Etymology 1Edit
Small form of the katakana character ア (a).
Combining formEdit
ァ
- Small combining form of katakana ア (a) used to explicitly specify the vowel part of the previous katakana character, or to show a speaker's pronunciation or extension of that vowel.
- ファ - the sound [ɸa] rather than [ɸu] (フ) or [ha] (ハ)
- ファン - transliteration of English fan
Usage notesEdit
Unlike the hiragana system, used for Japanese language words that kanji does not cover, the katakana syllabary is used primarily for transcription of foreign language words into Japanese and the writing of loan words (collectively gairaigo), as well as to represent onomatopoeias, technical and scientific terms, and the names of plants, animals, and minerals. Names of Japanese companies, as well as certain Japanese language words, are also sometimes written in katakana rather than the other systems. [edit]
Related termsEdit
- ぁ (hiragana small a)
- ア (full-size a)
- (Katakana) 片仮名; アァ, イィ, ウゥヴ, エェ, オォ, カヵガ, キギ, クグ, ケヶゲ, コゴ, サザ, シジ, スズ, セゼ, ソゾ, タダ, チヂ, ツッヅ, テデ, トド, ナ, ニ, ヌ, ネ, ノ, ハバパ, ヒビピ, フブプ, ヘベペ, ホボポ, マ, ミ, ム, メ, モ, ヤャ, ユュ, ヨョ, ラ, リ, ル, レ, ロ, ワヮ, ヰ, ヱ, ヲ, ン, ー, ヽ, ヾ
Etymology 2Edit
Alternative formsEdit
ァ
- Slurred form of は (wa).
- William Shakespeare (translator 坪内逍遙), 『ロミオとヂュリエット』
- 「はて、立つと言へば不動ぢゃがや。不動は立往生ぢゃ。出向うて往かけんけりゃ鬪爭にァならぬわい。」
「はて、飼犬を見たゞけでも向うてゆくわい。モンタギューの奴等と見りゃ、男でも女でも關うたことァない。」
- "Hate, tatsu to ieba suwari ja ga ya. Isuwari wa tachiōjō ja. Demukōteyukakenkerya kenka nya naranu wai."
"Hate, inu wo mita dake de mo mukōteyuku wai. Montagyū no yatsura to mirya, otoko de mo onna de mo kamauta kotwa nai."
- "To move is to stir, and to be valiant is to stand. Therefore, if thou art moved, thou runn'st away."
"A dog of that house shall move me to stand. I will take the wall of any man or maid of Montague's."