א־

Aramaic

Etymology

From עַל (ʿal), with the ל (l) assimilated onto the following consonant, and the ע (ʿ) respelled as א (ʾ) since they had merged in pronunciation in Jewish Babylonian Aramaic.

Preposition

אַ־ • (ʾa-)

  1. Jewish Babylonian Aramaic form of עַל (ʿal)
    • a. 500 C.E., Babylonian Talmud. Bava Batra, section 2.1:
      והא וכן קתני אגויל וגזית
      But [the Mishnah] teaches “and thus”. [This is in fact] regarding “rough stone” and “smooth stone”.

Usage notes

  • The following consonant is doubled.

Hebrew

Etymology 1

    Inherited from Proto-Semitic *ʔa- (1st pers. singular imperfect indicative prefix).

    Prefix

    אֶ־, אֵ־ • (e-)

    1. I'll (used to form first-person singular future from pa'al, nif'al, hitpa'el and hitpu'al verbs)
      פָּעַל (pa'ál, to do, literally he did) → ‎אֶפְעַל (ef'ál, I'll do)
      הָלַךְ (halákh, to go, literally he went) → ‎אֵלֵךְ (elékh, I'll go)
      נִסְגַּר (nisgár, to be closed, literally he was closed) → ‎אֶסָּגֵר (esagér, I'll be closed)
      הִתְנַגֵּד (hitnagéd, to oppose, literally he opposed) → ‎אֶתְנַגֵּד (etnagéd, I'll oppose)
      התנודב / הִתְנֻדַּב (hitnudáv, to be voluntold, literally he was voluntold) → ‎אתנודב / אֶתְנֻדַּב (etnudáv, I'll be voluntold)

    Prefix

    אֲ־ • (a-)

    1. I'll (used to form first-person singular future from pi'el and pu'al verbs)
      דיבר / דִּבֵּר (dibér, to speak, literally he spoke) → ‎אֲדַבֵּר (adabér, I'll speak)
      בוטל / בֻּטַּל (butál, to be canceled, literally he was canseled) → ‎אבוטל / אֲבֻטַּל (avutál, I'll be canceled)

    Prefix

    אַ־ • (a-)

    1. I'll (used to form first-person singular future from hif'il verbs)
      הִכְתִּיב (hikhtív, to dictate, literally he dictated) → ‎אַכְתִּיב (akhtív, I'll dictate)

    Prefix

    אֻ־, אוּ־ • (u-)

    1. I'll (used to form first-person singular future from huf'al verbs)
      הורשע / הֻרְשַׁע (hurshá', to be convicted, literally he was convicted) → ‎אורשע / אֻרְשַׁע (urshá', I'll be convicted)
      הוּטַב (hutáv, to be improved, literally he was improved) → ‎אוּטַב (utáv, I'll be improved)

    Prefix

    אָ־ • (a-)

    1. I'll (used to form first-person singular future from pa'al verbs with weak roots having ו as their second radical and hif'il verbs with geminate roots)
      בָּא (, to come, literally he came) → ‎אָבוֹא (avó, I'll come)
      הֵגֵן (hegén, to protect, literally he protected) → ‎אָגֵן (agén, I'll protect)

    Prefix

    אֹ־ • (o-)

    1. I'll (used to form first-person singular future from some pa'al verbs with weak roots having א as their first radical)
      אָמַר (amár, to say, literally he said) → ‎אומר / אֹמַר (omár, I'll say)
      אָפָה (afá, to bake, literally he baked) → ‎אופה / אֹפֶה (ofé, I'll bake)

    Further reading

    Modern Hebrew verbs on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

    Etymology 2

      Derived from Ancient Greek ἀ- (a-), mostly via other European languages.

      Prefix

      אַ־, אֲ־ • (a-)

      1. a- (not, without, opposite of)
        Synonyms: אַל, אִי
        מִינִיּוּת (miniyút, sexulaity) → ‎אַ־מִינִיּוּת (a-miniyút, asexuality)
        נוֹרְמָלִי (normáli, normal) → ‎אֲנוֹרְמָלִי (anormáli, abnormal)
      Usage notes

      Could be divided by ־ (makáf, hyphen) from the word in more recent borrowings.

      Etymology 3

        Borrowed from Arabic اَلْ (al-) before sun letters.

        Alternative forms

        • אַ(ל)־

        Prefix

        אַ־ • (a-)

        1. form of אַל־, when used before ד, ד׳, ז, ל, נ, ס, ס׳, ר, ש, ת, ת׳.

        References