A
Pronunciation
- letter name
- UK IPA: /eɪ/
- AusE IPA: /æɪ/
- Rhymes: -eɪ
- 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 IPA: /æ/, , , ...
Origin 1
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, "Äc"), derived from Runic letter áš« (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 forms
Full definition of a
Letter
Usage notes
In English, the letter a usually denotes the near-open front unrounded vowel (IPA: /æ/), as in pad, the (IPA: /É‘Ë/) as in father, or, followed by another vowel, the diphthong IPA: /eɪ/, as in ace.
a is the third-most common letter in English.
Cardinal number
Pronunciation
- stressed IPA: /eɪ/
- unstressed IPA: /É™/
Origin 2
Middle English, from Old English Än ("one, a, lone, sole"). The "n" was gradually lost before consonants in almost all dialects by the 15th century.
Article
- One; any indefinite example of; used to denote a singular item of a group. First attested prior to 1150There was a man here looking for you yesterday.
- Schuster Hepaticae V|viiWith 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 Foodâ€, Sesame Street, season 36, Sesame Workshop:Hoots the Owl: Yes a, fruit, is a , any, time, food!
- Used in conjunction with the adjectives score, dozen, hundred, thousand, and million, as a function word.I've seen it happen a hundred times.
- One certain or particular; any single. First attested between around 1150 to 1350
- We've received an interesting letter from a Mrs. Miggins of London.
- The same; one. 16th CenturyWe are of a mind on matters of morals.
- Any, every; used before a noun which has become modified to limit its scope; also used with a negative to indicate not a single one.
- A man who dies intestate leaves his children troubles and difficulties.He fell all that way, and hasn't a bump on his head?
- Used before plural nouns modified by few, good many, couple, great many, etc.
- Someone or something like; similar to;
- The center of the village was becoming a Times Square.
Usage notes
The article an is used before vowel sounds, and a before consonant sounds.
Pronunciation
- IPA: /É™/
Origin 3
- From Middle English a, o, from Old English a-, an, on.
- Unstressed form of on.
Preposition
- (archaic) To do with position or direction; In, on, at, by, towards, onto. First attested before 1150Stand a tiptoe.
- To do with separation; In, into. First attested before 1150Torn a pieces.
- To do with time; Each, per, in, on, by. First attested before 1150I brush my teeth twice a day.
- 1601, Shakespeare, Hamlet, IV-vA Sundays
- (obsolete) To do with method; In, with. First attested before 1150
- Marlowe, C.Stands here a purpose.
- (obsolete) To do with role or capacity; In. First attested before 1150A God’s name.
- To do with status; In. First attested before 1150
- BibleTo set the people a worke.
- (archaic) To do with process, with a passive verb; In the course of, experiencing. First attested before 1150
- 1964, Bob Dylan, The Times They Are a-Changin’The times, they are a-changin'.
- (archaic) To do with an action, an active verb; Engaged in. 16th century
- unknown date ShakespeareIt was a doing.
- 1611, King James Bible, Hebrews 11-21''Jacob, when he was a dying
- (archaic) To do with an action/movement; To, into. 16th century
Usage notes
(position, direction) Can also be attached without a hyphen, as aback, ahorse, afoot. See a-
(separation) Can also be attached without hyphen, as asunder. See a-
(status) Can also be attached without hyphen, as afloat, awake. See a-.
(process) Can also be attached with or without hyphen, as a-changing
Pronunciation
- IPA: /É™/
Origin 4
From Middle English a, ha contraction of have, or haven
Verb
- (have) (archaic or slang) Have. between 1150 and 1350, continued in some use until 1650; used again after 1950I'd a come, if you'd a asked
- 1604 (facsimile printed between 1830 and 1910), William Shakespeare, :So would I a done by yonder ſunneAnd thou hadſt not come to my bed.
Derived terms
Usage notes
Now often attached to preceding auxiliary verb. See -a.
Pronunciation
- PR IPA: /É™/
- (it) PR IPA: /É™/, /É‘/
Origin 5
- (he) From Middle English a, ha ("he"), unstressed variant of he, from Old English hē.
- (she) From Middle English a, ha, unstressed variant of heo, hie, hi, from Old English hēo, hīo, hī feminine of hē ("he").
- (they) From Middle English a, ha, unstressed variant of hie, hi, from Old English hīe, hī plural of hē ("he").
- (it) From Middle English a, ha, unstressed variant of he, heo, from Old English hit ("it").
- (I) From Middle English variant of the word I.
Alternative forms
Pronoun
a
- (obsolete except British, Scotland, dialectal) He. 1150-1900
- 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.
Pronunciation
- IPA: /É™/, /É‘Ë/
Origin 6
Variant spelling of ah.
Interjection
- A meaningless syllable; ah.
- unknown date Shakespeare, The Winter’s Tale, IV-iii:A merry heart goes all the dayYour sad tires in a mile-a
- unknown date Avery, I Love to Singa:I love to sing-aAbout the moon-a and the June-a and the Spring-a.
Pronunciation
- US IPA: /É™/
Origin 7
From Middle English, contraction of of.
Preposition
preposition
- (archaic, slang) Of.The name of John a Gaunt.
- a. 1597, Shakespeare, Henry IV, Part 1, I-iiWhat time a day is it?
- 1598, Ben Jonson,It’s six a clock.
- When I'm Gone (Carter Family song) (created) - 2009 (revived) - 2011 (viral video) - (film version), Cups (When I'm Gone)Two bottles 'a whiskey for the way
Usage notes
Often attached without a hyphen to preceding word.
Pronunciation
- RP IPA: /É”/
Origin 8
From Middle English (Northern dialect) aw, alteration of all.
Alternative forms
Adverb
a
- (chiefly Scotland) All. First attested from 1350 to 1470.
Adjective
a
- (chiefly Scotland) All. First attested from 1350 to 1470.
Origin 9
Symbols
Symbol
symbol
- Distance from leading edge to aerodynamic center.
- specific absorption coefficient
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