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a

See also: A, Appendix:Variations of "a", and 𐌳

Contents

TranslingualEdit

Unicode name LATIN SMALL LETTER A
Unicode block Basic Latin
Codepoint U+0061
 ` ← Basic Latin → b 
See also the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica's article on:
A.

Etymology 1Edit

Modification of capital letter A, from Latin A, from Ancient Greek letter Α ‎(A).

PronunciationEdit

  • (letter, most languages): IPA(key): /ɑː/, /a/
  • IPA
    		(file)

LetterEdit

a lower case (upper case A)

  1. The first letter of the basic modern Latin alphabet.

SymbolEdit

a

  1. (phonetics) Used in the International Phonetic Alphabet and in several romanization systems of non-Latin scripts to represent an open front unrounded vowel.

See alsoEdit

External linksEdit

Etymology 2Edit

Abbreviation [please replace this header] of atto-, from Danish and Norwegian atten ‎(“eighteen”).

SymbolEdit

a

  1. atto-, the prefix for 10-18 in the International System of Units.

Etymology 3Edit

From Latin annus

SymbolEdit

a

  1. A year in SI Units, specifically a Julian year or exactly 365.25 days.

Etymology 4Edit

Abbreviation [please replace this header]

SymbolEdit

a

  1. An are, a unit of area of which 100 comprise a hectare; ares.
  2. (physics) acceleration

Other representations of A:

  • Letter styles

  • Capital and lowercase versions of A, in normal and italic type

  • Uppercase and lowercase A in Fraktur

  • Approximate form of Greek upper case Α (a, “alpha”) that was the source for both common variants of aA in uncial script

EnglishEdit

Etymology 1Edit

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 formsEdit

PronunciationEdit

  • (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) /æ/, /ɑː/, /eɪ/, ...

LetterEdit

a ‎(lower case, upper case A, plural a's)

  1. The first letter of the English alphabet, called a and written in the Latin script.
Usage notesEdit

In English, the letter a usually denotes the near-open front unrounded vowel (/æ/), as in pad, the open back unrounded vowel (/ɑː/) as in father, or, followed by another vowel, the diphthong /eɪ/, as in ace.

a is the third-most common letter in English.

Derived termsEdit
See alsoEdit

NumeralEdit

a ‎(lower case, upper case A)

  1. The ordinal number first, derived from this letter of the English alphabet, called a and written in the Latin script.

NounEdit

a ‎(plural aes)[1]

  1. The name of the Latin script letter A/a.
See alsoEdit
TranslationsEdit

Etymology 2Edit

From Middle English a, from Old English ān ‎(“one; a; lone; sole”). The "n" was gradually lost before consonants in almost all dialects by the 15th century.

PronunciationEdit

  • (stressed) IPA(key): /eɪ/
  • (unstressed) IPA(key): /ə/
  • Audio (US), stressed
    		(file)
  • Audio (US), unstressed
    		(file)

ArticleEdit

a ‎(indefinite)

  1. 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. Schuster, The Hepaticae and Anthocerotae of North America: East of the Hundredth Meridian, volume V, 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!
  2. Used in conjunction with the adjectives score, dozen, hundred, thousand, and million, as a function word.
    I've seen it happen a hundred times.‎
  3. One certain or particular; any single. [First attested between around 1150 to 1350][2]
    We've received an interesting letter from a Mrs. Miggins of London.‎
  4. The same; one. [16th Century][2]
    We are of a mind on matters of morals.‎
  5. 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?‎
  6. Used before plural nouns modified by few, good many, couple, great many, etc.
  7. 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 notesEdit
Main appendix: English articles#Indefinite articles
  • 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.
TranslationsEdit
an — see an

Etymology 3Edit

PronunciationEdit

PrepositionEdit

a

  1. (archaic) To do with position or direction; In, on, at, by, towards, onto. [First attested before 1150][2]
    Stand a tiptoe.‎
  2. To do with separation; In, into. [First attested before 1150][2]
    Torn a pieces.‎
  3. (archaic) To do with time; Each, per, in, on, by. [First attested before 1150][2]
    I brush my teeth twice a day.‎
    • 1601, Shakespeare, Hamlet, IV-v
      A Sundays
  4. (obsolete) To do with method; In, with. [First attested before 1150][2]
    • Marlowe, C.
      Stands here a purpose.
  5. (obsolete) To do with role or capacity; In. [First attested before 1150][2]
    A God’s name.‎
  6. To do with status; In. [First attested before 1150][2]
  7. (archaic) To do with process, with a passive verb; In the course of, experiencing. [First attested before 1150][2]
    • 1964, Bob Dylan, The Times They Are a-Changin’
      The times, they are a-changin'.
  8. (archaic) To do with an action, an active verb; Engaged in. [16th century][2]
    • 1605~1608 Shakespeare
      It was a doing.
    • 1611, King James Bible, Hebrews 11-21
      Jacob, when he was a dying
  9. (archaic) To do with an action/movement; To, into. [16th century][2]
Usage notesEdit
  • (position, direction): Can also be attached without a hyphen, as aback, ahorse, afoot. See a-
  1. (separation): Can also be attached without hyphen, as asunder. See a-
  2. (status): Can also be attached without hyphen, as afloat, awake. See a-.
  3. (process): Can also be attached with or without hyphen, as a-changing

Etymology 4Edit

From Middle English a, ha contraction of have, or haven.

Alternative formsEdit

PronunciationEdit

VerbEdit

a ‎(third-person singular simple present -, present participle -, simple past and past participle -)

  1. (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.‎
    • 1604 (facsimile printed between 1830 and 1910), William Shakespeare, Hamlet:
      So would I a done by yonder ſunne
      And thou hadſt not come to my bed.
Derived termsEdit
Derived terms
Usage notesEdit
  • Now often attached to preceding auxiliary verb. See -a.

Etymology 5Edit

A user suggests that this entry be cleaned up, giving the reason: “There are five etymologies and two pronunciation but just one meaning. Does Modern English a also mean he, she, it, I? If so, then the meanings have to be added, if not, then it does not make sense to mention for example I in the etymology section or it in the pronunciation section.
Talk:a#RFV implies that the unrelated etymologies and pronunciations have to be removed too.”.
Please see the discussion on Requests for cleanup(+) or the talk page for more information and remove this template after the problem has been dealt with.

Alternative formsEdit

PronunciationEdit

PronounEdit

a

  1. (obsolete outside England and Scotland dialects) He. [1150-1900][2]
    • 1599, Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing, III-ii:
      a’ brushes his hat o’ mornings.
    • 1874 Thomas Hardy, Far from the Madding Crowd (Barnes & Noble Classics reprint [reset], 2005, chapter 5, page 117; from "Hardy's 1912 Wessex edition"):
      "And how Farmer James would cuss, and call thee a fool, wouldn't he, Joseph, when 'a seed his name looking so inside-out-like?" continued Matthew Moon, with feeling. / "Ay — 'a would," said Joseph meekly.

Etymology 6Edit

Variant spelling of ah.

PronunciationEdit

InterjectionEdit

a

  1. A meaningless syllable; ah.
    • 1623 Shakespeare, The Winter’s Tale, IV-iii:
      A merry heart goes all the day
      Your sad tires in a mile-a
    • 1936 Avery, I Love to Singa:
      I love to sing-a
      About the moon-a and the June-a and the Spring-a.

Etymology 7Edit

From Middle English, contraction of of.

PronunciationEdit

PrepositionEdit

a

  1. (archaic, slang) Of.
    The name of John a Gaunt.‎

Usage notesEdit

  • Often attached without a hyphen to preceding word.

Etymology 8Edit

From Middle English (Northern dialect) aw, alteration of all.

PronunciationEdit

Alternative formsEdit

AdverbEdit

a ‎(not comparable)

  1. (chiefly Scotland) All. [First attested from 1350 to 1470.]

AdjectiveEdit

a ‎(not comparable)

  1. (chiefly Scotland) All. [First attested from 1350 to 1470.]

Etymology 9Edit

Symbols

SymbolEdit

a

  1. Distance from leading edge to aerodynamic center.
  2. specific absorption coefficient
  3. specific rotation
  4. allele (recessive)

See alsoEdit

StatisticsEdit

Most common English words before 1923: little · now · then · #79: a · should · can · made

ReferencesEdit

  • Lesley Brown (editor), The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, 5th edition (Oxford University Press, 2003 [1933], ISBN 978-0-19-860575-7), page 1
  • Philip Babcock Gove (editor), Webster's Third International Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged (G. & C. Merriam Co., 1976 [1909], ISBN 0-87779-101-5)
  • Christine A. Lindberg (editor), The Oxford College Dictionary, 2nd edition (Spark Publishing, 2007 [2002], ISBN 978-1-4114-0500-4), page 1
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Gove, Philip Babcock, (1976)
  2. ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 Brown, Lesley, (2003)
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lindberg, Christine A. (2007)
  4. ^ YouTube video with lyrics

External linksEdit

AbauEdit

PronunciationEdit

IPA(key): /a/

NounEdit

a

  1. house

AfarEdit

PronunciationEdit

IPA(key): /ʌ/

DeterminerEdit

a

  1. this

AlbanianEdit

Etymology 1Edit

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.

PronunciationEdit

IPA(key): /a/

ParticleEdit

a

  1. or
  2. there

Etymology 2Edit

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.

PronunciationEdit

IPA(key): /a/

ParticleEdit

a

  1. probably, perhaps

AmaEdit

PronunciationEdit

NounEdit

a

  1. tree

AragoneseEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Latin illa.

ArticleEdit

a f sg

  1. the
    a luenga aragonesa‎ ― the Aragonese language

AsturianEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Latin ad.

PrepositionEdit

a

  1. to, towards

Derived termsEdit

NounEdit

a f

  1. a (name of the letter A, a)

AzeriEdit

LetterEdit

a lower case (upper case A)

  1. The first letter of the Azeri alphabet, written in the Latin script.

See alsoEdit

BambaraEdit

ArticleEdit

a

  1. the (definite article).

InterjectionEdit

a

  1. ah (expression of surprise)
  2. eh (expression of reluctance)

PronounEdit

a

  1. they, them (plural)

BavarianEdit

ArticleEdit

a

  1. a

CatalanEdit

Etymology 1Edit

PronunciationEdit

LetterEdit

a ‎(lower case, upper case A)

  1. The first letter of the Catalan alphabet, written in the Latin script.
Derived termsEdit
See alsoEdit

Etymology 2Edit

From Latin ad, from Proto-Indo-European *ád ‎(“near; at”).

PronunciationEdit

PrepositionEdit

a

  1. in, at; indicating a particular time or place
    Sóc a Barcelona.‎
    I am in Barcelona.
  2. to; indicating movement towards a particular place
    Vaig a Barcelona.‎
    I'm going to Barcelona.
  3. to; indicating a target or indirect object
    Escric una carta a la meva àvia.‎
    I'm writing my grandmother a letter.
  4. per
  5. by
    dia a dia.‎
    day by day.
Usage notesEdit

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 termsEdit

ChuukeseEdit

PronunciationEdit

PronounEdit

a

  1. he
  2. she
  3. it

AdjectiveEdit

a

  1. he is
  2. she is
  3. it is

Related termsEdit

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


CzechEdit

PronunciationEdit

ConjunctionEdit

a

  1. and

DalmatianEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Latin ad.

PrepositionEdit

a

  1. to
  2. at

DanishEdit

Etymology 1Edit

PronunciationEdit

LetterEdit

a ‎(lower case, upper case A)

  1. The first letter of the English alphabet, written in the Latin script.
See alsoEdit

Etymology 2Edit

PronunciationEdit

NounEdit

a n (singular definite a'et, plural indefinite a'er)

  1. The first letter of the Danish alphabet, written in the Latin script.
InflectionEdit
Inflection of a

gender		 Singular Plural
indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative a a'et a'er a'erne
genitive a's a'ets a'ers a'ernes

Etymology 3Edit

Alternative formsEdit

  • à (unofficial but common)

PronunciationEdit

PrepositionEdit

a

  1. of, of...each, each containing
  2. at
  3. to, or

Etymology 4Edit

PronunciationEdit

VerbEdit

a

  1. imperative of ae

DutchEdit

PronunciationEdit

Etymology 1Edit

LetterEdit

a ‎(lower case, upper case A)

  1. The first letter of the Dutch alphabet, written in the Latin script.
See alsoEdit

Etymology 2Edit

Dutch Wikipedia has an article on:

Wikipedia nl

From Middle Dutch aa, from Old Dutch ā, from Proto-Germanic *ahwō. Cognate with Old English ēa, Old High German aha (German Ache), Old Norse á (Swedish å).

Alternative formsEdit

  • aa (especially in names)
  • ie

NounEdit

a f ‎(plural a's, diminutive aatje n)

  1. (archaic) a stream or water
Related termsEdit

EgyptianEdit

RomanizationEdit

a

  1. Manuel de Codage transliteration of ˤ.

EsperantoEdit

PronunciationEdit

LetterEdit

a ‎(lower case, upper case A)

  1. The first letter of the Esperanto alphabet, written in the Latin script.

See alsoEdit

NounEdit

a ‎(accusative singular a-on, plural a-oj, accusative plural a-ojn)

  1. The name of the Latin script letter A/a.

See alsoEdit

FalaEdit

Etymology 1Edit

From Old Portuguese á, from Latin illa ‎(“that”).

ArticleEdit

a f ‎(plural as, masculine o, masculine plural os)

  1. feminine singular of 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 2Edit

From Old Portuguese a, from Latin ad ‎(“to”), from Proto-Indo-European *ád ‎(“near, at”).

PrepositionEdit

a

  1. 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, […]

FaroeseEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Latin a, form of A, from Etruscan 𐌀 ‎(a), from Ancient Greek Α ‎(A, “alpha”), from Phoenician 𐤀 ‎(“aleph”), from Egyptian 𓃾.

PronunciationEdit

LetterEdit

a ‎(upper case A)

  1. First letter of the Faroese alphabet.

See alsoEdit

FinnishEdit

PronunciationEdit

IPA(key): /ɑ/

AbbreviationEdit

a

  1. approbatur

FrenchEdit

Etymology 1Edit

PronunciationEdit

  • (letter name): IPA(key): /ɑ/

LetterEdit

a ‎(lower case, upper case A)

  1. The first letter of the French alphabet, written in the Latin script.

Etymology 2Edit

Quebec eye-dialect spelling of elle.

PronunciationEdit

PronounEdit

a

  1. (Quebec, colloquial) Alternative form of elle ‎(“she”)
    (Can we add an example for this sense?)

Etymology 3Edit

SymbolEdit

a

  1. are (100 square metres)

Etymology 4Edit

PronunciationEdit

VerbEdit

a

  1. third-person singular present indicative of avoir
    Elle a un chat.‎
    She has a cat.

See alsoEdit

External linksEdit

FulaEdit

Etymology 1Edit

LetterEdit

a ‎(lower case, upper case A)

  1. A letter of the Fula alphabet, written in the Latin script.

Usage notesEdit

Etymology 2Edit

PronounEdit

a

  1. you (second person singular subject pronoun; short form)

Usage notesEdit

  • 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 alsoEdit

  • aɗa (second person singular subject pronoun; long form), hiɗa (variant used in the Pular dialect of Futa Jalon)
  • aan (emphatic form)

GalicianEdit

PronunciationEdit

IPA(key): /a/

Etymology 1Edit

From Latin ad ‎(“to, toward”).

PrepositionEdit

a

  1. to, toward; indicating direction of motion
  2. introduces indirect object
  3. used to indicate time of an action
  4. (with de) to, until; used to indicate the end of a range
    de cinco a oito‎ ― from five to eight
  5. by, on, by means of; expresses a mode of action
    a pé‎ ― on foot
  6. for; indicates price or cost
Usage notesEdit

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 termsEdit

Etymology 2Edit

From Old Portuguese a, from Latin illa, feminine of ille ‎(“that”).

ArticleEdit

a f ‎(masculine singular o, feminine plural as, masculine plural os)

  1. (definite) the
Usage notesEdit

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.

Derived termsEdit
Terms derived from a

PronounEdit

a f accusative (nominative ela, oblique ela, dative lle)

  1. her: feminine singular third-person personal pronoun
Usage notesEdit

The third-person direct object pronouns o, os, a, and as, have variant forms prefixed with l- or n-. These alternative forms appear depending on the ending of the preceding word. The l- forms (e.g. la) are used when the preceding word ends in -r or -s. The n- forms (e.g. na) are used when the preceding word ends in -u or a diphthong. These alternative forms are then suffixed to the preceding word.

In all other situations, the standard forms of the pronouns are used (o, os, a, as) and are not suffixed to the preceding word.

These direct object pronouns also form contractions when they immediately follow an indirect object pronoun. For example, Dou che a ‎(“I gave you it”) contracts to Dou cha.

Derived termsEdit
Terms derived from a
Related termsEdit
See alsoEdit

Etymology 3Edit

NounEdit

a m ‎(plural as)

  1. a (name of the letter A, a)

GermanEdit

PronunciationEdit

LetterEdit

a ‎(lower case, upper case A)

  1. The first letter of the German alphabet, written in the Latin script.

GilberteseEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Proto-Oceanic *pat, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *pat, from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *əpat, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *əpat, from Proto-Austronesian *Səpat.

PronunciationEdit

IPA(key): /a/

NumeralEdit

a

  1. (cardinal) four

Grass KoiariEdit

PronounEdit

a

  1. you (singular)

ReferencesEdit

  • Terry Crowley, Claire Bowern, An Introduction to Historical Linguistics

GreenlandicEdit

PronunciationEdit

IPA(key): /a/, /a:/

AffixEdit

a (after short vowels)

  1. to be
    Maani ukiaavoq.‎ ― It is autumn here.
    Uangaanngilaq.‎ ― It is not me.

Haitian CreoleEdit

PronunciationEdit

IPA(key): /a/

ArticleEdit

a

  1. the: definite article

Usage notesEdit

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 alsoEdit

HawaiianEdit

PronunciationEdit

IPA(key): /a:/

ConjunctionEdit

a

  1. and (used between sentences)
  2. until, up to

PrepositionEdit

a

  1. of, belonging to

Usage notesEdit

  • 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).

HungarianEdit

PronunciationEdit

ArticleEdit

a ‎(definite)

  1. the
    a hölgy‎ ― the lady

Usage notesEdit

Used before words starting with a consonant.

Related termsEdit

  • az, for words starting with a vowel

IdoEdit

Alternative formsEdit

  • (before a vowel) ad

EtymologyEdit

See ad.

PronunciationEdit

LetterEdit

a ‎(lower case, upper case A)

  1. The first letter of the Ido alphabet, written in the Latin script.

See alsoEdit

NounEdit

a ‎(plural a-i)

  1. The name of the Latin script letter A/a.

See alsoEdit

PrepositionEdit

a

  1. to

Related termsEdit

  • e, ed ‎(“and”)
  • o, od ‎(“or”)

Indo-PortugueseEdit

PronunciationEdit

(Sri Lankan Creole) IPA(key): /a/, /ə/

EtymologyEdit

From Portuguese a, from Old Portuguese a, from Latin ad ‎(“to”), from Proto-Indo-European *át ‎(“near; at”).

PrepositionEdit

a

  1. to
    • 1883, Hugo Schuchardt, Kreolische Studien, volume 3:
      […] , que da-cá su quião que ta pertencê a êll.
      […] , to give him his share which belongs to him.

InterlinguaEdit

PronunciationEdit

PrepositionEdit

a

  1. to, at
  2. to, for (indicating purpose)
    sala a attender‎ ― waiting room

Derived termsEdit

IrishEdit

PronunciationEdit

DeterminerEdit

a (triggers lenition)

  1. his, its
    a athair agus a mháthair‎ ― his father and mother
    Chaill an t-éan a chleití.‎ ― The bird lost its feathers.

See alsoEdit

Irish personal pronouns
Number Person (and gender) Conjunctive
(emphatic)		 Disjunctive
(emphatic)		 Possessive
determiner
Singular First mé
(mise)		 mo L
m' before a vowel or fh-
Second tú
(tusa)		 thú
(thusa)		 do L
d' before a vowel or fh-
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)		 bhur E
Third siad
(siadsan)		 iad
(iadsan)		 a E

Note: L indicates that the word triggers lenition. E indicates that the word triggers eclipsis. H indicates that the word triggers h-prothesis.

The reflexive is formed by adding féin to the relevant pronoun: e.g. "myself" = mé féin, "yourselves" = sibh féin.

DeterminerEdit

a (triggers h-prothesis)

  1. her, its
    a hathair agus a máthair‎ ― her father and mother
    Bhris an mheaig a heiteog.‎ ― The magpie broke its wing.

See alsoEdit

Irish personal pronouns
Number Person (and gender) Conjunctive
(emphatic)		 Disjunctive
(emphatic)		 Possessive
determiner
Singular First mé
(mise)		 mo L
m' before a vowel or fh-
Second tú
(tusa)		 thú
(thusa)		 do L
d' before a vowel or fh-
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)		 bhur E
Third siad
(siadsan)		 iad
(iadsan)		 a E

Note: L indicates that the word triggers lenition. E indicates that the word triggers eclipsis. H indicates that the word triggers h-prothesis.

The reflexive is formed by adding féin to the relevant pronoun: e.g. "myself" = mé féin, "yourselves" = sibh féin.

DeterminerEdit

a ‎(triggers eclipsis of a following word)

  1. their
    a n-athair agus a máthair‎ ― their father and mother
    a dtithe‎ ― their houses
    a n-ainmneacha‎ ― their names
  2. (Connacht) our
  3. (Connacht) your pl

See alsoEdit

Irish personal pronouns
Number Person (and gender) Conjunctive
(emphatic)		 Disjunctive
(emphatic)		 Possessive
determiner
Singular First mé
(mise)		 mo L
m' before a vowel or fh-
Second tú
(tusa)		 thú
(thusa)		 do L
d' before a vowel or fh-
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)		 bhur E
Third siad
(siadsan)		 iad
(iadsan)		 a E

Note: L indicates that the word triggers lenition. E indicates that the word triggers eclipsis. H indicates that the word triggers h-prothesis.

The reflexive is formed by adding féin to the relevant pronoun: e.g. "myself" = mé féin, "yourselves" = sibh féin.

DeterminerEdit

a (triggers lenition)

  1. how (used with an abstract noun)
    A ghéire a labhair sí!‎ ― How sharply she spoke!
    A fheabhas atá sé!‎ ― How good it is!

ParticleEdit

a (triggers lenition)

  1. Introduces a vocative
    A Dhia!‎ ― O God!
    A dhuine uasail!‎ ― Sir!
    Tar isteach, a Sheáin.‎ ― Come in, Seán.
    A amadáin!‎ ― You fool!

ParticleEdit

a (triggers lenition except of d’ and of past autonomous forms)

  1. 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

ParticleEdit

a (triggers eclipsis, takes the dependent form of an irregular verb; not used in the past tense except with some irregular verbs)

  1. 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 termsEdit

  • ar (used with the past tense of regular and some irregular verbs)

ParticleEdit

a (triggers h-prothesis)

  1. Introduces a numeral
    a haon, a dó, a trí...‎ ― one, two, three...
    Séamas a Dó‎ ― James the Second
    bus a seacht‎ ― the number seven bus

PrepositionEdit

a ‎(plus dative, triggers lenition)

  1. to (used with a verbal noun)
    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.

PronounEdit

a (triggers eclipsis, takes the dependent form of an irregular verb; not used in the past tense except with some irregular verbs)

  1. 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 termsEdit

  • ar (used with the past tense of regular and some irregular verbs)

ReferencesEdit

IstriotEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Latin ad.

PrepositionEdit

a

  1. 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,

ParticleEdit

a

  1. 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,

ItalianEdit

PronunciationEdit

Etymology 1Edit

From Latin ad, from Proto-Indo-European *ád ‎(“near; at”). In a few phrases, a stems from Latin a, ab.[1]

PrepositionEdit

a

  1. in
  2. at
  3. to
  4. 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.
    A lei non piace, ma a lui piace molto.‎ ― She doesn't like it, but he likes it very much.
Usage notesEdit
  • 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

Etymology 2Edit

NounEdit

a f, m ‎(invariable)

  1. a (name of the letter A, a)

Etymology 3Edit

VerbEdit

a

  1. Misspelling of ha.

ReferencesEdit

  1. ^ Angelo Prati, "Vocabolario Etimologico Italiano", Torino, 1951

JapaneseEdit

RomanizationEdit

a

  1. rōmaji reading of あ
  2. rōmaji reading of ア

KalashaEdit

PronounEdit

a

  1. I

KrisaEdit

PronunciationEdit

IPA(key): /a/

NounEdit

a m

  1. pig

KoitabuEdit

PronounEdit

a

  1. you (singular)

ReferencesEdit

  • Terry Crowley, Claire Bowern, An Introduction to Historical Linguistics

LadinEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Latin a.

PronunciationEdit

IPA(key): /a/

PrepositionEdit

a

  1. in
  2. at
  3. to

LatgalianEdit

EtymologyEdit

Shortened from an older Baltic form *ā, which cognates with Lithuanian o (the same meaning).

PronunciationEdit

ConjunctionEdit

a f

  1. but, however, while, signal

ParticleEdit

a f

  1. and, but, so, well

LatinEdit

Etymology 1Edit

From the Ancient Greek "Α", likely through Etruscan.

PronunciationEdit

(letter name): IPA(key): /a:/

LetterEdit

a ‎(lower case, upper case A)

  1. (sometimes with littera) the first letter of the Latin alphabet.
    littera a‎ ― the letter a
Usage notesEdit

See Appendix:Mutations of the letter and sound a in the Latin language

Etymology 2Edit

From Etruscan.

PronunciationEdit

NounEdit

ā ‎(indeclinable)

  1. The name of the letter A.
Coordinate termsEdit

ReferencesEdit

  • Arthur E. Gordon, The Letter Names of the Latin Alphabet (University of California Press, 1973; volume 9 of University of California Publications: Classical Studies), part III: “Summary of the Ancient Evidence”, page 32
    Clearly there is no question or doubt about the names of the vowels A, E, I, O, U. They are simply long A, long E, etc. (ā, ē, ī, ō, ū). Nor is there any uncertainty with respect to the six mutes B, C, D, G, P, T. Their names are bē, cē, dē, gē, pē, tē (each with a long E). Or about H, K, and Q: they are hā, kā, kū — each, again, with a long vowel sound.

Etymology 3Edit

Shortened form of ab.

PronunciationEdit

PrepositionEdit

ā ‎(+ ablative)

  1. of, from
Alternative formsEdit
Derived termsEdit

Etymology 4Edit

This entry lacks etymological information. If you are familiar with the origin of this term, please add it to the page per etymology instructions. You can also discuss it at the Etymology Scriptorium.

PronunciationEdit

InterjectionEdit

ā!

  1. ah

LatvianEdit

Latvian Wikipedia has an article on:

Wikipedia lv

EtymologyEdit

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.

PronunciationEdit

LetterEdit

A

a ‎(lower case, upper case A)

  1. The first letter of the Latvian alphabet, called a and written in the Latin script.

See alsoEdit

PronunciationEdit

NounEdit

a m (invariable)

  1. The name of the Latin script letter A/a.

See alsoEdit

LivonianEdit

PronunciationEdit

LetterEdit

a ‎(upper case A)

  1. The first letter of the Livonian alphabet, written in the Latin script.

See alsoEdit


Lower SorbianEdit

PronunciationEdit

ConjunctionEdit

a

  1. and

MalayEdit

PronunciationEdit

(letter name): IPA(key): /a/

LetterEdit

a ‎(lower case, upper case A)

  1. The first letter of the Malay alphabet, written in the Latin script.

See alsoEdit

MandarinEdit

RomanizationEdit

a (Zhuyin ㄚ˙)

  1. Pinyin transcription of 啊
  2. Nonstandard spelling of ā.
  3. Nonstandard spelling of á.
  4. Nonstandard spelling of ǎ.
  5. Nonstandard spelling of à.

Usage notesEdit

  • 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.

MandinkaEdit

PronounEdit

a

  1. he, him (personal pronoun)
    A m busa‎ ― He/she struck me.
    Y a busa‎ ― They struck him/her.
  2. she, her (personal pronoun)
  3. it (personal pronoun)

See alsoEdit

Mandinka personal pronouns
singular plural
1st person nte, n, m ntolu, ntelu, n
2nd person ite, i altolu, altelu, al
3rd person ate, a itolu, itelu, y

MaoriEdit

ParticleEdit

a

  1. of
  2. (determinative particle for names)
  3. (particle for pronouns when succeeding ki, i, kei, and hei)

Usage notesEdit

  • When used in the sense of of, suggests that the possessor has control of the relationship (alienable possession).

Middle FrenchEdit

Etymology 1Edit

Old French, from Latin ad.

Alternative formsEdit

  • à (after 1550)

PrepositionEdit

a

  1. to; towards

Etymology 2Edit

Old French, from Latin habet.

VerbEdit

a

  1. third-person singular present indicative of avoir

Middle WelshEdit

Etymology 1Edit

PronunciationEdit

ParticleEdit

a ‎(triggers lenition)

  1. O (vocative particle)

Etymology 2Edit

PronunciationEdit

PronounEdit

a ‎(triggers lenition)

  1. who, which, that

ParticleEdit

a ‎(triggers lenition)

  1. inserted before the verb when the subject of direct object precedes it

Etymology 3Edit

PronunciationEdit

ParticleEdit

a ‎(triggers lenition)

  1. used to introduce a direct question
  2. whether (used to introduce an indirect question)

Etymology 4Edit

Reduction of o ‎(“from”).

PronunciationEdit

PrepositionEdit

a

  1. 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

Etymology 5Edit

Alternative formsEdit

PronunciationEdit

ConjunctionEdit

a ‎(triggers aspiration)

  1. and

Etymology 6Edit

Alternative formsEdit

PronunciationEdit

PrepositionEdit

a ‎(triggers aspiration)

  1. with

Etymology 7Edit

From Proto-Celtic *ageti, third-person singular present indicative of *ago-, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eǵ-.

PronunciationEdit

Alternative formsEdit

VerbEdit

a

  1. third-person singular present indicative of mynet

Mopan MayaEdit

ArticleEdit

a

  1. the

ReferencesEdit

  • Hofling, Charles Andrew (2011). Mopan Maya–Spanish–English Dictionary, University of Utah Press.

Mountain KoiariEdit

PronounEdit

a

  1. you (singular)

ReferencesEdit

  • Terry Crowley, Claire Bowern, An Introduction to Historical Linguistics

NauruanEdit

PronunciationEdit

PronounEdit

a

  1. I (first person singular pronoun)
    • 2000, Lisa M Johnson, Firstness of Secondness in Nauruan Morphology:
      a pudun
      1sing fall+Vn
      I fell
      […]
      a nuwawen
      1pers.sing. go+Vn
      I did go. (I left.)
      […]
      a kaiotien aem
      [1pers.sing.] [hear+Vn] [your words]
      I hear what you said.
      […]
      a nan imoren
      1pers.sing. FUT health+Vn
      I shall be cured (get better).

NavajoEdit

LetterEdit

a ‎(lower case, upper case A)

  1. 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˥˥/

NeapolitanEdit

PronunciationEdit

Etymology 1Edit

From Latin de ab.

PrepositionEdit

a

  1. from (referring to a place)
  2. by (introducing the actor in the passive voice)
  3. to (implying necessity)

Etymology 2Edit

From Latin ad.

PrepositionEdit

a

  1. in (locative: staying in a place of relative width)
  2. to (locative: moving towards a place of relative width)
  3. to (dative)

NormanEdit

VerbEdit

a

  1. (Guernsey) third-person singular present indicative of aver

Norwegian BokmålEdit

Norwegian Bokmål Wikipedia has an article on:

Wikipedia nb

PronunciationEdit

  • (letter name): IPA(key): /ɑː/
  • (phoneme): IPA(key): /ɑː/, /a/

LetterEdit

a ‎(lowercase, uppercase A)

  1. The first letter of the Norwegian Bokmål alphabet, written in the Latin script.

See alsoEdit

NounEdit

a m ‎(definite singular a-en, indefinite plural a-er, definite plural a-ene)

  1. the letter a

Norwegian NynorskEdit

Norwegian Nynorsk Wikipedia has an article on:

Wikipedia nn

PronunciationEdit

LetterEdit

a ‎(lowercase, uppercase A)

  1. The first letter of the Norwegian Nynorsk alphabet, written in the Latin script.

See alsoEdit

NounEdit

a m ‎(definite singular a-en, indefinite plural a-ar, definite plural a-ane)

  1. the letter a

NovialEdit

PrepositionEdit

a

  1. to

Usage notesEdit

When followed by the definite article li, a may optionally be combined with the article to give al.

Old DanishEdit

Alternative formsEdit

  • aa (Jutlandic)

PronunciationEdit

Etymology 1Edit

From Old Norse á, from Proto-Germanic *ahwō.

NounEdit

ā (genitive ār, plural ār)

  1. (Scanian) stream, river
DescendantsEdit
  • Danish: å

Etymology 2Edit

From Old Norse á, from Proto-Germanic *ana.

PrepositionEdit

ā

  1. (Scanian) on, in, at
DescendantsEdit

Etymology 3Edit

VerbEdit

ā

  1. first-person singular present indicative of ēgha
  2. third-person singular present indicative of ēgha

Old EnglishEdit

PronunciationEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Proto-Germanic *aiw-, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eyu- ‎(“vitality”). Cognate with Old Saxon eo, Old High German io, eo (German je), Old Norse ei, ey (English aye), Gothic 𐌰𐌹𐍅𐍃 ‎(aiws, “age, eternity”).

AdverbEdit

ā

  1. ever, always

DescendantsEdit

Old FrenchEdit

Etymology 1Edit

LetterEdit

a ‎(lower case, upper case A)

  1. The first letter of the Old French alphabet, written in the Latin script.

Etymology 2Edit

From Latin ad.

Alternative formsEdit

  • ad
  • à (not in manuscripts; occasionally used by scholars to differentiate between the preposition and the verb form)

PrepositionEdit

a

  1. to
  2. towards
  3. belonging to
    fil a putain‎ ― son of a whore
Derived termsEdit
DescendantsEdit
  • French: à

Etymology 3Edit

From the verb avoir, aveir.

Alternative formsEdit

VerbEdit

a

  1. third-person singular present indicative of avoir

Old IrishEdit

PronunciationEdit

Etymology 1Edit

From Proto-Celtic *sindom ‎(“this”).

Alternative formsEdit

  • (relative pronoun): an

ArticleEdit

a

  1. nominative / accusative singular neuter of in
    • c. 800, Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles, published in Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus (reprinted 1987, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies), edited and with translations by Whitley Stokes and John Strachan, vol. I, pp. 499–712, Wb. 15b28
      A mbás tiagme-ni do·áirci bethid dúib-si.
      The death to which we go causes life unto you.

PronounEdit

a (triggers eclipsis, takes a leniting relative clause)

  1. that which, what
    • c. 875, Milan Glosses on the Psalms, published in Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus (reprinted 1987, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies), edited and with translations by Whitley Stokes and John Strachan, vol. I, pp. 7–483, Ml. 112b13
      Is demniu liunn a n-ad·chiam hua sulib ol·daas an ro·chluinemmar hua chluasaib.
      What we see with the eyes is more certain for us than what we hear with the ears.
DescendantsEdit
  • Irish: a

Etymology 2Edit

ConjunctionEdit

a (triggers eclipsis, takes a nasalizing relative clause)

  1. when
    • c. 875, Milan Glosses on the Psalms, published in Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus (reprinted 1987, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies), edited and with translations by Whitley Stokes and John Strachan, vol. I, pp. 7–483, Ml. 55d11
      Ícaid-som didiu anisin, a n-as·mbeir “iudicia Domini abyssus multa”.
      He solves that then, when he says “iudicia Domini abyssus multa”.
    • c. 875, Milan Glosses on the Psalms, published in Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus (reprinted 1987, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies), edited and with translations by Whitley Stokes and John Strachan, vol. I, pp. 7–483, Ml. 112b17
      ⁊ a no·nda imbide
      and when thou art hedged round

Etymology 3Edit

From Proto-Celtic *esyo (m and n), *esyās (f), and *esōm (pl); 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 formsEdit

DeterminerEdit

a ‎(3rd person possessive) (triggers lenition in the masculine and neuter singular, an unwritten prothetic /h/ before a vowel in the feminine singular, and eclipsis in the plural)

  1. his, its
    • c. 800, Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles, published in Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus (reprinted 1987, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies), edited and with translations by Whitley Stokes and John Strachan, vol. I, pp. 499–712, Wb. 5a23
      Cossóit a thuaithe fri Dia inso.
      This is a slandering of his folk before God.
    • c. 800, Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles, published in Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus (reprinted 1987, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies), edited and with translations by Whitley Stokes and John Strachan, vol. I, pp. 499–712, Wb. 5d10
      Bad hi forcitul .i. a chomalnad condib desimrecht do chách.
      Let it be in teaching, that is, to fulfill it [lit. "its fulfillment"] so that he may be an example to everyone.
  2. her, its
    • c. 845, St. Gall Glosses on Priscian, published in Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus (reprinted 1975, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies), edited and with translations by Whitley Stokes and John Strachan, vol. II, pp. 49–224, Sg. 32b6
      A mmuntar-sidi ad·rothreb-si lee, it he con·rótgatar in cathraig.
      Her folk whom she had with her, it is they who built the city.
  3. their
    • c. 800, Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles, published in Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus (reprinted 1987, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies), edited and with translations by Whitley Stokes and John Strachan, vol. I, pp. 499–712, Wb. 24a38
      Ní epur a n-anman sund.
      I do not say their names here.
DescendantsEdit
  • Irish: a ‎(“his, her, its, their”)
  • Scottish Gaelic: a ‎(“his, her, its”); an ‎(“their”)

Etymology 4Edit

From Proto-Celtic *ō (compare Welsh a, from Proto-Indo-European *ō (compare Ancient Greek ὦ ‎(ô), Latin ō).

Alternative formsEdit

ParticleEdit

a (triggers lenition)

  1. O (vocative particle)
    • c. 875, Milan Glosses on the Psalms, published in Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus (reprinted 1987, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies), edited and with translations by Whitley Stokes and John Strachan, vol. I, pp. 7–483, Ml. 134d3
      Ar·troídfe-siu inna drochdaíni, a Dǽ, dia n-anduch, air is fechtnach a n-andach mani erthroítar húa Día.
      Thou wilt restrain the evil men, O God, from their iniquity, for their iniquity is prosperous if it be not restrained by God.
DescendantsEdit
  • Irish: a

Etymology 5Edit

ParticleEdit

a (triggers an unwritten prothetic /h/ before a vowel)

  1. introduces a numeral
    a deich‎ ― ten
DescendantsEdit
  • Irish: a

Etymology 6Edit

From Proto-Celtic *exs, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁eǵʰs.

PrepositionEdit

a ‎(combined with plural article asnaib, combined with 1st singular possessive determiner asmo, combined with 3rd person possessive determiner assa)

  1. out of
    • c. 875, Milan Glosses on the Psalms, published in Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus (reprinted 1987, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies), edited and with translations by Whitley Stokes and John Strachan, vol. I, pp. 7–483, Ml. 127d6
      in tan ro·mmemaid re n-Abrachan forsna coíc riga bertar Loth a Sodaim
      when the five kings who carried Lot out of Sodom had been routed by Abraham
Related termsEdit
DescendantsEdit
  • Irish: as
  • Manx: ass
  • Scottish Gaelic: à

ReferencesEdit

Old PortugueseEdit

PronunciationEdit

Etymology 1Edit

From Latin ad ‎(“to”), from Proto-Indo-European *ád ‎(“near; at”).

PrepositionEdit

a

  1. to; towards
DescendantsEdit
  • Fala: a
  • Galician: a
  • Portuguese: a

Etymology 2Edit

ArticleEdit

a

  1. Alternative spelling of á

PolishEdit

PronunciationEdit

ConjunctionEdit

a

  1. and; but
    A ty?‎ ― And you?
    Wolisz tabletki, a ja wolę zastrzyki.‎ ― You prefer pills and I prefer injections.
  2. and
    walka między dobrem a złem‎ ― battle between good and evil

PortugueseEdit

PronunciationEdit

Letter

Article, pronoun

Etymology 1Edit

From Portuguese a, form of A, from Etruscan 𐌀 ‎(a), from Ancient Greek Α ‎(A, “alpha”), from Phoenician 𐤀 ‎(“aleph”), from Egyptian 𓃾.

LetterEdit

a ‎(lower case, upper case A)

  1. The first letter of the Portuguese alphabet, written in the Latin script.

See alsoEdit

QuotationsEdit

For usage examples of this term, see Citations:a.

NounEdit

a m (plural as)

  1. Alternative spelling of á
QuotationsEdit

For usage examples of this term, see Citations:a.

Related termsEdit

Etymology 2Edit

From Old Portuguese a, from Latin illa (with the disappearance of an initial l; compare Spanish la).

ArticleEdit

a f

  1. Feminine singular of article o.
    • 2005, Lya Wyler (translator), J. K. Rowling (English author), Harry Potter e o Enigma do Príncipe (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince), Rocco, page 219:
      Então, como foi a última festinha de Slughorn?
      So, how was the last Slughorn's little party?
    • 2007, Lya Wyler (translator), J. K. Rowling (English author), Harry Potter e as Relíquias da Morte (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows), Rocco, page 147:
      Entregou a foto rasgada, [...]
      He handed over the torn photograph, [...]
QuotationsEdit

For usage examples of this term, see Citations:o.

See alsoEdit

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

PronounEdit

a f ‎(third-person singular)

  1. 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.
QuotationsEdit

For usage examples of this term, see Citations:a.

Usage notesEdit
  • 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.”
See alsoEdit
Portuguese personal pronouns (edit)
Number Person Nominative
(subject)		 Accusative
(direct object)		 Dative
(indirect object)		 Oblique Oblique
with com		 Non-declining
m f m f m and f m f m f m f
Singular First eu me mim comigo
Second tu te ti contigo você
o senhor a senhora
Third ele ela o
(lo, no)		 a
(la, na)		 lhe ele ela com ele com ela o mesmo a mesma
se (reflexive) si (reflexive) consigo (reflexive)
Plural First nós nos nós connosco (Portugal)
conosco (Brazil)		 a gente
Second vós vos vós convosco vocês
os senhores as senhoras
Third eles elas os
(los, nos)		 as
(las, nas)		 lhes eles elas com eles com elas os mesmos as mesmas
se (reflexive) si (reflexive) consigo (reflexive)
Indefinite se (reflexive) si (reflexive) consigo (reflexive)

Etymology 3Edit

From Old Portuguese a, from Latin ad ‎(“to”), from Proto-Indo-European *ád ‎(“near, at”).

PrepositionEdit

a

  1. to (introduces the indirect object)
    • 2005, Lya Wyler (translator), J. K. Rowling (English author), Harry Potter e o Enigma do Príncipe (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince), Rocco, page 143:
      Deixe-me mostrar a você...
      Let me show it to you...
    • 2007, Lya Wyler (translator), J. K. Rowling (English author), Harry Potter e as Relíquias da Morte (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows), Rocco, 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.
  2. to; towards (indicates destination)
    Vamos a Paris!‎ ― Let’s go to Paris!
  3. away (indicates a physical distance)
    A vila fica a onze milhas‎ ― The village is eleven miles away.
    Comunicação à distância.‎ ― Communication at a distance.
  4. 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.
  5. with; on (using as a medium or fuel)
    Quadro pintado a óleo.‎ ― A painting painted with oil.
    Fornalha a carvão.‎ ― Coal furnace.
  6. 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.
  7. (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.
  8. in the style or manner of; a la
    Ele puxou o temperamento ao pai.‎ ― He inherited his temperament from his father.
    Camarão à grega.‎ ― Greek-style shrimp.
  9. (limited use, see usage notes) at (during the specified period)
    Dormimos à noite.‎ ― We sleep at night.
    O filme começa às duas horas.‎ ― The film starts at two o’clock.
  10. (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.
  11. 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.
  12. (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
  13. (followed by an infinitive or present passive) to (forms the future participle)
    Um trabalho a ser feito.‎ ― A job to be done.
    Nada a fazer.‎ ― Nothing to be done.
QuotationsEdit

For usage examples of this term, see Citations:a.

Usage notesEdit

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:

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”).

SynonymsEdit
  • (introducing an indirect object): para
  • (indicating a destination): para, até
  • (by means of): com, por meio de
  • (indicating a steady progression): por
  • (a la): ao modo de
  • (in the specified time period): em, de
  • (indicating location): em
  • (forming the future participle): para, por
See alsoEdit

Etymology 4Edit

InterjectionEdit

a

  1. oh (expression of mild surprise)
    A, tudo bem então.‎
    Oh, all right then.
QuotationsEdit

For usage examples of this term, see Citations:a.

Etymology 5Edit

From homophone há

VerbEdit

a

  1. Misspelling of há.
QuotationsEdit

For usage examples of this term, see Citations:a.

Etymology 6Edit

From homophone à

ContractionEdit

a

  1. Misspelling of à.
QuotationsEdit

For usage examples of this term, see Citations:a.

Rapa NuiEdit

ParticleEdit

a

  1. possessive particle marking an alienable possession; of

Usage notesEdit

Inserted before the relevant pronoun. Only for possessions like houses or beliefs that have the ability to no longer be yours; otherwise, use ,.

RomanianEdit

PronunciationEdit

LetterEdit

a ‎(lower case, upper case A)

  1. The first letter of the Romanian alphabet, written in the Latin script.

Usage notesEdit

In Romanian, the letter a represents the phoneme /a/.

See alsoEdit

Etymology 1Edit

ArticleEdit

a ‎(feminine singular possessive article)

  1. of
    sora mea și a lui Alexandru‎
    My and Alexandru's sister
    cartea este a mea‎
    the book is mine
Coordinate termsEdit
  • al (masculine/neuter singular)
  • ai (masculine plural)
  • ale (feminine/neuter plural)

Etymology 2Edit

From Latin ad, from Proto-Indo-European *ád ‎(“near; at”).

PrepositionEdit

a

  1. (used with infinitive verbs) the infinitive marker: to
    A fi.‎
    To be.
  2. (archaic) at (now almost completely replaced by la)

Etymology 3Edit

VerbEdit

(el/ea) a ‎(modal auxiliary, third-person singular form of avea, used with past participles to form perfect compus tenses)

  1. modal auxiliary
    A văzut acest film?‎
    Has he/she seen this film?
Usage notesEdit

a is used instead of are to form the third-person singular perfect compus.

ScotsEdit

DeterminerEdit

a

  1. Alternative form of a'

AdverbEdit

a ‎(not comparable)

  1. Alternative form of a'

NounEdit

a ‎(uncountable)

  1. Alternative form of a'

Scottish GaelicEdit

PronounEdit

a

  1. his
  2. her
  3. its
  4. who, which, that

Usage notesEdit

  • As his/its lenites the following word.
    a mhac - his son
    a mac - her son
  • As his/its is omitted if the following word begins with a vowel or fh followed by a vowel.
    athair - a father or his father (depending on the context)

PrepositionEdit

a

  1. Alternative form of do

ParticleEdit

a

  1. to (precedes the infinitive form)
    Tha mi a' dol a chadal.‎ ― I'm going to sleep.
  2. Used before cardinal numbers which are not followed by a noun.
    A bheil agad a ceithir?‎ ― Do you have four?
  3. Used before the vocative form.
    Hallo, a Ruairidh.‎ ― Hello, Roderick.

Serbo-CroatianEdit

PronunciationEdit

Etymology 1Edit

See Translingual section.

Alternative formsEdit

  • (uppercase): A

LetterEdit

a (Cyrillic spelling а)

  1. The 1st letter of the Serbo-Croatian Latin alphabet (gajica), followed by b.

Etymology 2Edit

From Proto-Slavic *a ‎(“and, but”), from Proto-Balto-Slavic *ō.

ConjunctionEdit

a (Cyrillic spelling а)

  1. but, and (compare ȁli)
    učio sam c(ij)elo posl(ij)epodne, a ništa nisam naučio‎ ― I studied for the whole afternoon, but I didn't learn anything
    a kako biste vi to napravili?‎ ― and how would you do that?
  2. while (on the contrary), whereas
    stolovi su crveni, a stolice su zelene‎ ― the tables are red, whereas the chairs are green
  3. (with da ne) without (usually after negative verbs)
    ne mogu se uključiti u raspravu, a da ne napravim nered‎ ― I cannot enter a discussion without making a mess
    odlazi, a da nije rekao ni zbogom‎ ― he's leaving without even saying goodbye
  4. (a ȉpāk) and yet
    pravi prijatelj zna sve o tebi, a ipak te voli‎ ― the real friend knows everything about you, and yet he loves you
  5. (a kȁmoli) not to mention, let alone
    u moru loših v(ij)esti teško je ostati objektivan, a kamoli optimističan‎ ― in the sea of bad news it's hard to stay objective, let alone optimistic
  6. (a + i + da) even if
    a i da jesam to napravio, ne bi to učinilo neku razliku‎ ― even if I did it, it wouldn't have made much of a difference
  7. (a + i) and so, and also, and too
    sviđaju mi se plavuše, a i ja se pokojoj svidim‎ ― I like blondes, and some of them even like me
    bili su žalosni, a i ja sam‎ ― they were sad, and so am I

Etymology 3Edit

Attested since the 15th century. Probably of onomatopoeic origin. Compare Slovene a, Russian а ‎(a), Lithuanian õ, Latin ō and Ancient Greek ὦ ‎(ô). These could all derive from Proto-Indo-European interjection ō ‎(“oh, ah”), but each form in individual languages could easily be an independent, expressive formation.

InterjectionEdit

a (Cyrillic spelling а)

  1. oh, ah
    a da?‎ ― oh really?

ReferencesEdit

  • “a” in Hrvatski jezični portal
  • “a” in Hrvatski jezični portal
  • Skok, Petar (1971) Etimologijski rječnik hrvatskoga ili srpskoga jezika (in Serbo-Croatian), volume 1, Zagreb: JAZU, page 1

Skolt SamiEdit

PronunciationEdit

LetterEdit

a ‎(upper case A)

  1. The first letter of the Skolt Sami alphabet, written in the Latin script.

See alsoEdit

SlovakEdit

Etymology 1Edit

From Latin a, form of A, from Etruscan 𐌀 ‎(a), from Ancient Greek Α ‎(A, “alpha”), from Phoenician 𐤀 ‎(“aleph”), from Egyptian 𓃾.

LetterEdit

a ‎(upper case A)

  1. The first letter of the Slovak alphabet, written in the Latin script.

See alsoEdit

Etymology 2Edit

From Proto-Slavic *a ‎(“and, but”), from Proto-Balto-Slavic *ō, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁ōd. Cognates include Old Church Slavonic а ‎(a), Lithuanian õ ‎(“and, but”) and Sanskrit आत् ‎(ā́t, “so, then, afterwards”).

ConjunctionEdit

a

  1. and
Derived termsEdit

External linksEdit

  • a in Slovak dictionaries at korpus.sk

SloveneEdit

Etymology 1Edit

LetterEdit

a ‎(lower case, upper case A)

  1. The first letter of the Slovene alphabet, written in the Latin script.
See alsoEdit

InterjectionEdit

a

  1. oh
SynonymsEdit

Etymology 2Edit

PronunciationEdit

ConjunctionEdit

a

  1. but

ParticleEdit

a

  1. contracted form of ali, particle used to form a yes- no question.

SpanishEdit

PronunciationEdit

Etymology 1Edit

LetterEdit

a ‎(lower case, upper case A)

  1. The first letter of the Spanish alphabet, called a and written in the Latin script.

NounEdit

a f ‎(plural aes)

  1. Name of the letter A.
See alsoEdit

Etymology 2Edit

From Latin ad ‎(“to”), from Proto-Indo-European *ád ‎(“near; at”).

Alternative formsEdit

  • (obsolete) á
  • (obsolete) à

PrepositionEdit

a

  1. to
    • 1605, Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, Don Quijote de la Mancha1, Chapter I:
      Tenía en su casa una ama que pasaba de los cuarenta y una sobrina que no llegaba a los veinte, y un mozo de campo y plaza que así ensillaba el rocín como tomaba la podadera.
      He had in his house a housekeeper past forty, a niece under twenty, and a lad for the field and market-place, who used to saddle the hack as well as handle the billhook.
  2. by
  3. at
  4. Used before words referring to people, pets, or personified objects or places that function as direct objects: personal a.
    Lo busca a Usted.‎
    He is looking for you.
Usage notesEdit
  • Personal a is not translated into English.

See alsoEdit

Sranan TongoEdit

NounEdit

a

  1. it

SwahiliEdit

ParticleEdit

-a

  1. The genitive particle; adjectival particle; of

Usage notesEdit

  1. This particle agrees in class with the noun preceding it;
  2. When used as an adjectival particle, the particle itself is untranslated:
  1. When used as a genitive particle, the particle is sometimes untranslated:

InflectionEdit

Inflected forms of -a
Noun class singular plural
M-wa class wa wa
M-mi class wa ya
Ma class la ya
Ki-vi class cha vya
N class ya za
U class wa za
Pa class pa pa
Ku class kwa kwa
Mu class mwa mwa

SwedishEdit

PrepositionEdit

a

  1. from (very formal, seldom used outside written formal texts.)
Usage notesEdit

See alsoEdit

LetterEdit

a ‎(name a, uppercase form A)

  1. The first letter of the Swedish alphabet.

TagalogEdit

InterjectionEdit

a

  1. ah: an exclamation of pity, admiration or surprise
    A! Kailan namatay ang iyong ina?‎ ― Ah! When did your mother die?

LetterEdit

a ‎(lower case, upper case A)

  1. The first letter of the Tagalog alphabet, written in the Latin script.

TarantinoEdit

PrepositionEdit

a

  1. in
  2. at
  3. to

Tok PisinEdit

EtymologyEdit

Imitative or onomatopoeia.

InterjectionEdit

a

  1. eh?
    • 1989, Buk Baibel long Tok Pisin, Bible Society of Papua New Guinea, Genesis 3:1 (translation here):
      God, Bikpela i bin wokim olgeta animal, tasol i no gat wanpela bilong ol inap winim snek long tok gris. Na snek i askim meri olsem, “Ating God i tambuim yutupela long kaikai pikinini bilong olgeta diwai bilong gaden, a?”
This entry has fewer than three known examples of actual usage, the minimum considered necessary for clear attestation, and may not be reliable. Tok Pisin is subject to a special exemption for languages with limited documentation. If you speak it, please consider editing this entry or adding citations. See also Help and the Community Portal.

TurkishEdit

PronunciationEdit

LetterEdit

a ‎(lower case, upper case A)

  1. The first letter of the Turkish alphabet, called a and written in the Latin script.
See alsoEdit

NounEdit

a

  1. The name of the Latin script letter A/a.

See alsoEdit

TurkmenEdit

PronunciationEdit

  • (phoneme) IPA(key): /a/, /aː/

LetterEdit

a ‎(upper case A)

  1. The first letter of the Turkmen alphabet, written in the Latin script.

See alsoEdit


Upper SorbianEdit

ConjunctionEdit

a

  1. and
  2. the (establishing a parallel between two comparatives)
    starši a mudriši‎ ― the older, the smarter
    dlěje a hórje‎ ― the longer, the worse

VietnameseEdit

EtymologyEdit

Borrowing from French a or Portuguese á

PronunciationEdit

LetterEdit

a ‎(upper case A)

  1. The first letter of the Vietnamese alphabet, called a and written in the Latin script.

NounEdit

a

  1. The name of the Latin-script letter A/a.

See alsoEdit

WalloonEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Latin ad, from Proto-Indo-European *ád ‎(“near, at”).

PrepositionEdit

a

  1. at

WelshEdit

Etymology 1Edit

Alternative formsEdit

PronunciationEdit

  • (letter name): IPA(key): /ɑː/
  • (phoneme): IPA(key): /a/, /ɑː/

LetterEdit

a ‎(name â, uppercase form A)

  1. The first letter of the Welsh alphabet.
Derived termsEdit

Etymology 2Edit

PronunciationEdit

VerbEdit

a

  1. (colloquial) first-person singular future of mynd
SynonymsEdit
  • af (literary)

Etymology 3Edit

This entry lacks etymological information. If you are familiar with the origin of this term, please add it to the page per etymology instructions. You can also discuss it at the Etymology Scriptorium.

PronunciationEdit

ConjunctionEdit

a ‎(triggers Aspirate Mutation (but not always in the colloquial language))

  1. and
SynonymsEdit
  • ac (used before a vowel)

YorubaEdit

PronounEdit

a

  1. First-person plural subject pronoun: we
    A lo.‎
    We went.

ZazakiEdit

PronounEdit

a

  1. she

ZhuangEdit

NounEdit

a

  1. crow
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Last edited on 24 September 2016, at 12:10