]
a
- Misspelling of ha.
References[edit]
- a in Luciano Canepari, Dizionario di Pronuncia Italiana (DiPI)
Japanese[edit]
Romanization[edit]
a
Jersey Dutch[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Letter[edit]
a
K'iche'[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Adjective[edit]
a
- masculine youth indicator
Adverb[edit]
a
- (interrogatory) indicator of a question
Pronoun[edit]
a
- your
References[edit]
- Allen J. Christenson, Kʼiche-English dictionary, page 7
Kabuverdianu[edit]
Letter[edit]
a (uppercase A)
- The first letter of the Kabuverdianu alphabet, written in the Latin script.
Kabyle[edit]
Alternative forms[edit]
Determiner[edit]
a
- this
- a rgaz a
- this man
Kalasha[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Pronoun[edit]
a (Arabic آ)
- I (1st-person personal pronoun)
See also[edit]
Koitabu[edit]
Pronoun[edit]
a
- you (singular)
References[edit]
- Terry Crowley, Claire Bowern, An Introduction to Historical Linguistics
Krisa[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Noun[edit]
a m
- pig
- Nana a doma.
- I shot your pig.
References[edit]
- Donohue, Mark and San Roque, Lila. I'saka: a sketch grammar of a language of north-central New Guinea. (Pacific Linguistics, 554.) (2004).
Ladin[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Preposition[edit]
a
Derived terms[edit]
Lashi[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Adverb[edit]
a
References[edit]
- Hkaw Luk (2017) A grammatical sketch of Lacid[7], Chiang Mai: Payap University (master thesis)
Latgalian[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Shortened from an older Baltic form *ā, which is cognate with Lithuanian o (the same meaning).
Pronunciation[edit]
Conjunction[edit]
a f
Particle[edit]
a f
Latin[edit]
Etymology 1[edit]
From Ancient Greek Α (A, “alpha”), likely through Etruscan.
Pronunciation[edit]
(letter name):
Letter[edit]
a (lower case, upper case A)
- (sometimes with littera) the first letter of the Latin alphabet.
- littera a ― the letter a
Etymology 2[edit]
From Etruscan [Term?].
Pronunciation[edit]
Noun[edit]
ā f (indeclinable)
- The name of the letter A.
Coordinate terms[edit]
- (Latin-script letter names) littera; ā, bē, cē, dē, ē, ef, gē, hā / *acca, ī, kā, el, em, en, ō, pē, kū, er, es, tē, ū, ix / īx / ex, ȳ / ī graeca / ȳpsīlon, zēta
Etymology 3[edit]
Alternative form of ab by apocope (not used before a vowel or h).
Alternative forms[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Preposition[edit]
ā (+ ablative)
- (indicating ablation): from, away from, out of
- (indicating ablation): down from
- (indicating agency): (source of action or event) by, by means of
- (indicating instrumentality): (source of action or event) by, by means of, with
- (indicating association): to, with
- Heauton Timorumenos (“The Self-Tormentor”) by Publius Terentius Afer
- Homo sum, humani nihil ā me alienum puto.
- I am a man, I consider nothing that is human alien to me.
- Homo sum, humani nihil ā me alienum puto.
- Heauton Timorumenos (“The Self-Tormentor”) by Publius Terentius Afer
- (indicating location): at, on, in
- (time) after, since
Usage notes[edit]
Used in conjunction with passive verbs to mark the agent.
- Liber ā discipulō aperītur.
- The book is opened by the student.
Derived terms[edit]
Descendants[edit]
Etymology 4[edit]
Expressive.
Pronunciation[edit]
Interjection[edit]
ā
Latvian[edit]
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 (lower case, upper case A)
- The first letter of the Latvian alphabet, written in the Latin script.
See also[edit]
- (Latvian letters) latviešu burti; Aa, Āā, Bb, Cc, Čč, Dd, Ee, Ēē, Ff, Gg, Ģģ, Hh, Ii, Īī, Jj, Kk, Ķķ, Ll, Ļļ, Mm, Nn, Ņņ, Oo, Pp, Rr, Ss, Šš, Tt, Uu, Ūū, Vv, Zz, Žž
Noun[edit]
a m (invariable)
- The name of the Latin script letter A/a.
See also[edit]
- (Latvian letter names) latviešu burtu vārdi; a, garais ā, bē, cē, čē, dē, e, garais ē, ef, gā, ģē, hā, i, garais ī, jē, kā, ķē, el, eļ, em, en, eņ, o, pē, er, es, eš, tē, u, garais ū, vē, zē, žē
Further reading[edit]
a on the Latvian Wikipedia.Wikipedia lv
Ligurian[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Etymology 1[edit]
Ligurian Definite Articles | ||
---|---|---|
singular | plural | |
masculine | o | i |
feminine | a | e |
Article[edit]
a f sg (plural e)
Etymology 2[edit]
Preposition[edit]
a
- in
- at
- to
- Vàddo a câza. ― I'm going home. (literally, “I go to home.”)
- indicates the direct object, mainly to avoid confusion when it, the subject, or both are displaced, or for emphasis
- A mæ seu ghe fa mâ 'n bràsso. ― My sister's arm hurts. (literally, “To my sister an arm hurts.”)
Livonian[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Letter[edit]
a (upper case A)
- The first letter of the Livonian alphabet, written in the Latin script.
Louisiana Creole French[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Verb[edit]
a
- to have
Lower Sorbian[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Conjunction[edit]
a
Further reading[edit]
- Muka, Arnošt (1921, 1928), “a”, in Słownik dolnoserbskeje rěcy a jeje narěcow (in German), St. Petersburg, Prague: ОРЯС РАН, ČAVU; Reprinted Bautzen: Domowina-Verlag, 2008
- Starosta, Manfred (1999), “a”, in Dolnoserbsko-nimski słownik / Niedersorbisch-deutsches Wörterbuch (in German), Bautzen: Domowina-Verlag
Lushootseed[edit]
Letter[edit]
a
- The second letter of the Lushootseed alphabet, pronounced as an open back unrounded vowel.
Malay[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Letter[edit]
a (lower case, upper case A)
- The first letter of the Malay alphabet, written in the Latin script.
See also[edit]
- (Latin script letters) Aa, Bb, Cc, Dd, Ee, Ff, Gg, Hh, Ii, Jj, Kk, Ll, Mm, Nn, Oo, Pp, Qq, Rr, Ss, Tt, Uu, Vv, Ww, Xx, Yy, Zz
Maltese[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Letter[edit]
a (lower case, upper case A)
- The first letter of the Maltese alphabet, written in the Latin script.
See also[edit]
- (Latin-script letters) ittra; A a, B b, Ċ ċ, D d, E e, F f, Ġ ġ, G g, Għ għ, H h, Ħ ħ, I i, Ie ie, J j, K k, L l, M m, N n, O o, P p, Q q, R r, S s, T t, U u, V v, W w, X x, Ż ż, Z z
Mandarin[edit]
Romanization[edit]
- Hanyu Pinyin reading of 呵.
- Hanyu Pinyin reading of 啊.
- Hanyu Pinyin reading of 阿.
a
- Nonstandard spelling of ā.
- Nonstandard spelling of á.
- Nonstandard spelling of ǎ.
- 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
- he, him (personal pronoun)
- A m busa ― He/she struck me.
- Y a busa ― They struck him/her.
- she, her (personal pronoun)
- it (personal pronoun)
See also[edit]
Maori[edit]
Particle[edit]
a
Usage notes[edit]
- When used in the sense of of, suggests that the possessor has control of the relationship (alienable possession).
Mezquital Otomi[edit]
Etymology 1[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Interjection[edit]
a
- expresses satisfaction, pity, fright, or admiration
Etymology 2[edit]
Alternative forms[edit]
- ʼa (obsolete)
Pronunciation[edit]
Verb[edit]
a
- (transitive) wake, awaken
Etymology 3[edit]
From Proto-Otomi *ʔɔ, from Proto-Otomian *ʔɔ.
Alternative forms[edit]
- ʼá (obsolete)
Pronunciation[edit]
Noun[edit]
a
Derived terms[edit]
References[edit]
- Andrews, Enriqueta (1950) Vocabulario otomí de Tasquillo, Hidalgo[8] (in Spanish), México, D.F.: Instituto Lingüístico de Verano, page 1
- Hernández Cruz, Luis; Victoria Torquemada, Moisés (2010) Diccionario del hñähñu (otomí) del Valle del Mezquital, estado de Hidalgo (Serie de vocabularios y diccionarios indígenas “Mariano Silva y Aceves”; 45)[9] (in Spanish), second edition, Instituto Lingüístico de Verano, A.C., page 3
Middle Dutch[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From Old Dutch ā, from Proto-Germanic *ahwō.
Noun[edit]
â f
Inflection[edit]
This noun needs an inflection-table template.
Descendants[edit]
- Dutch: a
Further reading[edit]
- “a (II)”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
Middle English[edit]
Etymology 1[edit]
Pronoun[edit]
a
- Alternative form of an (mainly preconsonantal)
Etymology 2[edit]
Pronoun[edit]
a
- (Late Middle English) Alternative form of I (“I”)
Etymology 3[edit]
Pronoun[edit]
a
- Alternative form of heo (“she”)
Etymology 4[edit]
Pronoun[edit]
a
- Alternative form of he (“he”)
Etymology 5[edit]
Pronoun[edit]
a
- Alternative form of he (“they”)
Etymology 6[edit]
Numeral[edit]
a
- (Northern, Early Middle English) Alternative form of oo (“one”)
Middle French[edit]
Etymology 1[edit]
From Old French a, from Latin ad.
Alternative forms[edit]
- à (after 1550)
Preposition[edit]
a
Etymology 2[edit]
From Old French [Term?], from Latin habet.
Verb[edit]
a
Middle Welsh[edit]
Etymology 1[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Particle[edit]
a (triggers lenition)
- O (vocative particle)
Etymology 2[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Pronoun[edit]
a (triggers lenition)
Particle[edit]
a (triggers lenition)
- inserted before the verb when the subject of direct object precedes it
Etymology 3[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Particle[edit]
a (triggers lenition)
- used to introduce a direct question
- whether, used to introduce an indirect question
Etymology 4[edit]
Reduction of o (“from”).
Pronunciation[edit]
Preposition[edit]
a
- used between a focused adjective and the noun it modifies
- Pwyll Pendeuic Dyuet:
- bychan a dial oed yn lloski ni, neu yn dienydyaw am y mab
- it will be small vengeance if we are burnt or put to death because of the child
- bychan a dial oed yn lloski ni, neu yn dienydyaw am y mab
- Pwyll Pendeuic Dyuet:
Etymology 5[edit]
Alternative forms[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Conjunction[edit]
a (triggers aspiration)
Etymology 6[edit]
Alternative forms[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Preposition[edit]
a (triggers aspiration)
Etymology 7[edit]
From Proto-Celtic *ageti, third-person singular present indicative of *ago-, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eǵ-.
Alternative forms[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Verb[edit]
a
Mutation[edit]
Middle Welsh mutation | |||
---|---|---|---|
Radical | Soft | Nasal | H-prothesis |
a | unchanged | unchanged | ha |
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs. |
Min Nan[edit]
For pronunciation and definitions of a – see 阿. (This character, a, is the Pe̍h-ōe-jī form of 阿.) |
Mòcheno[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From Middle High German ein, from Old High German ein, from Proto-West Germanic *ain, from Proto-Germanic *ainaz (“one, a”).
Article[edit]
a (oblique masculine an)
References[edit]
- “a” in Cimbrian, Ladin, Mòcheno: Getting to know 3 peoples. 2015. Servizio minoranze linguistiche locali della Provincia autonoma di Trento, Trento, Italy.
Mopan Maya[edit]
Article[edit]
a
References[edit]
- Hofling, Charles Andrew (2011). Mopan Maya–Spanish–English Dictionary, University of Utah Press.
Mountain Koiari[edit]
Pronoun[edit]
a
- you (singular)
References[edit]
- Terry Crowley, Claire Bowern, An Introduction to Historical Linguistics
Murui Huitoto[edit]
Adverb[edit]
a
- Alternative spelling of aa
References[edit]
- Shirley Burtch (1983) Diccionario Huitoto Murui (Tomo I) (Linguistica Peruana No. 20)[10] (in Spanish), Yarinacocha, Peru: Instituto Lingüístico de Verano, page 19
Nauruan[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Pronoun[edit]
a
- I (first person singular pronoun)
- 2000, Lisa M Johnson, Firstness of Secondness in Nauruan Morphology (in English):
- a pudun
- 1sing fall+Vn
I fell
- 1sing fall+Vn
- […]
- a nuwawen
- 1pers.sing. go+Vn
I did go. (I left.)
- 1pers.sing. go+Vn
- […]
- a kaiotien aem
- [1pers.sing.] [hear+Vn] [your words]
I hear what you said.
- [1pers.sing.] [hear+Vn] [your words]
- […]
- a nan imoren
- 1pers.sing. FUT health+Vn
I shall be cured (get better).
- 1pers.sing. FUT health+Vn
[edit]
Letter[edit]
a (lower case, upper case A)
- 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˥˥/
See also[edit]
- (Latin-script letters) A a (Á á, Ą ą, Ą́ ą́), B b, Ch ch, Chʼ chʼ, D d, Dl dl, Dzdz, E e (É é, Ę ę, Ę́ ę́), G g, Gh gh, H h, Hw hw, X x, I i (Í í, Į į, Į́ į́), J j, K k, Kʼ kʼ, Kw kw, ʼ, L l, Ł ł, M m, N n (Ń ń), O o (Ó ó, Ǫ ǫ, Ǫ́ ǫ́), S s, Sh sh, T t, Tʼ tʼ, Tł tł, Tłʼ tłʼ, Ts ts, Tsʼ tsʼ, W w, Y y, Z z, Zh zh
Neapolitan[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Etymology 1[edit]
Preposition[edit]
a
Etymology 2[edit]
Preposition[edit]
a
- in (locative: staying in a place of relative width)
- to (locative: moving towards a place of relative width)
- to (dative)
Nias[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *kaən, from Proto-Austronesian *kaən.
Verb[edit]
a (imperfective manga)
- (transitive) to eat
References[edit]
- Sundermann, Heinrich. 1905. Niassisch-deutsches Wörterbuch. Moers: Bataviaasch Genootschap van Kunsten en Wetenschappen, p. 15.
Norman[edit]
Verb[edit]
a
Norwegian Bokmål[edit]
Etymology 1[edit]
From Latin a, from Ancient Greek Α (A, “alpha”), likely through the Etruscan language, from Phoenician 𐤀 (ʾ), from Proto-Canaanite , from Proto-Sinaitic
, from Egyptian 𓃾, representing the head of an ox.
Pronunciation[edit]
- (letter name): IPA(key): /ɑː/
- (phoneme): IPA(key): /ɑː/, /a/
Audio (file) Audio (file) - Hyphenation: a
- Homophones: A, à, A-, a-, ah
Letter[edit]
a (uppercase A)
- The first letter of the Norwegian Bokmål alphabet, written in the Latin script.
See also[edit]
- (Latin script letters) Aa, Bb, Cc, Dd, Ee, Ff, Gg, Hh, Ii, Jj, Kk, Ll, Mm, Nn, Oo, Pp, Qq, Rr, Ss, Tt, Uu, Vv, Ww, Xx, Yy, Zz, Ææ, Øø, Åå
Noun[edit]
a m (definite singular a-en, indefinite plural a-er, definite plural a-ene)
- the letter a, the first letter of the Norwegian alphabet
- 1999, Lars Roar Langslet, I kamp for norsk kultur, page 234:
- bruken av a i bestemt form i hunkjønnsord
- the use of a in the definite form of feminine words
- har man sagt a, må man si b ― if you have said A, you should say B
- indicates the first or best entry of a list, order or rank
- 1919, Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, Samlede digter-verker I [Collected poetic works 1], page 454:
- [bokstavene begynte] at gaa sammen, to og to: a stod og hvilte under et træ, som hedte b
- [the letters began] to go together, two by two: a stood and rested under a tree called b
- 1920, Jonas Lie, Samlede Digterverker V, page 389:
- begynde paa Ø istedet for A
- start with Ø instead of A
- 1886, Arne Garborg, Mogning og manndom I, page 172:
- jeg traf sammen med et par generalbanditter, gamle gutter, storartede ranglefanter, 1ste klasse 1 A med stjerne, deilige herremænd
- I met a couple of general bandits, old boys, great revelers, 1st class 1 A with a star, lovely gentlemen
- 1939, Knut Hamsun, Artikler, page 99:
- historie er hvad A mener til forskel fra B, og hvad C igen mener til forskel baade fra A og B om den samme sag
- story is what A thinks differently from B and what C again thinks differently from both A and B about the same case
- oppgang A ― apartment entrance A
- blodgruppe A ― blood group A
- førerkort i klasse A ― (motorcycle) driver's license in class A
- øl i klasse A ― beer in class A (with 0,0-0,7 volume percent alcohol)
- A post ― A post / priority mail
- A-aksje ― class A-share
- hepatitt A ― hepatitis A
- Synonyms: A-, a-
- the highest grade in a school or university using the A-F scale
- 2019, Helene Uri, Stillheten etterpå, page 14:
- jeg har gode karakterer. Bare A-er og B-er
- I have good grades. Only A's and B's
- få A til eksamen
- receive an A on an exam
- (music) designation of the sixth note from C and the corresponding tone
- 1944, Børre Qvamme, Musikk, page 10:
- synge en riktig A uten hjelp av et instrument eller stemmegaffel
- sing a correct A without the aid of an instrument or tuning fork
- 1973, Finn Havrevold, Avreisen, page 127:
- han slår énstrøken a på klaveret
- he strikes one stroke A on the piano
- 1997, Tove Nilsen, G for Georg, page 42:
- så gal at man virkelig tror at svaler er g-nøkler og bass-nøkler og a’er og c’er som svever rundt hverandre og lager konsert i himmelen
- so crazy that you really think swallows are g-keys and bass-keys and a's and c's floating around each other and making a concert in the sky
- (physics) symbol for ampere
- (physics) symbol for nucleon number
- (horology) symbol for avance
- symbol for anno
- short form of atom-
- a-bombe
- atom bomb (a-bomb)
- Synonym: a-
Derived terms[edit]
- a-form (“a-form”), a-infinitiv (“a-infinitive”), a-kjendis (“A-list celebrity”)
Etymology 2[edit]
Abbreviation of atto- (“atto-”).
Symbol[edit]
a
- atto-, prefix for 10-18 in the International System of Units.
Etymology 3[edit]
Abbreviation of ar (“are”).
Symbol[edit]
a
Etymology 4[edit]
Preposition[edit]
a
- Alternative spelling of à
Alternative forms[edit]
Etymology 5[edit]
From Latin ā (“from, away from, out of”), alternative form of ab (“from, away from, out of, down from”).
Preposition[edit]
a
Alternative forms[edit]
Etymology 6[edit]
From Italian a (“in, at, to”).
Preposition[edit]
a
Etymology 7[edit]
From Old Norse hana (“her”), accusative form of hón (“she”), from Proto-Norse [script needed] (*hān-), from a prefixed form of Proto-Germanic *ainaz (“one; some”), from Proto-Indo-European *óynos (“one; single”).
Pronoun[edit]
a
- (dialectal, used enclitically after a conjunction or subjunction) she
- 1948, Helge Krog, Skuespill I, page 43:
- jagu slår a ja. Og det så det kjens. Forleden dag ga hun meg en knallende ørefik
- she can certainly punch. And so you feel it. The other day she gave me a popping slap to the ear
- 1989, Bergljot Hobæk Haff, Den guddommelige tragedie:
- hu kunne ikke henge på seg så mye som et enrada perlebånd, uten at a måtte skotte opp i skyene for å høre hva den aller høyeste mente
- she could not put on as much as a single string of pearls, without having to shoot up into the clouds to hear what the very highest one meant
- (dialectal, about grammatically feminine animals or objects) it, she
- 1899, Sfinx, Vi og Voreses, page 45:
- hos Hansens laa dem te klokka var ni, og 10 var a mange ganger ogsaa
- at Hansen's they laid until nine o'clock, and 10 she was many times too
- 1954, Agnar Mykle, Lasso rundt fru Luna, page 476:
- hvor ligger a [duskeluen] henne?
- where is the hat?
- hvor er a katta di?
- where is your cat?
- Synonym: hun
- (dialectal, used enclitically) her; object form of hun (=she)
- hva gjorde du med a?
- what did you do to her?
- 1847–1868, Halfdan Kjerulf, Av hans efterladte papirer, page 245:
- jeg [skrev] klaverstykker … en lille scherzo med nordisk motiv … «gjenta» og «Jørgen Matros», som gjør kur til ’a og «Ola Spelman» som hun foretrækker
- I [wrote] piano pieces… a small scherzo with a Nordic motif… «gjenta» and «Jørgen Matros», which makes cure for her and «Ola Spelman» which she prefers
- 1875, Alexander Erbe, Fra skjærgaarden, page 23:
- [klokkeren] skulle da koste paa a amen
- [the clockmaker] would then cost her amen
- 1921, Sigrid Undset, Samlede romaner og fortællinger fra nutiden I, page 6:
- jeg kan da gjerne skjære litt mat til a
- I could happily cut some food for her
- 1931, Aksel Sandemose, En sjømann går i land, page 19:
- han stakk henne med kniven, riktig kylt’n midt i magan på a
- he stabbed her with the knife, really threw in the middle of her stomach
- 2010, Helene Guåker, Kjør!:
- flere enn deg i hvert fall, di lørje, svarte jeg og så a midt i aua
- more than you at least, you skank, I answered and looked her in the eye
- hva gjorde du med a?
- (dialectal, about grammatically feminine animals or objects) it, her
- hvis katta stikker av, må du fange a!
- if the cat runs away, you need to catch her!
- 1895, Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, Over Ævne II, page 136:
- naar kjærka ikke kan holde arbejderne i ave [age], aa faen skal vi saa me’a
- when the church can not keep the workers in duty, what the hell do we do with her then
- Synonym: henne
- hvis katta stikker av, må du fange a!
- (dialectal, used proclitically with a woman's name or female relation) she, her
- 1921, Sigrid Undset, Samlede romaner og fortællinger fra nutiden V, page 96:
- ta a Guldborg
- consider Guldborg
- 1921, Sigrid Undset, Samlede romaner og fortællinger fra nutiden V, page 64:
- har du glemt a mamma
- did you forget about mom
- 2015, Rudolf Nilsen, Samlede dikt, page 88:
- a Paula kom plystrende hjem
- Paula came home whistling
- 2015 March 12, Oppland Arbeiderblad[oa.no]:
- a tante Karen, mor hennes Reidun, hadde ordne med sengeplasser i stua, Booken på en divan og a Rita på flatseng på golvet
- aunt Karen, her mother Reidun, had arranged beds in the living room, Booken on a daybed and Rita on a flat bed on the floor
Etymology 8[edit]
From Danish ah (“oh”), likely from German ach (“oh”), from Middle High German ach, from Old High German ah. Also see ah and akk.
Interjection[edit]
a
- expression of surprise or horror
- 1888, Herman Colditz, Kjærka, et Atélierinteriør:
- a, det er bare noe drit til han terracottaen
- oh, that is just some crap for that terracotta guy
- a, for noe tøv!
- oh, such nonsense!
- expression of admiration or happiness
- 1897, Fridtjof Nansen, Fram over Polhavet I, page 345:
- a, kunde vi bare gi «Fram» slige vinger
- oh, if only we could give "Fram" wings like that
- a, det gjorde godt!
- oh, that felt good!
- used with the words yes and no to give a sense of impatience or rejection
- 1874, Henrik Ibsen, Fru Inger til Østråt, page 99:
- a nej, det kan være det samme
- oh no, it does not matter
- 1874-1878, Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, Brytnings-år I, page 25:
- a ja, lad Schirmer tegne staburet
- oh yes, let Schirmer draw the storehouse
- 1988, Arild Nyquist, Giacomettis forunderlige reise:
- verden er vakker, bestemor. Selv når det regner og blåser. A ja da.
- the world is beautiful, grandma. Even when it's raining and windy. Oh yes.
- a jo, men hold nå fred!
- oh yes, but keep quiet now
Etymology 9[edit]
Mostly likely from Norwegian ad (“against, on”), from Danish ad (“by, at”), from Old Danish at, from Old Norse at (“at, to”), from Proto-Germanic *at (“at, toward, to”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd (“to, at”).
Interjection[edit]
a
- expression of anger or sorrow, especially with a personal pronoun
- uff a meg!
- oh, my!
- huff a meg!
- oh, no!
- uff a meg!
Alternative forms[edit]
References[edit]
- “a” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
- “a” in Det Norske Akademis ordbok (NAOB).
- “a” in Store norske leksikon
a on the Norwegian Bokmål Wikipedia.Wikipedia nb
Anagrams[edit]
Norwegian Nynorsk[edit]
Etymology 1[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Letter[edit]
a (lowercase, uppercase A)
- The first letter of the Norwegian Nynorsk alphabet, written in the Latin script.
See also[edit]
- (Latin script letters) Aa, Bb, Cc, Dd, Ee, Ff, Gg, Hh, Ii, Jj, Kk, Ll, Mm, Nn, Oo, Pp, Qq, Rr, Ss, Tt, Uu, Vv, Ww, Xx, Yy, Zz, Ææ, Øø, Åå
Noun[edit]
a m (definite singular a-en, indefinite plural a-ar, definite plural a-ane)
- the letter a
Etymology 2[edit]
Interjection[edit]
a
Etymology 3[edit]
From Old Norse af, from Proto-Germanic *ab, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂epó.
Preposition[edit]
a
- (dialect) alternative form of av
- c. 1700, Kolsrud, Sigurd, quoting Jacob Rasch, “Eldste nynorske bibeltekst: Jacob Rasch c. 1700”, in Syn og Segn, volume 56, published 1950, page 110:
- fre a Gud okka far aa Jesu Christo den herræ.
- peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
References[edit]
- “a” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.
a on the Norwegian Nynorsk Wikipedia.Wikipedia nn
Nupe[edit]
Etymology 1[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Letter[edit]
a (lower case, upper case A)
- The first letter of the Nupe alphabet, written in the Latin script.
See also[edit]
- (Latin-script letters) banki; A a (Á á, À à), B b, C c, D d, Dz dz, E e (É é, È è), F f, G g, Gb gb, H h, I i (Í í, Ì ì), J j, K k, Kp kp, L l, M m (Ḿ ḿ, M̀ m̀, M̄ m̄), N n (Ń ń, Ǹ ǹ, N̄ n̄), O o (Ó ó, Ò ò), P p, R r, S s, Sh sh, T t, Ts ts, U u (Ú ú, Ù ù), V v, W w, Y y, Z z, Zh zh
Etymology 2[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Particle[edit]
à
- not (placed at the end of a clause to negate it)
- Mi de eshìgi à, mi ma de dàǹgi à. ― I don't have a dog, and I don't have a cat.
Etymology 3[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Particle[edit]
á
- Marks the perfective aspect, for actions that are completed
Usage notes[edit]
á, which is derived from the verb lá (“to take”), functions like a verb so that the word order in the present perfect tense is that of a serial verb construction.
- Musa shi dùkùn ― Musa bought a pot
- Musa á dùkùn shi. ― Musa has bought a pot. (literally, “Musa took a pot to buy”)
Etymology 4[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Particle[edit]
à
- Used to express the future tense (placed before verbs)
- A à lá èbi be nakàn ― They will use a knife to cut the meat
Occitan[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Etymology 1[edit]
Preposition[edit]
a
Derived terms[edit]
Etymology 2[edit]
Noun[edit]
a f (plural as)
- a (the letter a)
Etymology 3[edit]
Verb[edit]
a
Old Danish[edit]
Alternative forms[edit]
- aa (Jutlandic)
Pronunciation[edit]
Etymology 1[edit]
From Old Norse á, from Proto-Germanic *ahwō.
Noun[edit]
Descendants[edit]
- Danish: å
Etymology 2[edit]
From Old Norse á, from Proto-Germanic *ana.
Preposition[edit]
ā
Descendants[edit]
- Danish: på
Etymology 3[edit]
Verb[edit]
ā
Old Dutch[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From Proto-West Germanic *ahu.
Noun[edit]
ā f
Inflection[edit]
This noun needs an inflection-table template.
Alternative forms[edit]
Descendants[edit]
Further reading[edit]
- “ā, ē”, in Oudnederlands Woordenboek, 2012
Old English[edit]
Alternative forms[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From Proto-West Germanic *aiw, from Proto-Germanic *aiwaz (“eternity, age”).
Pronunciation[edit]
Adverb[edit]
ā
Descendants[edit]
Old French[edit]
Etymology 1[edit]
Letter[edit]
a (lower case, upper case A)
- The first letter of the Old French alphabet, written in the Latin script.
Etymology 2[edit]
Alternative forms[edit]
- ad
- à (not in manuscripts; occasionally used by scholars to differentiate between the preposition and the verb form)
Preposition[edit]
a
Derived terms[edit]
Descendants[edit]
Etymology 3[edit]
Alternative forms[edit]
Verb[edit]
a
Old Irish[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Etymology 1[edit]
From Proto-Celtic *sindom (“this”).
Alternative forms[edit]
- (relative pronoun): an
Article[edit]
a
For quotations using this term, see Citations:a/Old Irish.
Pronoun[edit]
a (triggers eclipsis, takes a leniting relative clause using a deuterotonic or absolute verb form)
For quotations using this term, see Citations:a/Old Irish.
Descendants[edit]
- Irish: a
Etymology 2[edit]
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Conjunction[edit]
a (triggers eclipsis, takes a nasalizing relative clause)
For quotations using this term, see Citations:a/Old Irish.
Etymology 3[edit]
From Proto-Celtic *esyo (m and n), *esyās (f), and *esōm (pl), from Proto-Indo-European *ésyo, genitive singular of *ís and *íd; 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 (predicative aí or áe) (triggers lenition in the masculine and neuter singular, an unwritten prothetic /h/ before a vowel in the feminine singular, and eclipsis in the plural)
For quotations using this term, see Citations:a/Old Irish.
Descendants[edit]
Etymology 4[edit]
From Proto-Celtic *ō (compare Welsh a, from Proto-Indo-European *ō (compare Ancient Greek ὦ (ô), Latin ō).
Alternative forms[edit]
Particle[edit]
a (triggers lenition)
- O (vocative particle)
For quotations using this term, see Citations:a/Old Irish.
Descendants[edit]
- Irish: a
Etymology 5[edit]
Particle[edit]
a (triggers an unwritten prothetic /h/ before a vowel)
- introduces a numeral
- a deich ― ten
Descendants[edit]
- Irish: a
Etymology 6[edit]
From Proto-Celtic *exs.
Preposition[edit]
a (combined with plural article asnaib, combined with 1st singular possessive determiner asmo, combined with 3rd person possessive determiner assa)
For quotations using this term, see Citations:a/Old Irish.
Inflection[edit]
Person | Normal | Emphatic |
---|---|---|
1st person sing. | asum | |
2d person sing. | essiut | |
3d sing. masc./neut., dative | as(s), es | |
3d sing. masc./neut., accusative | ||
3d sing. fem., dative | e(i)ssi, esse | essisi |
3d sing. fem., accusative | ||
1st person pl. | ||
2d person pl. | ||
3d person pl., dative | es(s)ib, eissib | |
3d person pl., accusative |
Related terms[edit]
Descendants[edit]
References[edit]
- G. Toner, M. Ní Mhaonaigh, S. Arbuthnot, D. Wodtko, M.-L. Theuerkauf, editors (2019), “1 a (vocative particle)”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
- G. Toner, M. Ní Mhaonaigh, S. Arbuthnot, D. Wodtko, M.-L. Theuerkauf, editors (2019), “2 a (‘his, her, their’)”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
- G. Toner, M. Ní Mhaonaigh, S. Arbuthnot, D. Wodtko, M.-L. Theuerkauf, editors (2019), “3 a (particle used before numerals)”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
- G. Toner, M. Ní Mhaonaigh, S. Arbuthnot, D. Wodtko, M.-L. Theuerkauf, editors (2019), “4 a (‘that which’)”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
- G. Toner, M. Ní Mhaonaigh, S. Arbuthnot, D. Wodtko, M.-L. Theuerkauf, editors (2019), “7 a (‘out of’)”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
- G. Toner, M. Ní Mhaonaigh, S. Arbuthnot, D. Wodtko, M.-L. Theuerkauf, editors (2019), “1 in (definite article)”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
Old Portuguese[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Etymology 1[edit]
Preposition[edit]
a
- to; towards
- 13th century CE, Alfonso X of Castile, Cantigas de Santa Maria, , E codex, cantiga 14 (facsimile):
- fugiu con el a Egipto. terra de Reẏ Faraon.
- ran away with him to Egypt, land of the Pharaoh king.
- fugiu con el a Egipto. terra de Reẏ Faraon.
Descendants[edit]
Etymology 2[edit]
Article[edit]
a
- Alternative spelling of á
Ometepec Nahuatl[edit]
Noun[edit]
a
Palauan[edit]
Etymology 1[edit]
From Pre-Palauan *a, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *a.
Article[edit]
a
Etymology 2[edit]
From Pre-Palauan *a, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *a, from Proto-Austronesian *a.
Conjunction[edit]
a
Polish[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Etymology 1[edit]
Letter[edit]
a (lowercase, uppercase A)
- The first letter of the Polish alphabet, written in the Latin script.
See also[edit]
Noun[edit]
a n (indeclinable)
- a, near-open central vowel
- (music) a (note)
Etymology 2[edit]
Noun[edit]
a m inan
Etymology 3[edit]
Inherited from Old Polish a, from Proto-Slavic *a, from Proto-Balto-Slavic *ō.
Conjunction[edit]
a
- and, but, whereas (used contrastively)
- A ty? ― And you?
- Wolisz tabletki, a ja wolę zastrzyki. ― You prefer pills whereas I prefer injections.
- and (used to continue a previous statement or to add to it)
- walka między dobrem a złem ― battle between good and evil
- and then (used to say an event will occur if some requirement is fulfilled)
- Poszukasz, a znajdziesz. ― If you seek it, then you shall find it.
- and (used after a verb to indicate it will last a long time)
- pracować a pracować ― to work and work (for a long time)
- such and such (used when the speaker does not want to be more specific, when repeating an element)
- is (used to show some connection between two objects which are very different from each other)
- what about
- Ja jestem gotowy, a ty? ― I'm ready, what about you?
Derived terms[edit]
Etymology 4[edit]
Interjection[edit]
a
- ah! (used when the speaker has remembered or noticed something)
Further reading[edit]
Portuguese[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
- letter
- article, pronoun
Etymology 1[edit]
Letter[edit]
a (lower case, upper case A)
- The first letter of the Portuguese alphabet, written in the Latin script.
See also[edit]
- (Latin-script letters) letra; A a (Á á, À à, Â â, Ã ã), B b, C c (Ç ç), D d, E e (É é, Ê ê), F f, G g, H h, I i (Í í), J j, K k, L l, M m, N n, O o (Ó ó, Ô ô, Õ õ), P p, Q q, R r, S s, T t, U u (Ú ú), V v, W w, X x, Y y, Z z
Noun[edit]
a m (plural as)
- 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
- feminine singular of o
- 2005, J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter e o Enigma do Príncipe [Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince] (Harry Potter; 6), Rio de Janeiro: Rocco, →ISBN, page 219:
- Então, como foi a última festinha de Slughorn?
- So, how was the last Slughorn's little party?
- 2007, J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter e as Relíquias da Morte [Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows] (Harry Potter; 7), Rio de Janeiro: Rocco, →ISBN, page 147:
- Entregou a foto rasgada, [...]
- He handed over the torn photograph, [...]
Quotations[edit]
Additional quotations can be found at Citations:o.
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)
- 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.”
Quotations[edit]
Quotations can be found at Citations:a.
See also[edit]
See Template:Portuguese personal pronouns for more.
Etymology 3[edit]
From Old Portuguese a, from Latin ad (“to”) and ab (“from, away, by”).
Preposition[edit]
a
- to, introduces the indirect object
- 2005, J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter e o Enigma do Príncipe [Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince] (Harry Potter; 6), Rio de Janeiro: Rocco, →ISBN, page 143:
- Deixe-me mostrar a você...
- Let me show it to you...
- 2007, J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter e as Relíquias da Morte [Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows] (Harry Potter; 7), Rio de Janeiro: Rocco, →ISBN, page 516:
- Não é bonito dizer isso a uma pessoa.
- It's not nice to say that to a person.
- Dê-o a mim. ― Give it to me.
- Meu coração pertence a você. ― My heart belongs to you.
- Synonym: para
- to; towards, indicates destination
- away, indicates a physical distance
- A vila fica a onze milhas ― The village is eleven miles away.
- Comunicação à distância. ― Communication at a distance.
- with; by means of, using as an instrument or means
- Mataram o cão a pauladas. ― They bludgeoned the dog to death. (literally, “they killed the dog with bludgeonings”)
- A cavalo. ― On horseback.
- Livro escrito a lápis. ― A book written with a pencil.
- Synonyms: com, por meio de
- with; on, using as a medium or fuel
- Quadro pintado a óleo. ― A painting painted with oil.
- Fornalha a carvão. ― Coal furnace.
- by, using the specified measurement; in the specified quantity
- É mais barato comprar comida ao quilo. ― It is cheaper to by food by the kilogram.
- Os fracassos ocorrem às dezenas. ― Failures occur by the dozen.
- (preceded and followed by the same word) by, indicates a steady progression
- Calma lá. Resolva o problema passo a passo. ― Easy there. Solve the problem step by step.
- Synonym: por
- in the style or manner of; a la
- (limited use, see usage notes) at, during the specified period
- (rare except in set terms) at; in, indicates a location or position
- Isso fica à frente do altar. ― This stays in front of the altar.
- Synonym: em
- indicates the direct object, mainly to avoid confusion when it, the subject, or both are displaced, or for emphasis
- A mim ele não engana. ― He doesn’t deceive me. (literally, “To me he doesn’t deceive.”)
- (Portugal, followed by a verb in the infinitive form) forms the present participle; in Brazil, the gerund is used instead
- Estou a preparar a canja ― I am preparing the chicken soup
- (followed by an infinitive or present passive) to, forms the future participle
Usage notes[edit]
When followed by a definite article, a is combined with the article to give the following combined forms:
In the sense of to (introducing the indirect object) usage with a personal pronoun can be replaced with an indirect pronoun (me, nos, te, vos, lhe, lhes):
- Deram um livro a ele. → Deram-lhe um livro.
In the sense of at (during the specified period) it can be used with:
- noite (“night”)
- noitinha (“evening”)
- tarde (“afternoon”)
- meio-dia (“noon”)
- meia-noite (“midnight”)
- specific hours
Dia (“day”), manhã (“morning”), madrugada (“early morning”) use de (“of”) instead, which can optionally be used for tarde, noitinha and noite as well. Names of months, days of the month and of the week use em (“in”).
Quotations[edit]
Quotations can be found at Citations:a.
Descendants[edit]
- Indo-Portuguese: a
See also[edit]
Etymology 4[edit]
Alternative forms[edit]
Interjection[edit]
a
- oh, expression of mild surprise
- A, tudo bem então.
- Oh, all right then.
Quotations[edit]
Quotations can be found at Citations:a.
Etymology 5[edit]
From homophone há
Verb[edit]
a
- Misspelling of há.
Quotations[edit]
Quotations can be found at Citations:a.
Etymology 6[edit]
From homophone à
Contraction[edit]
a
- Misspelling of à.
Quotations[edit]
Quotations can be found at Citations:a.
Rapa Nui[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Etymology 1[edit]
From Proto-Polynesian *a. Cognates include Maori a and Tongan ʻa.
Article[edit]
a
- the personal article, used before proper nouns
Etymology 2[edit]
From Proto-Nuclear Polynesian *a. Cognates include Hawaiian ā and Maori ā.
Preposition[edit]
a
References[edit]
Romani[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Etymology 1[edit]
Letter[edit]
a (lower case, upper case A)
- The first letter of the Romani alphabet, written in the Latin script.
See also[edit]
- (Latin-script letters) A a, B b, C c, D d, E e, F f, G g, H h, X x, I i, J j, K k, Kh kh, L l, M m, N n, O o, P p, Ph ph, R r, S s, T t, Th th, U u, V v, Z z International Standard: (À à, Ä ä, Ǎ ǎ), Ć ć, Ćh ćh, (È è, Ë ë, Ě ě), (Ì ì, Ï ï, Ǐ ǐ), (Ò ò, Ö ö, Ǒ ǒ), Rr rr, Ś ś, (Ù ù, Ü ü, Ǔ ǔ), Ź ź, Ʒ ʒ, Q q, Ç ç, ϴ θ. Pan-Vlax: Č č, Čh čh, Dž dž, (Dź dź), Ř ř, Š š, (Ś ś), Ž ž, (Ź ź).
Etymology 2[edit]
Interjection[edit]
a
References[edit]
- Yūsuke Sumi (2018), “a”, in ニューエクスプレス ロマ(ジプシー)語 [New Express Romani (Gypsy)] (in Japanese), Tokyo: Hakusuisha, →ISBN, page 134
Romanian[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Letter[edit]
a (lower case, upper case A)
- The first letter of the Romanian alphabet, written in the Latin script.
See also[edit]
- (Latin-script letters) A a, Ă ă, Â â, B b, C c, D d, E e, F f, G g, H h, I i, Î î, J j, K k, L l, M m, N n, O o, P p, Q q, R r, S s, Ș ș, T t, Ț ț, U u, V v, W w, X x, Y y, Z z
Etymology 1[edit]
Article[edit]
a (feminine singular possessive article)
- of (+ genitive)
Etymology 2[edit]
From Latin ad, from Proto-Indo-European *ád (“near; at”).
Preposition[edit]
a
- (used with infinitive verbs) the infinitive marker: to
- A fi.
- To be.
- (archaic) at (now almost completely replaced by la)
- (used only with a few perception verbs like suna, mirosi, arăta) like
Etymology 3[edit]
From proto-Romanian, from a late Vulgar Latin *ae(t), from Latin habet[1].
Verb[edit]
(el/ea) a (modal auxiliary, third-person singular form of avea, used with past participles to form perfect compus tenses)
- modal auxiliary
- (he/she) has...
- A văzut acest film?
- Has he/she seen this film?
- (he/she) has...
Usage notes[edit]
a is used instead of are to form the third-person singular perfect compus.
Related terms[edit]
References[edit]
Sassarese[edit]
Alternative forms[edit]
- ad (found before a vowel)
Etymology[edit]
From Latin ad, from Proto-Italic *ad, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd.
Pronunciation[edit]
Preposition[edit]
a
- to
- 1989, Giovanni Maria Cherchi, “Primabéra [Spring]”, in La poesia di l'althri, Sassari: Arnoldo Mondadori Editore, page 13:
- Lu branu a me no piazi
- I don't like spring
- (literally, “The spring to me is not pleasant”)
- at
- 1989, Giovanni Maria Cherchi, “Dipididda [Departure]”, in La poesia di l'althri, Sassari: Arnoldo Mondadori Editore, page 15:
- Lu disthinu di l’ommu ciamba pianu, ¶ ma caggi a una zerth’ora
- The fate of man changes slowly, but it arrives at some point
- in
- 1989, Giovanni Maria Cherchi, “Un cuntaddu [A Tale]”, in La poesia di l'althri, Sassari: Arnoldo Mondadori Editore, page 49:
- Erani amigghi cari, ma, girosi ¶ l’unu di l’althru, […] ¶ s’invintàbani umbè d’innamuraddi ¶ gariggendi a ca più fèmmini v'abìa.
- They were close friends, but, [being] jealous of one another, they would make up lots of lovers, competing for having the most girls.
- (literally, “They were dear friends, but, jealous one of the other, they invented lots of lovers, competing in who had the most girls.”)
- Used to convey an accusative
- 1989, Giovanni Maria Cherchi, “Lu Trabagliu [Work]”, in La poesia di l'althri, Sassari: Arnoldo Mondadori Editore, page 23:
- Abà zappu una terra asciutta e tóstha ¶ azzuppendi a la rocca, ¶ a la prunizza.
- Here I hoe dry, hard land, clashing against rock and thornbush.
References[edit]
- Rubattu, Antoninu (2006) Dizionario universale della lingua di Sardegna, 2nd edition, Sassari: Edes
Satawalese[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Pronoun[edit]
a (third-person singular)
References[edit]
Kevin M. Roddy (2007), "A Sketch Grammar Of Satawalese, The Language Of Satawal Island, Yap State, Micronesia"
Scots[edit]
Etymology 1[edit]
Letter[edit]
a (lower case, upper case A)
- The first letter of the Scots alphabet, written in the Latin script.
See also[edit]
- (Latin-script letters) A a, B b, C c, D d, E e, F f, G g, H h, I i, J j, K k, L, l, M m, N n, O o, P p, Q q, R r, S s, T t, U u, V v, W w, X x, Y y, Z z, Ȝ ȝ
Etymology 2[edit]
From Middle English a, from Old English ān (“one; a; lone; sole”).
Pronunciation[edit]
Article[edit]
a
Usage notes[edit]
- Unlike English, this form can be used before both consonant and vowel sounds. However, this is not often the case in written Scots, probably due to the influence of English. [1]
Synonyms[edit]
- (before a vowel): an
References[edit]
- “a, indef. art.” in the Dictionary of the Scots Language, Edinburgh: Scottish Language Dictionaries.
Etymology 3[edit]
Determiner[edit]
a
- Alternative form of a'
Adverb[edit]
a (not comparable)
- Alternative form of a'
Noun[edit]
a (uncountable)
- Alternative form of a'
References[edit]
Scottish Gaelic[edit]
Etymology 1[edit]
From Old Irish a, from Proto-Celtic *ō. Cognates include Irish a and Welsh a.
Pronunciation[edit]
Particle[edit]
a (triggers lenition)
- Used to mark a vocative; O
- Halò, a Ruairidh. ― Hello, (O) Roderick.
Etymology 2[edit]
From Old Irish a. Cognates include Irish a.
Pronunciation[edit]
Determiner[edit]
a
See also[edit]
Etymology 3[edit]
From Old Irish a. Cognates include Irish a.