Khmer

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Pronunciation

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Orthographic and Phonemic អា
ʼā
WT romanisation ʼaa
(standard) IPA(key) /ʔaː/

Etymology 1

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Particle

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អា (ʼaa)

  1. derogatory or colloquial particle.
Usage notes
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Particle used before nouns and noun phrases giving them a derogatory or very familiar meaning.

អាអត់ពូជ  ―  ʼaa ʼɑt puuc  ―  son of a bitch!

It is commonly used in addressing close friends, persons regarded as inferiors, or young boys.

អាវ៉ា  ―  ʼaa vaa  ―  term of address for boys

It can also be used before the name of something with which one is annoyed. When preceding adjectives or demonstratives, it forms nouns with a notion of disapproval or familiarity.

អានេះ, អានោះ  ―  ʼaa nih , · ʼaa nuh  ―  this one, that one

Etymology 2

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Verb

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អា (ʼaa) (abstract noun ការអា)

  1. Alternative form of អារ (ʼaa)​: to ​saw

Sanskrit

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Alternative forms

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Preposition

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អា (ā́)

  1. Alternative form of (ā, as far as)
    • 900-1100 AD; copied later, Arlo Griffiths, Kunthea Chhom, “A problematic inscription (K.1237)”, in Udaya: Journal of Khmer Studies[1], volume 14 (PDF), Yosothor, published 2019, halshs-02168837, page 10:
      វិមទ*យន្តិយេភូមី*
      ទាសាន្ទេវស្យបាបី*នះ
      តេសវ្វ៌នរកេយាន្តុ
      យាតនាមាភវក្ឞយាត៑ ៕
      * Read ទ, មី and បី as ទ៌, មិ and បិ.
      vimardayanti ye bhūmi
      dāsāndevasya pāpinaḥ
      te sarvvanarake yāntu
      yātanām ā bhavakṣayāt· ॥
      May the evil ones who disturb the land and servants of the god undergo torment in every hell until the end of existence.