ag

See also: Appendix:Variations of "ag"

Contents

Translingual

Symbol

ag

1. (metrology) Symbol for the attogram, an SI unit of mass equal to 10⁻¹⁸ grams.

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English

Etymology 1

Clipping of agriculture.

Pronunciation

• (General American, Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /æɡ/
• Rhymes: -æɡ

Noun

ag

1. (chiefly in compounds) Agriculture.

   He got his degree from the state ag college.

   • 2014, Ferd Hoefner, quoted in Jennifer Steinhauer, “Farm Bill Reflects Shifting American Menu and a Senator’s Persistent Tilling”, NYTimes.com (2014 March 8):

     Even the most ag-centric member of the Agriculture Committee […]

   • 2014 March 8, Jennifer Steinhauer, “Farm Bill Reflects Shifting American Menu and a Senator’s Persistent Tilling”, NYTimes.com:

     […] fruits and vegetables, oddly referred to in ag-speak as specialty crops, […]

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Afrikaans ag, from Dutch ach.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ax/

Interjection

ag

1. (South Africa) Expressing annoyance, remorse, surprise etc.; oh, ah.
   • 1979, André Brink, A Dry White Season, Vintage 1998, p. 88:

     ‘Ag, fuck it,’ he said. ‘Let bygones be bygones, man.’

   • 1994, Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom, Abacus 2010, p. 491:

     Finally, after placing four books on the desk, he turned to a sheepish Kathy and said, ‘Ag, there's nothing wrong with these desks,’ and walked out.

Anagrams

• G&A, GA, Ga, Ga.

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Afrikaans

Etymology 1

From Dutch acht.

Noun

ag (plural agte)

1. esteem

Etymology 2

From Dutch achten.

Verb

ag (present ag, present participle agtende, past participle geag)

1. to regard; to deem

   Ek ag hom as 'n belangrike bate in ons maatskappy.

   I deem him as an important asset in our company.

   Hy word hoog geag.

   He is highly regarded.

2. to heed

Etymology 3

From Dutch ach. Equivalent of German ach and English oh.

Interjection

ag

1. oh, oh no, shoot, damn, oh dear

Etymology 4

Afrikaans cardinal numbers

<  7	8	9  >
Cardinal : ag     Ordinal : agste

Numeral

ag

1. (cardinal) Alternative form of agt

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Albanian

Alternative forms

• agull (Gheg)

Etymology

From Proto-Albanian *auga, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ewg- (compare Ancient Greek αὐγή (augḗ, “daylight, splendor”), Serbo-Croatian jȕg (“south”)).

Noun

ag m (indefinite plural agje)

1. dawn, daybreak, predawn light
2. half-darkness, mistiness
3. black mark around the eyes of the dead

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Indo-Portuguese

Noun

ag

1. water

Further reading

• Hugo C. Cardoso, The Indo-Portuguese language of Diu (2009), page 345

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Irish

Etymology 1

From Middle Irish oc, ac, ic, from Old Irish oc, occ. Akin to agus. Compare Scottish Gaelic aig.

Pronunciation

• (particle):
  • IPA^(key): /ə/ before a consonant
  • IPA^(key): /əɡ/ before a, á, o, ó, u, ú
  • IPA^(key): /əɟ/ before e, é, i, í
• (preposition): IPA^(key): /ɛɟ/

Particle

ag

1. particle used with the verbal noun to mark the progressive aspect:

   ag siúl ― walking

   ag gáire ― laughing

   ag ithe ― eating

   ag ól ― drinking

Preposition

ag (plus dative, triggers no mutation)

1. at
2. of, for (after certain adjectives)

   Bhí sé go deas ag Cáit a dhul leat.

   It was nice of Cáit to go with you.

   Tá sé éasca agat sin a rá.

   It’s easy for you to say that.

3. of (after an indication of quantity)

   Tá go leor acu anseo.

   There are plenty of them here.

   Tá duine againn tinn.

   One of us is ill.

4. of (to indicate possession emphatically, used after a noun qualified by seo (“this”) or sin (“that”))

   an teach seo againne ― this house of ours

   na bróga sin agatsa ― those shoes of yours

5. used with forms of bí (“to be”) to indicate possession in place of a verb meaning ‘have’

   Tá teach ag Seán.

   Seán has a house.

6. used with forms of bí (“to be”) and a past participle to indicate a perfect tense

   Tá an teach péinteáilte ag Seán.

   Seán has painted the house.

7. used with forms of bí (“to be”) to indicate ability to do something

   Tá Spáinnis agam.

   I can speak Spanish.

   Tá caint agam.

   I can talk.

   Tá ceol agam.

   I can make music.

Inflection

Inflection of ag

Person	Normal	Emphatic
1st person sing.	agam	agamsa
2d person sing.	agat	agatsa
3d sing. masc.	aige	aigesean
3d sing. fem.	aici	aicise
1st person pl.	againn	againne
2d person pl.	agaibh	agaibhse
3d person pl.	acu	acusan

Etymology 2

Reduced form of chuig, assimilated in all forms to Etymology 1.

Pronunciation

• (preposition): IPA^(key): /ɛɟ/

Preposition

ag (plus dative, triggers no mutation)

1. (colloquial) Alternative form of chuig (“to (a person or place)”)

   Tá mé ag dul ag an dochtúr.

   I’m going to the doctor

Inflection

Inflection of ag

Person	Normal	Emphatic
1st person sing.	agam	agamsa
2d person sing.	agat	agatsa
3d sing. masc.	aige	aigesean
3d sing. fem.	aici	aicise
1st person pl.	againn	againne
2d person pl.	agaibh	agaibhse
3d person pl.	acu	acusan

Further reading

• "ag" in Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla, An Gúm, 1977, by Niall Ó Dónaill.
• “ag” in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, Irish Texts Society, 1st ed., 1904, by Patrick S. Dinneen, page 7.
• “oc” in Dictionary of the Irish Language, Royal Irish Academy, 1913–76.
• Entries containing “ag” in New English-Irish Dictionary by Foras na Gaeilge.

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Korlai Creole Portuguese

Noun

ag

1. water

Further reading

• J. Clancy Clements, The Genesis of a Language: The Formation and Development of Korlai Portuguese, page 94, 1996

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Old Irish

Etymology

From Proto-Celtic *agos (“cow”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eǵHos. Compare Old Armenian եզն (ezn), Sanskrit अही (ahī́).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aɣ/

Noun

ag n

1. bullock, cow, ox
2. deer, stag

Inflection

Neuter s-stem
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative
Vocative
Accusative
Genitive
Dative
Initial mutations of a following adjective: H = triggers aspiration L = triggers lenition N = triggers nasalization

Descendants

• Irish: agh
• Scottish Gaelic: agh

Mutation

Old Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Nasalization
ag	unchanged	n-ag
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• “ag” in Dictionary of the Irish Language, Royal Irish Academy, 1913–76.

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Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

Contraction of aig

Particle

ag

1. Used before the verbal noun to form the present participle.

   Bha Seumas ag obair. ― James was working.

Usage notes

• This is the form used before a vowel. Before consonants it contracts to a'. The sole exception is ag ràdh (“saying”).

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Swedish

Etymology

From Old Swedish ag, agh (“Cladium”)

Noun

ag c

1. the genus Cladium (a kind of grass)
2. the species Cladium mariscus; great fen-sedge, saw-sedge.
3. various sedges and rushes outside genus Cladium, e.g. genus Schoenus; bog rush in genus Juncus (tåg)

Declension

Declension of ag
	Singular		Plural
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Nominative	ag	agen	agar	agarna
Genitive	ags	agens	agars	agarnas

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Volapük

Interjection

ag!

1. oh! cry of pain or surprise
2. ah! cry of surprise

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Welsh

Alternative forms

• â

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aɡ/

Preposition

ag

1. with (used before vowels)

Usage notes

Unlike â, ag does not cause an aspirate mutation in the following word.

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Wolof

Preposition

ag

1. with