alka

See also: álka, áłká, alką, -alka, -alką, -ałka, and -ałką

Alungul

Noun

alka (ergative alkant)

1. spear

Further reading

• Languages of Cape York: papers presented to the linguistic symposium, part B, held in conjunction with the Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies Biennial General Meeting, May, 1974 (published 1976)

Czech

Alka

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈalka]

Noun

alka f

1. auk

Declension

Declension of alka (hard feminine reducible)

	singular	plural
nominative	alka	alky
genitive	alky	alek
dative	alce	alkám
accusative	alku	alky
vocative	alko	alky
locative	alce	alkách
instrumental	alkou	alkami

Derived terms

• alkoun

Further reading

• “alka”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
• “alka”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989

Flinders Island

Noun

alka (ergative alkata)

1. spear

Further reading

• Languages of Cape York: papers presented to the linguistic symposium, part B, held in conjunction with the Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies Biennial General Meeting, May, 1974 (published 1976)

Hungarian

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈɒlkɒ]
• Hyphenation: al‧ka
• Rhymes: -kɒ

alka

Noun

alka (plural alkák)

1. razorbill (Alca torda)

Declension

Inflection (stem in long/high vowel, back harmony)

	singular	plural
nominative	alka	alkák
accusative	alkát	alkákat
dative	alkának	alkáknak
instrumental	alkával	alkákkal
causal-final	alkáért	alkákért
translative	alkává	alkákká
terminative	alkáig	alkákig
essive-formal	alkaként	alkákként
essive-modal	—	—
inessive	alkában	alkákban
superessive	alkán	alkákon
adessive	alkánál	alkáknál
illative	alkába	alkákba
sublative	alkára	alkákra
allative	alkához	alkákhoz
elative	alkából	alkákból
delative	alkáról	alkákról
ablative	alkától	alkáktól
non-attributive possessive – singular	alkáé	alkáké
non-attributive possessive – plural	alkáéi	alkákéi

Possessive forms of alka

possessor	single possession	multiple possessions
1st person sing.	alkám	alkáim
2nd person sing.	alkád	alkáid
3rd person sing.	alkája	alkái
1st person plural	alkánk	alkáink
2nd person plural	alkátok	alkáitok
3rd person plural	alkájuk	alkáik

Maltese

Etymology

Eventually from Latin alga.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈal.ka/

• Audio (Gozo):

  (file)

Noun

alka f

1. seaweed

Derived terms

• alka rqiqa
• alka tal-Pwales
• alka tas-Salini

Mapudungun

Noun

alka (Raguileo spelling)

1. rooster

Synonyms

• alka acawaj

Adjective

alka (Raguileo spelling)

1. (grammar) masculine

Usage notes

Used together with the name of certain types of animals to show that they are of the male sex.

References

• Wixaleyiñ: Mapucezugun-wigkazugun pici hemvlcijka (Wixaleyiñ: Small Mapudungun-Spanish dictionary), Beretta, Marta; Cañumil, Dario; Cañumil, Tulio, 2008.

Mbariman-Gudhinma

Noun

alka (ergative alkanow)

1. spear

Further reading

• Languages of Cape York: papers presented to the linguistic symposium, part B, held in conjunction with the Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies Biennial General Meeting, May, 1974 (published 1976)

Norwegian Bokmål

Alternative forms

• alken m

Noun

alka m or f

1. definite feminine singular of alke

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology 1

From Old Norse alka.

Noun

alka f (definite singular alka, indefinite plural alker or alkor, definite plural alkene or alkone)

1. (pre-2012) alternative form of alke
2. definite singular of alke

Etymology 2

Perhaps derived from Middle Low German.

Alternative forms

• alke (e-infinitive)

Verb

alka (present tense alkar, past tense alka, past participle alka, passive infinitive alkast, present participle alkande, imperative alka/alk)

1. to pig, to make a mess

Etymology 3

Compare dialectal Swedish ulka (“to start growling”).

Alternative forms

• alke (e-infinitive)

Verb

alka (present tense alkar, past tense alka, past participle alka, passive infinitive alkast, present participle alkande, imperative alka/alk)

1. to vex

Anagrams

• kala, klaa, laak, laka

Old Norse

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *alkǭ.

Noun

alka f (genitive ǫlku)

1. auk

Declension

Declension of alka (weak ōn-stem)

feminine	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	alka	alkan	ǫlkur	ǫlkurnar
accusative	ǫlku	ǫlkuna	ǫlkur	ǫlkurnar
dative	ǫlku	ǫlkunni	ǫlkum	ǫlkunum
genitive	ǫlku	ǫlkunnar	alkna	alknanna

Descendants

Descendants

• Icelandic: álka
  • → English: auk
• Faroese: álka
• Norwegian Nynorsk: alke, alka; (dialectal) ålke
• Swedish: alka
  • → Dutch: alk
  • → German: Alk
• Danish: alke
  • Norwegian Bokmål: alke
• →⇒ Irish: falcóg

Anagrams

• kala

Polish

alka

Etymology

Learned borrowing from New Latin alca, from Old Norse alka, from Proto-Germanic *alkǭ. First attested in 1779.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈal.ka/

• Audio 1:

  (file)

• Audio 2:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -alka
• Syllabification: al‧ka

Noun

alka f

1. auk, razorbill (any of several species of Arctic sea birds of the family Alcidae)

Declension

Declension of alka

	singular	plural
nominative	alka	alki
genitive	alki	alk
dative	alce	alkom
accusative	alkę	alki
instrumental	alką	alkami
locative	alce	alkach
vocative	alko	alki

Further reading

• alka in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• alka in Polish dictionaries at PWN
• Aleksander Zdanowicz (1861) “alka”, in Słownik języka polskiego, Wilno 1861
• J. Karłowicz, A. Kryński, W. Niedźwiedzki, editors (1900), “alka”, in Słownik języka polskiego (in Polish), volume 1, Warsaw, page 25

Serbo-Croatian

Alternative forms

• hȃlka

Etymology

Borrowed from Ottoman Turkish حلقه (halka), from Arabic حَلْقَة (ḥalqa).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /âːlka/
• Hyphenation: al‧ka

Noun

ȃlka f (Cyrillic spelling а̑лка)

1. metal ring
2. door knocker
3. tilting at the ring (game)

Declension

Declension of alka

	singular	plural
nominative	ȃlka	alke
genitive	alke	ȃlkī
dative	àlci/ȃlki	alkama
accusative	alku	alke
vocative	alko	alke
locative	alci / alki	alkama
instrumental	alkom	alkama

Slovak

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈaɫka/

Noun

alka f (genitive singular alky, nominative plural alky, genitive plural álk, aliek, declension pattern of žena)

1. auk

Declension

Declension of alka

	singular	plural
nominative	alka	alky
genitive	alky	álk, aliek
dative	alke	alkám
accusative	alku	alky
locative	alke	alkách
instrumental	alkou	alkami

Derived terms

• alka malá (razorbill)
• alka veľká (great auk, garefowl)

References

• “alka”, in Slovníkový portál Jazykovedného ústavu Ľ. Štúra SAV [Dictionary portal of the Ľ. Štúr Institute of Linguistics, Slovak Academy of Science] (in Slovak), https://slovnik.juls.savba.sk, 2003–2025

Swedish

Etymology

From Old Norse alka

Noun

alka c

1. auk; bird in the family Alcidae

Declension

Declension of alka

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	alka	alkas
	definite	alkan	alkans
plural	indefinite	alkor	alkors
	definite	alkorna	alkornas

Anagrams

• laka

Votic

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *alkadak.

Pronunciation

• (Luutsa, Liivtšülä) IPA^(key): /ˈɑlkɑː/, [ˈɑɫkɑ]
• Rhymes: -ɑlkɑː
• Hyphenation: al‧ka

Verb

alka

1. to begin, to start

Inflection

Conjugation of alka (type III-3/anta, k-g gradation)
Indicative
Present			Perfect
	positive	negative		positive	negative
1st singular	algõn	en algõ	1st singular	õõn alkõnnu	en õõ alkõnnu
2nd singular	algõd	ed algõ	2nd singular	õõd alkõnnu	ed õõ alkõnnu
3rd singular	algõb	eb algõ	3rd singular	on alkõnnu	eb õõ alkõnnu
1st plural	algõmmõ	emmä algõ	1st plural	õõmmõ alkõnnu	emmä õõ alkõnnu
2nd plural	algõttõ	että algõ	2nd plural	õõttõ alkõnnu	että õõ alkõnnu
3rd plural	algõta	eväd algõ	3rd plural	õlla algõttu	eväd õõ algõttu
impersonal	algõta	eväd algõ	impersonal	õlla algõttu	eväd õõ algõttu
Imperfect			Pluperfect
	positive	negative		positive	negative
1st singular	algin	en alkõnnu	1st singular	õlin alkõnnu	—
2nd singular	algid	ed alkõnnu	2nd singular	õlid alkõnnu	—
3rd singular	alki	eb alkõnnu	3rd singular	õli alkõnnu	—
1st plural	algimmõ	emmä alkõnnu	1st plural	õlimmõ alkõnnu	—
2nd plural	algittõ	että alkõnnu	2nd plural	õlittõ alkõnnu	—
3rd plural	algõtti	eväd algõttu	3rd plural	õlti algõttu	—
impersonal	algõtti	eväd algõttu	impersonal	õlti algõttu	—
Conditional
Present			Perfect
	positive	negative		positive	negative
1st singular	alkaizin	en alkaizʹ	1st singular	õllõizin alkõnnu	en õllõizʹ alkõnnu
2nd singular	alkaizid	ed alkaizʹ	2nd singular	õllõizid alkõnnu	ed õllõizʹ alkõnnu
3rd singular	alkaizʹ	eb alkaizʹ	3rd singular	õllõizʹ alkõnnu	eb õllõizʹ alkõnnu
1st plural	alkaizimmõ	emmä alkaizʹ	1st plural	õllõizimmõ alkõnnu	emmä õllõizʹ alkõnnu
2nd plural	alkaizittõ	että alkaizʹ	2nd plural	õllõizittõ alkõnnu	että õllõizʹ alkõnnu
3rd plural	algõttaizʹ	eväd algõttaizʹ	3rd plural	õltaizʹ algõttu	eväd õltaizʹ algõttu
impersonal	algõttaizʹ	eväd algõttaizʹ	impersonal	õltaizʹ algõttu	eväd õltaizʹ algõttu
Imperative
Present
	positive	negative
1st singular	—	—
2nd singular	algõ	elä algõ
3rd singular	alkõgo1)	elko alkõgo1)
1st plural	—	—
2nd plural	alkõga	elka alkõga
3rd plural	alkõgod1)	—
impersonal	—	—
Nominal forms
Infinitives			Participles
				active	passive
1st		alka	present	alkõjõ2)	—
2nd	illative	alkõma	past	alkõnnu	algõttu
	inessive	alkõmõz	1) using la is more common 2) also used as the agent noun
	elative	alkõmõssõ
	abessive	alkõmõttõ

References

• Hallap, V., Adler, E., Grünberg, S., Leppik, M. (2012) Vadja keele sõnaraamat [A dictionary of the Votic language], 2nd edition, Tallinn