ا
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ArabicEdit
PronunciationEdit
LetterEdit
ا / ا • (ʔalif)
- Although usually considered to be the first letter of the Arabic alphabet, the small hamza (ء (ʔ)) that sits on top of أ (ʔ) is really the first letter of the Arabic alphabet, and the tall column is its bearer. This entry only deals with the lower part, the bearer, which is called أَلِف (ʔalif) and, without the hamza, is used to lengthen a preceding a.
SymbolEdit
ا • (ʔalif)
- The first letter in traditional abjad order, which is used in place of numerals for list numbering (abjad numerals). It is followed by ب (b).
Isolated form | Final form |
---|---|
ا | ـا |
PronunciationEdit
After fatha: ـَا — IPA(key): /aː/
Combined with fatha: اَ — IPA(key): /ʔa/
- اَلْيَوْمَ (al-yawma, “today”)
Combined with kasra: اِ — IPA(key): /ʔi/
Combined with damma: اُ — IPA(key): /ʔu/
See alsoEdit
- (Arabic script letters) ا (ā), ب (b), ت (t), ث (ṯ), ج (j), ح (ḥ), خ (ḵ), د (d), ذ (ḏ), ر (r), ز (z), س (s), ش (š), ص (ṣ), ض (ḍ), ط (ṭ), ظ (ẓ), ع (ʕ), غ (ḡ), ف (f), ق (q), ك (k), ل (l), م (m), ن (n), ه (h), و (w), ي (y)
- أ (ʔ)
- إ (ʔ)
- آ (ʔā)
- ى
- ٱ
- ـٰ
- Wikipedia article on the Arabic alphabet
- Search en.wiktionary.org for articles beginning with: ا
BaltiEdit
PronunciationEdit
LetterEdit
ا (â)
- The first letter of the Balti alphabet, written in the Perso-Arabic script
BurushaskiEdit
PronunciationEdit
LetterEdit
ا
- The first letter of the Burushaski alphabet, written in the Perso-Arabic script
ChineseEdit
PronunciationEdit
LetterEdit
ا
- The first letter of the Xiao'erjing abjad.
KashmiriEdit
PronunciationEdit
LetterEdit
ا • (a,ā)
- The first letter of the traditional alphabet chart of Kashmiri.
FormsEdit
Isolated form | Final form |
---|---|
ا | ـا |
See alsoEdit
- Next letter: ب (b)
KazakhEdit
Cyrillic | А, а/Ә, ә (A, a/Ä, ä) |
---|---|
Arabic | ا |
Latin | A, a/Ä, ä |
PronunciationEdit
LetterEdit
ا • (a, ä)
FormsEdit
Isolated form | Final form |
---|---|
ا | ـا |
Usage notesEdit
Represents the back-vowel sound /ɑ/, unless a small ء is placed at the beginning of the word. In Kazakh, the Hamza marks that all vowels in the following word are fronted. If ا is the initial letter of a word and is representing a front vowel, it is combined with the hamza and the variant ٵ is used.
See alsoEdit
KhowarEdit
PronunciationEdit
LetterEdit
ا (ālif)
- The first letter of the Khowar abjad.
FormsEdit
Isolated form | Final form |
---|---|
ا | ـا |
See alsoEdit
- Next letter: آ
KyrgyzEdit
PronunciationEdit
LetterEdit
ا • (alif)
FormsEdit
Isolated form | Final form |
---|---|
ا | ـا |
See alsoEdit
MalayEdit
PronunciationEdit
LetterEdit
ا / ا
- The first letter of the Malay alphabet, written in the Arabic script.
See alsoEdit
North Levantine ArabicEdit
SuffixEdit
ـا • (-a, -wa, -ya) f
- Alternative spelling of ـها when it is not pronounced as “-ha”
PashtoEdit
PronunciationEdit
LetterEdit
ا • (alif)
- The first letter of the Pashto alphabet.
FormsEdit
Isolated form | Final form |
---|---|
ا | ـا |
Usage notesEdit
- At the start of the word, the letter ا (alif) represents the consonant /ʔ/.
- In the middle or end of a word, ا represents the vowel /ɑ/.
See alsoEdit
- Next letter: ب
PersianEdit
Etymology 1Edit
PronunciationEdit
- Phoneme:
- Letter name:
LetterEdit
ا • (a, a, e, o)
- The first letter of the Perso-Arabic alphabet. Its name is اَلِف (alef).
Usage notesEdit
The phonemes /a/, /ɪ/, and /ʊ/ no longer exist in Iranian Persian and should only be pronounced in Dari or Tajik. The short-vowels /a/, /ɪ/, /ʊ/, or /æ/, /e/, /o/ are only denoted with alef in the beginning of a word. If a word-initial Alef is representing the sound /ɑː/ or /ɒː/ it's usually written as آ
See alsoEdit
- Next letter: ب
Etymology 2Edit
From Arabic ـًا (-an, triptotic indefinite accusative ending).
SuffixEdit
ـاً • (-an)
- Used to form adverbs from nouns or adjectives.
Usage notesEdit
- This suffix mostly occurs with Arabic loanwords, but it is used somewhat peculiarly in Persian. Firstly, it also written out after words which, in Arabic, end in the feminine suffix ـَة (-a), e.g. نسبتاً (nesbatan, “relatively”). More importantly, it may at times occur with native Persian words and with Arabic words in which the ending would be ungrammatical, e.g. ناچاراً (nâčâran, “inevitably”), اقلاً (aqallan, “at least”).
Derived termsEdit
Etymology 3Edit
PronunciationEdit
PrepositionEdit
ا • (a)
Etymology 4Edit
PronunciationEdit
SuffixEdit
ـا • (-â)
- an adjective forming suffix
- a noun forming suffix
See alsoEdit
Etymology 5Edit
Alternative formsEdit
- یا (-yâ) (following a vowel)
PronunciationEdit
SuffixEdit
ـا • (-â)
- (chiefly literary) a vocative suffix
- خداوندا ― xodâvandâ ― O Lord!
PunjabiEdit
PronunciationEdit
LetterEdit
ا • (a)
FormsEdit
Isolated form | Final form |
---|---|
ا | ـا |
See alsoEdit
- Next letter: ب (b)
- (Shahmukhi script letters) ا (a), ب (b), پ (p), ت (t), ٹ (ṭ), ث (s̱), ج (j), چ (c), ح (ḥ), خ (x), د (d), ڈ (ḍ), ذ (ẕ), ر (r), ڑ (ṛ), ز (z), ژ (ž), س (s), ش (ś), ص (ṣ), ض (ẓ), ط (t̤), ظ (z̤), ع (ʻ), غ (ġ), ف (f), ق (q), ک (k), گ (g), ل (l), ࣇ (ḷ), م (m), ن (n), ݨ (ṇ), ں (ṉ), ہ (h), و (v), ی (y), ے (e) (Category: Punjabi letters)
RajasthaniEdit
PronunciationEdit
LetterEdit
ا (ảlif)
- The first letter of the Rajasthani abjad.
FormsEdit
Isolated form | Final form |
---|---|
ا | ـا |
See alsoEdit
- Next letter: ب
UrduEdit
Etymology 1Edit
PronunciationEdit
- (letter name): (Standard Urdu) IPA(key): /ə.lɪf/
- (phoneme): (Standard Urdu) IPA(key): /ə/, /ɑː/, /ʔ/
LetterEdit
ا • (ālif)
- The first letter of the Urdu abjad.
FormsEdit
Isolated form | Final form |
---|---|
ا | ـا |
See alsoEdit
- Next letter: ب
Etymology 2Edit
Borrowed from Sanskrit अ- (a-).
Alternative formsEdit
- انـ (an-) (before vowels)
PrefixEdit
اـ • (a-) (Hindi spelling अ-)
Usage notesEdit
This form is used before words that begin with consonants.
Derived termsEdit
YorubaEdit
PronunciationEdit
LetterEdit
ا (a)
FormsEdit
Isolated form | Final form |
---|---|
ا | ـا |
See alsoEdit
- Next letter: ب