ա

See also: -ա-, -ա, պ, Ա, w, and ɯ

ա U+0561, ա ARMENIAN SMALL LETTER AYB ← ՠ [U+0560] Armenian բ → [U+0562]

Armenian

Pronunciation

• (Eastern Armenian, standard) IPA^(key): [ɑ]
• (Western Armenian, standard) IPA^(key): [ɑ]

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Etymology 1

Letter

ա

ա lowercase (uppercase Ա)

1. The first letter of the Armenian alphabet, called այբ (ayb). Represents open back unrounded vowel: [ɑ]. Transliterated as a.

   Ա-ն Բ-ից ջոկել ― A-n B-icʿ ǰokel ― to know one's ABCs; to be literate

   Ա և Ք ― A ew Kʿ ― from A to Z; the beginning and the end; completely, fully

   Ա-ից Ք ― A-icʿ Kʿ ― from A to Z; from beginning to end

See also

• (The Armenian script): Աա   Բբ   Գգ   Դդ   Եե   Զզ   Էէ   Ըը   Թթ   Ժժ   Իի   Լլ   Խխ   Ծծ   Կկ   Հհ   Ձձ   Ղղ   Ճճ   Մմ   Յյ   Նն   Շշ   Ոո   Չչ   Պպ   Ջջ   Ռռ   Սս   Վվ   Տտ   Րր   Ցց   Ււ   Փփ   Քք   Օօ   Ֆֆ
• (Letter combinations): ու   և   ﬔ   ﬕ   ﬓ   ﬗ   ﬖ
• (Dialectological): ՠ / ա̈   ա̊   ա̄   ը̂   է̀   էօ / օ̈   էօ̀ / օ̈̀   իւ / ո̈ւ   գ^յ   կ^յ   ք^յ   հ^յ   բՙ   դՙ   գՙ   ձՙ   ջՙ   ղՙ   ֈ / յ̵   ʔ  
• (Punctuation):  ՙ    ՚   ՛   ՜   ՝   ՞   ՟   ․   ։   ֊
• (Symbols): ֏ ֎ ֍

Etymology 2

Verb

ա • (a)

1. (dialectal, colloquial) Alternative form of է (ē)

   Գլուխս ցավում ա։

   Gluxs cʿavum a.

   My head hurts.

Etymology 3

Interjection

ա • (a)

1. ah, oh (used to express emotions such as surprise, delight, pain or disdain)

   Ա՜, բարև, բարև... ― A^!, barew, barew... ― Ah, hello, hello...

References

• Dum-Tragut, Jasmine (2009) Armenian: Modern Eastern Armenian (London Oriental and African Language Library; 14), Amsterdam, Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing Company, § 1.1.1, page 13