Translingual
Etymology
Suffix
-a
- Used to create genus names from proper nouns
- Used to take the form of certain plural Latin-derived taxonomic names
Derived terms
English
Etymology 1
From the homographic case endings of the nominative, accusative, and vocative forms of numerous Latin neuter second declension nouns.
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation, General American) (key): /?/, /?/
- Homophones: -er, -or (in non-rhotic accents)
Suffix
-a
Usage notes
- Whereas the regular pluralization in English involves adding -s or -es, English words derived from a Latin/Greek etymon where the Latin/Greek would pluralize from -on (Greek) or -um (Latin) to -a do not always do so. Usage of -a instead of -s differs between words: sometimes the two are interchangeable (e.g. memorandums/memoranda, polyhedrons/polyhedra), sometimes one is far more common than the other (e.g. neurons over neura, automata over automatons), and sometimes one is completely absent from usage (e.g. bacteria over bacteriums, dendrons over dendra)
Derived terms
Translations
See also
Etymology 2
Representing the nominative singular case ending of Latin first-declension feminine nouns.
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation, General American) enPR: ?, (key): /?/
Suffix
- Marks singular nouns, with a foundation in Greek or Latin, often implying femininity, especially when contrasted with words terminating in -us.
Derived terms
Etymology 3
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation, General American) (key): /?/
Suffix
-a
Etymology 4
Shortened version of verb have.
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation, General American) (key): /?/
Suffix
-a
Etymology 5
Representing Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish feminine nouns.
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation, General American) (key): /?/
Suffix
-a
- Marks nouns, with a foundation in Italian, Spanish, or Portuguese, implying femininity.
Etymology 6
Added especially for metrical reasons, or as an empy filler syllable.
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation, General American) (key): /?/
Suffix
-a
- Added for metrical reasons to songs, poetry and verse, or as an empty filler syllable to other speech.
- 1623, Shakespeare, The Winter's Tale, IV.iii:
- A merry heart goes all the day
- Your sad tires in a mile-a
- 1936 July 18, Leon Schlesinger (producer) / Norman Spencer (music), I Love to Singa:
- I love to sing-a / about the moon-a and the June-a and the spring-a, / I love to sing-a / about a sky of blue-a, or a tea for two-a.
- 2014, Don Pendleton, California Hit, Open Road Media (->ISBN)
- "I'm-a tell-a you why you better be. I named you in my will, Franco."
- 1623, Shakespeare, The Winter's Tale, IV.iii:
Alternative forms
Etymology 7
Shortened version of preposition of.
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation, General American) (key): /?/
Suffix
-a
- (slang) clitic form of o' (contraction of of)
- 1946, Elizabeth Metzger Howard, Before the Sun Goes Down, page 31:
Etymology 8
Shortened version of verb to.
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation, General American) (key): /?/
Suffix
-a
See also
References
- "-a" in Lesley Brown, editor-in-chief; William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, editors, The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles, 5th edition, Oxford; New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, 2002, ->ISBN, page 1.
- "-a" in Christine A. Lindberg, editor, The Oxford College Dictionary, 2nd edition, New York, N.Y.: Spark Publishing, 2002, ->ISBN, page 1.
Albanian
Pronunciation
- (key): [a]
Etymology
Related to Albanian e ("of, the, to") and -e.
Article
-a f
Related terms
Czech
Pronunciation
- (key): ['a]
Suffix
-a
- Forms agent nouns.
- Forms nouns referring to results of processes.
Derived terms
Further reading
- -a in Slovník afix? u?ívaných v ?e?tin?, 2017
Dutch
Pronunciation
Audio (file)
Suffix
-a
Esperanto
Etymology
From feminine singular adjectives (and nouns) of the Romance languages, such as French ma, Italian mia, Spanish mía, fría.
Suffix
-a
- Related to, in the manner of, of. Ending for all adjectives in Esperanto.
- Belonging to, of. Ending for all possessive pronouns in Esperanto.
- Used to form the ordinal numeral.
- -kind of. Ending of all correlatives of kind in Esperanto.
Derived terms
Finnish
Alternative forms
- -ä (in words with front vowel harmony)
Etymology 1
From Proto-Finnic *-da, from the Proto-Uralic ablative case *-ta. A variant form *-ta (whence Finnish -ta) was used after a syllable with secondary stress (suffixal gradation).
Suffix
-a (front vowel harmony variant -ä)
- (case suffix) Forms the partitive case of nouns, adjectives, numbers and some pronouns.
Usage notes
- This suffix is used after a short vowel or the plural marker -j-.
Etymology 2
From Proto-Finnic *-dak. Historically, a form of a lative suffix.
Suffix
-a (front vowel harmony variant -ä)
- (verbal suffix) Forms the short form of the first infinitive of verbs.
Usage notes
- The first infinitive, short form, is the citation form of verbs.
See also
French
Pronunciation
- (key): /a/
Suffix
-a
- Suffix indicating the third-person singular past historic of -er verbs.
Etymology
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Garo
Suffix
-a
- neutral, unmarked tense-aspect marker
Usage notes
In addition to present time, it often shows habitual action, and can also past and future
Gothic
Romanization
-a
- Romanization of -?
Hungarian
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
From the *s third-person personal pronoun of the ancestor language after it was appended to the word of possession. According to some linguists this attachment happened in the Proto-Uralic era, while others think it happened much later when the Hungarian language became independent.[1]
Suffix
-a
- (possessive suffix) [1055]
- (after a single possessor) his, her, its, -'s, of (third-person singular, single possession)
- (after a plural possessor) -s', of...-s (third-person plural, single possession)
- ház ("house") -> a szüleim háza ("my parents' house")
- ház ("house") -> a trópusi növények háza ("the house of tropical plants" [literally, "the tropical plants' house"])
- (with time expressions, referring to a point in time) ago
- (with time expressions, referring to a duration of time preceding the point of time in question) for
- Egy évszázada várunk rád. - We have been waiting for you for a century.
- (mostly with quantities, often following -ik) of, out of (partitive sense)
- Synonym: közül (only with countable quantities)
- jó / jav- ("the greater/better part") -> a java még hátravan ("the best/bulk is yet to come", literally "its best/bulk is...")
- legnagyobbik ("the biggest one") -> a bikák legnagyobbika ("the biggest [one] of the bulls"; the same meaning as a legnagyobb bika)
- (personal suffix) [end of the 12th century] Third-person singular personal suffix in back-vowel verbs. Today it can be found in the third-person singular definite forms (indicative past and imperative conjugations) as part of the suffix -ja, -ta.
- (personal suffix) [end of the 12th century] Third-person singular personal suffix in back-vowel conjugated infinitives and in the declined and postposition forms of the third-person personal pronoun ? ("he/she/it").
Usage notes
- (possessive suffix) Variants:
- -a is added to back-vowel words ending in a consonant
- -e is added to front-vowel words ending in a consonant
- -ja is added to back-vowel words ending in a consonant or a vowel. Final -a changes to -á-; final -o changes to -ó-.
- -je is added to front-vowel words ending in a consonant or a vowel. Final -e changes to -é-; final -ö changes to -?-.
- This suffix (in all forms) is normally used for the third-person singular possessive (single possession) but, after an explicit plural possessor, it also expresses the third-person plural possessive (single possession), e.g. "the children's ball" (a gyerekek labdája). If the possessor is implicit (not named, only marked by a suffix), the plural possessive suffix must be used, e.g. "their ball" (a labdájuk, see -juk and its variants).
Declension
| Inflection (stem in long/high vowel, back harmony) | ||
|---|---|---|
| singular | plural | |
| nominative | -a | — |
| accusative | -át | — |
| dative | -ának | — |
| instrumental | -ával | — |
| causal-final | -áért | — |
| translative | -ává | — |
| terminative | -áig | — |
| essive-formal | -aként | — |
| essive-modal | -ául | — |
| inessive | -ában | — |
| superessive | -án | — |
| adessive | -ánál | — |
| illative | -ába | — |
| sublative | -ára | — |
| allative | -ához | — |
| elative | -ából | — |
| delative | -áról | — |
| ablative | -ától | — |
| non-attributive possessive - singular |
-áé | — |
| non-attributive possessive - plural |
-áéi | — |
See also
Etymology 2
[1055] It can be traced back to Proto-Uralic *-i? which with the word-final vowel created the diphthong -ai?/-ei?. This had simplified to -á/-é, finally in the Old Hungarian era it had shortened to -a/-e. It was a productive suffix at that time, the back-vowel variant was used even in front-vowel words such as the Old Hungarian female given names Fehéra and Szépa, derived from fehér ("light in color") and szép ("beautiful"), respectively.[1]
Suffix
-a
- (diminutive suffix) The back-vowel variant of the -a/-e diminutive suffix pair. In the past it could be found in common nouns, as well, but today it is used mostly in given names.
Etymology 3
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Suffix
-a
- (personal suffix, archaic) Used to form the third-person singular indicative past indefinite, for back-vowel verbs. The front-vowel version is -e. The suffix currently used in this place is -t, -tt, or -ott. For the full paradigm, see the usage template.
Etymology 4
Along with its front-vowel counterpart -e, from the diphthongs -ai?/-ei?, developing to -á/-é, then shortened to this form by the end of the early Old Hungarian period. After the participle suffix became fixed as -ó/-?, the remaining words suffixed with -a/-e underwent conversion; some became adjectives, others, nouns.[1]
Suffix
-a
- (obsolete participle suffix) Synonym of -ó (present-participle suffix) From a synchronic perspective, it can be viewed as a nominal-forming suffix, preserved in some adjectives and nouns (see below). No longer productive. Its front-vowel version is -e.
Derived terms
- borissza, bornemissza
- cafka
- (csala)finta (dubious)
- csóka
- csusza
- duda
- furcsa
- gyagya
- handa(banda)
- (hepe)hupá(s)
- hinta
- hulla
- illa (berek)
- inga
- kába
- kajla
- koca
- kósza
- kuka ("dumb")
- kusza
- kutya (debated)
- léha
- morzsa (debated)
- pala
- pecá(zik)
- pilla
- pofa (debated)
- pongyola (debated)
- potya
- puha
- ronda (dubious)
- rozoga
- satra(fa)
- sima
- (zene)bona
References
- ? 1.01.11.2 Zaicz, Gábor. Etimológiai szótár: Magyar szavak és toldalékok eredete ('Dictionary of Etymology: The origin of Hungarian words and affixes'). Budapest: Tinta Könyvkiadó, 2006, ->ISBN
Icelandic
Suffix
-a
- Used to form verbs from nouns.
- Used to form adverbs from adjectives.
Derived terms
See also
Ido
Pronunciation
- (key): /a/
Suffix
-a
Derived terms
Usage notes
One may elide the final a of the adjectives, but with the condition not to produce accumulation from the consonants. One advise to use the elision mainly with the derivatived adjectives and particularly when they finish with -al-(a).[1]
References
- ^ "KGD", in Kompleta gramatiko detaloza[1] (in Ido), accessed 2015-12-23, archived from the original on 27 January 2012
Irish
Suffix
-a
- plural ending of certain nouns
- plural ending of adjectives in the nominative, vocative, dative, and strong genitive cases
- genitive singular ending of third-declension nouns
Italian
Suffix
-a
- Used, with a stem, to form the third-person singular present tense of -are verbs.
- Used, with a stem, to form the second-person singular imperative of -are verbs.
- Used, with a stem, to form the first-person singular, second-person singular and third-person singular present subjunctive of -ere verbs, and of those -ire verbs that do not insert -isc-.
- Used, with a stem, to form the third-person singular imperative of -ere verbs, and of those -ire verbs that do not insert -isc-.
Latin
Etymology 1
From Proto-Italic *-?, from Proto-Indo-European *-ih? (feminine suffix) (forming in this case masculine nouns).
Pronunciation
- (Classical) (key): /a/
- (Ecclesiastical) (key): /a/
Suffix
-a f or m (genitive -ae); first declension
- suffixed to the roots of verbs, forms (usually masculine) agent nouns
Declension
First-declension noun.
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | -a | -ae |
| Genitive | -ae | -?rum |
| Dative | -ae | -?s |
| Accusative | -am | -?s |
| Ablative | -? | -?s |
| Vocative | -a | -ae |
Synonyms
- (suffixed to the roots of verbs, forms masculine agent nouns): -?¹
Derived terms
References
- "-a¹" on page 1/1 of the Oxford Latin Dictionary (1st ed., 1968-82)
Etymology 2
From Old Latin -?d, originally the ablative feminine singular form of first-declension adjectives (compare -us (suffix forming adjectives)).
Pronunciation
- (Classical) (key): /a:/
- (Ecclesiastical) (key): /a/
Suffix
-? (not comparable)
- suffixed chiefly to the stems of adjectives terminating in -ter, forms adverbs which are frequently also used as prepositions
Derived terms
References
- "-?²" on page 1/1 of the Oxford Latin Dictionary (1st ed., 1968-82)
Etymology 3
See the etymology of the main entry.
Pronunciation
- -a: (Classical) (key): /a/
- -a: (Ecclesiastical) (key): /a/
- -?: (Classical) (key): /a:/
- -?: (Ecclesiastical) (key): /a/
Suffix
-a
- inflection of -us:
Suffix
-?
Etymology 4
A conjugated form of -?³ (suffix forming verbs).
Pronunciation
- (Classical) (key): /a:/
- (Ecclesiastical) (key): /a/
Suffix
-?
Latvian
Suffix
-a
Derived terms
Related terms
Lushootseed
Suffix
-a
Derived terms
Maltese
Alternative forms
Etymology
From Arabic ? (-a), reinforced by Sicilian and Italian -a, which are unrelated but used similarly.
Pronunciation
- (key): /a/
- Homophone: -ha (distinct after -h, -?, -g?; may also trigger different stem alternations)
Suffix
-a
- Used to form the feminine forms of most nouns and adjectives.
- Used to form the plurals of some nouns and adjectives.
- Used to form singulatives from collective nouns. (For simplicity, singulatives may be treated as the bases whence the collectives are formed by deleting -a.)
Northern Sami
Etymology
From Proto-Samic *-ëk. Cognate with Finnish -e.
Pronunciation
Suffix
-a (with odd-syllable stems -at)
- Forms nouns from verbs, indicating something used for performing the verb.
- Forms nouns from verbs, indicating something that results from having the verb's action performed.
Usage notes
This suffix triggers the weak grade on a preceding stressed syllable in the nominative singular and essive, and the strong grade in the other forms.
Inflection
| Odd, no gradation | ||
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | -at | |
| Genitive | -aga | |
| Singular | Plural | |
| Nominative | -at | -agat |
| Accusative | -aga | -agiid |
| Genitive | -aga | -agiid |
| Illative | -agii | -agiidda |
| Locative | -agis | -agiin |
| Comitative | -agiin | -agiiguin |
| Essive | -agin | |
Derived terms
Norwegian Nynorsk
Suffix
-a
- the, Definite marker used for
- Synonym: -i (only for strong nouns; nonstandard since 2012)
- the definite singular of (strong) feminine nouns.
- the definite plural of strong neuter nouns.
- (dialectal) the dative singular case of strong masculine nouns.
- (archaic, nonstandard) Used to form definite singular dative case of weak masculine and neuter nouns
- -ed, Used for:
- Used to form an infinitive form for most verbs. When using split infinitive, this only applies to a select group.
- Used to form singular indefinite feminine form of some pronouns and adjectives (e.g. inga, lita, noka etc.).
- plural of -um
- plural of -on
- Used as an ending of weak nouns and adjectives. Used for:
- the singular of weak feminine nouns, indefinite (non-standard since 2012) and definite forms.
- the singular of weak neuter nouns, indefinite and definite forms (e.g. auga, hjarta, øyra).
- (dated or dialectal) adverbs ( superseded by -e).
- (Aasen, archaic or dialectal) the singular definite feminine and neuter forms of adjectives.
- (Aasen, archaic, nonstandard) Used to form the feminine indefinite plural of adjectives.
- (Aasen, archaic, nonstandard) Used to form the genitive plural of nouns.
Anagrams
Old English
Pronunciation
- (key): /?/
Etymology 1
From Proto-Germanic *-ô.
Alternative forms
Suffix
-a
- Ending forming adverbs
Etymology 2
From Proto-Germanic *-ô. Cognate with Old High German -o.
Suffix
-a
- nominative masculine n-stem ending
- used to form masculine agents from verbs
Declension
Derived terms
Descendants
- Middle English: -e
Old Irish
Pronoun
-a
- combines with prepositions to form a relative pronoun
Derived terms
Old Norse
Etymology 1
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Alternative forms
Suffix
-a
- indicates negation; does not
Etymology 2
From Proto-Germanic *-?n?.
Suffix
-a
- Creates denominative verbs from nouns
- Creates factitive verbs from adjectives
Conjugation
| infinitive | -a | |
|---|---|---|
| present participle | -andi | |
| past participle | -aðr | |
| indicative | present | past |
| 1st-person singular | -a | -aða |
| 2nd-person singular | -ar | -aðir |
| 3rd-person singular | -ar | -aði |
| 1st-person plural | -um | -uðum |
| 2nd-person plural | -ið | -uðuð |
| 3rd-person plural | -a | -uðu |
| subjunctive | present | past |
| 1st-person singular | -a | -aða |
| 2nd-person singular | -ir | -aðir |
| 3rd-person singular | -i | -aði |
| 1st-person plural | -im | -aðim |
| 2nd-person plural | -ið | -aðið |
| 3rd-person plural | -i | -aði |
| imperative | present | |
| 2nd-person singular | -a | |
| 1st-person plural | -um | |
| 2nd-person plural | -ið | |
Derived terms
Descendants
Etymology 3
From Proto-Germanic *-ê and *-ô.
Suffix
-a
Etymology 4
From Proto-Germanic *-? or *-ô.
Suffix
-a f or n
- Occurs in the nominative singular of feminine on-stem nouns
- Occurs in the singular of neuter an-stem nouns
Declension
Etymology 5
Different noun forms.
Suffix
-a
- indefinite genitive plural (of nouns)
- inflection of -i (masculine an-stem nouns):
- indefinite accusative plural of -r (masculine a-stem nouns)
Old Swedish
Etymology
Suffix
-a
- This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text
{{rfdef}}.- sighia
- to say
- hælgha
- to celebrate
Descendants
- Swedish: -a
Phalura
Etymology 1
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Pronunciation
- (key): /-a/
Suffix
-a
- Third person singular suffix
Alternative forms
- -íi (With e-ending verb stems)
- -óo (With a-ending verb stems)
- -e (Biori)
- -úu (With a-ending verb stems in Biori)
References
- Liljegren, Henrik; Haider, Naseem (2011) Palula Vocabulary (FLI Language and Culture Series; 7)[2], Islamabad, Pakistan: Forum for Language Initiatives, ->ISBN
Etymology 2
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Pronunciation
- (key): /-a/
Suffix
-a
- Plural suffix (with a-declension nouns)
Alternative forms
References
- Liljegren, Henrik; Haider, Naseem (2011) Palula Vocabulary (FLI Language and Culture Series; 7)[3], Islamabad, Pakistan: Forum for Language Initiatives, ->ISBN
Etymology 3
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Pronunciation
- (key): /-a/
Suffix
-a
- Oblique case suffix (with a-declension nouns)
Alternative forms
References
- Liljegren, Henrik; Haider, Naseem (2011) Palula Vocabulary (FLI Language and Culture Series; 7)[4], Islamabad, Pakistan: Forum for Language Initiatives, ->ISBN
Etymology 4
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Pronunciation
- (key): /-a/
Suffix
-a
- Masculine plural agreement suffix
References
- Liljegren, Henrik; Haider, Naseem (2011) Palula Vocabulary (FLI Language and Culture Series; 7)[5], Islamabad, Pakistan: Forum for Language Initiatives, ->ISBN
Etymology 5
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Pronunciation
- (key): /-a/
Suffix
-a
- Masculine non-nominative and non-singular agreement suffix
References
- Liljegren, Henrik; Haider, Naseem (2011) Palula Vocabulary (FLI Language and Culture Series; 7)[6], Islamabad, Pakistan: Forum for Language Initiatives, ->ISBN
Portuguese
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
From Old Portuguese -a, from Latin -am, accusative singular of -a.
Suffix
-a f
Etymology 2
From Old Portuguese -a, from Latin -at.
Suffix
-a
- forms the third-person singular present indicative of verbs ending in -ar
- João fala português. - John speaks Portuguese.
Etymology 3
From Old Portuguese -a, from Latin -?.
Suffix
-a
- forms the second-person singular affirmative imperative of verbs ending in -ar
- João, conta-nos o seu apelido. - John, tell us your last name.
Etymology 4
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Suffix
-a
- forms the first-person singular present subjunctive of verbs ending in -er and -ir
- É importante que eu coma carne. - It is important that I eat meat.
- forms the third-person singular present subjunctive of verbs ending in -er and -ir
- É importante que ele coma carne. - It is important that he eat meat.
- forms the third-person singular affirmative imperative of verbs ending in -er and -ir
- Ei você aí, coma carne. - Hey you there, eat meat.
- forms the third-person singular negative imperative of verbs ending in -er and -ir
- Ei você aí, não coma carne. - Hey you there, don't eat meat.
Usage notes
The third-person imperative isn't used with third person pronouns, it's used with você, which is a second-person pronoun but always takes third-person conjugation.
Etymology 5
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Suffix
-a
- (slang) used in the end of shortenings
- vestibular + -a -> vestiba ("university admittance test")
- vagabundo + -a -> vagaba ("loafer")
Romanian
Pronunciation
- (key): /a/
Etymology 1
From Latin illa, nominative feminine singular of ille.
Alternative forms
- -ua (used for feminine nouns ending in a stressed vowel or diphthong)
Suffix
-a f
- (definite article) the (feminine singular, nominative and accusative)
Usage notes
This form of the definite article is used for feminine nouns in the nominative and accusative cases which end in -? or in an unstressed vowel:
The suffix is also used with feminine adjectives in the nominative and accusative cases to make the articulated definite form, often for emphasis, and it is used before the noun it modifies:
- fata bun? + -a -> buna fat? (both meaning "the good girl")
- câmpia întins? + -a -> întinsa câmpie (both meaning "the wide/extensive plain")
Related terms
Etymology 2
From Latin -?re, the ending of the present active infinitive form of first conjugation verbs. Cognate with Spanish -ar, French -er, Italian -are, etc.
Suffix
-a
- A suffix forming infinitives of many verbs.
Related terms
See also
Derived terms
Serbo-Croatian
Etymology 1
Suffix
-a (Cyrillic spelling -?)
- Suffix appended to words (usually verbal stems) to create a feminine noun, usually denoting a relation or to form a proper noun.
Etymology 2
From Proto-Slavic *-a, from Proto-Indo-European *-?d, the thematic ablative ending.
Suffix
-a (Cyrillic spelling -?)
- Forms the genitive singular of masculine and neuter nouns and indefinite adjectives.
Slovak
Alternative forms
Etymology
From Proto-Slavic *-?.
Suffix
-a n
- Forms nouns for young animals and other diminutives.
Declension
Usage notes
- After labio-dental and bilabial consonants -ä is used instead.
Spanish
Etymology 1
Suffix
-a
Etymology 2
From Latin -at, the third-person singular present active indicative ending of first conjugation verbs.
Suffix
-a
- used to form the third-person singular (also used with usted) present indicative mood of regular -ar verbs
Etymology 3
From Latin -eam, Latin -am, and Latin -iam the first-person singular present active subjunctive endings of second, third, and fourth conjugation verbs, respectively; and from Latin -eat, Latin -at, and Latin -iat, the third-person singular present active subjunctive ending of second, third, and fourth conjugation verbs, respectively.
Suffix
-a
- used to form the first and third-person singular (also used with usted) singular present subjunctive mood of -er and -ir verbs, also used for the imperative mood of usted
Etymology 4
From Latin -? (second-person singular present active imperative ending of first conjugation verbs).
Suffix
-a
- used to form the second-person singular imperative mood of -ar verbs
Derived terms
Swedish
Etymology
From Old Swedish -a, from Old Norse -a, from Proto-Germanic *-?n?.
Suffix
-a
- (on a positive adjective) Suffix to mark that the corresponding noun is either in plural or in definite singular form.
- Marker of definiteness for noun plurals ending in -n (fourth declension).
- A verb-building suffix that can be added to noun or adjectives.
- Create a noun from a numeral.
- Transform an adjective describing a people speaking a language into the noun for that language.
Usage notes
- On adjectives
- Traditionally, if the noun is in the definite singular form it should not refer to a male human if it uses the suffix -a. If it refers to such a person, the suffix should instead be -e, but one should note that this rule is not universally adhered to – in particular dialects of northern Sweden do not recognize the -e suffix at all, but use -a in all instances.
Conjugation
- For weak verbs with a voiceless ending stem
- For weak verbs with a voiced ending stem
Derived terms
Tokelauan
Pronunciation
- (key): /a/
Etymology 1
From Proto-Polynesian *-a. Cognates include Tuvaluan -a and Samoan -a.
Suffix
-a
- Creates a verb denoting an abundancy of the suffixed noun; -ful
Derived terms
Etymology 2
Suffix
-a
- Added to transitive verbs when preceded by the subject pronoun.
References
- R. Simona, editor (1986) Tokelau Dictionary[7], Auckland: Office of Tokelau Affairs, page 1
Turkish
Alternative forms
- -ya, -ye (after a vowel)
- -na, -ne (after a possessive, dative only)
- -e (in words with front vowel harmony)
Suffix
-a (in words with back vowel harmony)
Volapük
Suffix
-a
- A morpheme used to mark the genitive singular of a word (such as a noun, adjective or pronoun). It is also the most common morpheme used in creating innumerable compound words, some of which can be very long
- Elaf Tyrannosaurus rex älifon in taledadil, kel nu binon dil Nolüda-Meropa.
- Tyrannosaurus rex lived in an area of the earth, which is now a part of North America.
- Buks binons stumem lärnazilana (/ lärnazilanastumem / stumem lärnazilanik).
- Books are a scholar's tools.
Walloon
Etymology
Suffix
-a
- Forming masculine nouns from verbs and nouns, having the sense of 'tool, object for a specific purpose'.
Derived terms
Welsh
Alternative forms
- -af (colloquial first-person singular future)
Pronunciation
- (key): /a/
Suffix
-a
- (literary) verb suffix for the third-person singular present indicative/future
- (literary) verb suffix for the second-person singular present imperative
- (colloquial) verb suffix for the first-person singular future
- (colloquial) verb suffix for the second-person singular present imperative
Derived terms
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