ஆ

ஆ (ā)

1. The second letter of the Tamil script.

• IPA^(key): /aː/

• Audio:

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ஆ • (ā)

1. The second vowel of Tamil, written in the Tamil script.

• (matra): ா

Inherited from Proto-Dravidian *ā- (“to be, become”).

• ஆகு (āku), (Spoken Tamil) ஆவு (āvu)

ஆ • (ā) (intransitive)

1. to be

   Synonyms: இரு (iru), உள் (uḷ)

   ஐந்தும் மூன்றும் எட்டாகும்.

   aintum mūṉṟum eṭṭākum.

   Five plus three is eight.

2. to become

   Synonym: மாறு (māṟu)

3. to be created, to come into existence

   Synonyms: உருவா (uruvā), உண்டா (uṇṭā), தோன்று (tōṉṟu)

4. to happen, occur

   Synonyms: நட (naṭa​), நிகழ் (nikaḻ), செல் (cel)

5. to be fit, proper, agreeable, congenial, on friendly terms

   Synonyms: ஒத்துக்கொள் (ottukkoḷ), இணங்கு (iṇaṅku)

   எனக்கு வேர்க்கடலை ஆகாது.

   eṉakku vērkkaṭalai ākātu.

   I'm allergic to peanuts.

6. to pass, as time

   Synonyms: கழி (kaḻi), போ (pō), செல் (cel)

   ஒரு வருடத்துக்கு மேலாக ஆயிற்று.

   oru varuṭattukku mēlāka āyiṟṟu.

   It has been more than a year.

7. to be done, finished (as a deed)

   Synonyms: முடி (muṭi), முற்றுபெறு (muṟṟupeṟu)

8. (of time, expenses, etc.) to take, cost, come to
9. to prosper, flourish

   Synonym: செழி (ceḻi)

10. to be like, equal

    Synonym: ஒ (o)

11. to stand in the relation of, as a friend or a blood relation

    அவன் உனக்கு என்ன ஆவான்?

    avaṉ uṉakku eṉṉa āvāṉ?

    What is he to you?

12. a verbaliser signifying the passive voice, mostly used in the sense of 'subject to the state (mentioned)'

    கைதாகு ― kaitāku ― "to be arrested"

13. (auxiliary) only the form ஆக (āka) with வேண்டும் (vēṇṭum) - conveys a sense of necessity; must (often used with தான் (tāṉ) or -ஏ (-ē))

    சாப்பாட்டை சாப்பிட்டு தான் ஆகவேண்டும்.

    cāppāṭṭai cāppiṭṭu tāṉ ākavēṇṭum.

    (The subject) must eat food.

While Tamil does not require a copula (zero copula), this verb, especially in its future forms, is often used in formal speech and writing in a manner equivalent to the English be.

For example,

is the same as

Spoken Tamil, though, is far less dependent on this copula.

This verb has two conjugations, differing only in the past tense. The first one is the more predominant one.

Alternatively, the third singular neuter past can also be 'ஆயிற்று (āyiṟṟu)'.

ஆ • (ā)

1. Ah, ow - expressing pain, irritation, pity, regret, wonder, admiration

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:ஐயோ

2. Ah - expressing sultriness, recollection

Onomatopoeic.

ஆ • (ā)

1. (imperative) used to prompt a person to open their mouth

ஆ • (ā)

1. (childish) a mouthful of food

   Synonym: வாய் (vāy)

From Old Tamil 𑀆 (ā), from Proto-Dravidian *ā. Cognate with Kannada ಆವು (āvu), Malayalam ആവ് (āvŭ) and Telugu ఆవు (āvu).

ஆ • (ā) (literary)

1. cow

   Synonym: மாடு (māṭu)

   ஆவின் கடைமணி உகுநீர் நெஞ்சு சுடத் தான்தன்...

   āviṉ kaṭaimaṇi ukunīr neñcu cuṭat tāṉtaṉ...

   (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   (சிலப்பதிகாரம் 10:54)

Inherited from Proto-Dravidian *aH. Cognate with Kannada ಆ (ā), Malayalam ആ (ā) and Telugu ఆ (ā).

ஆ • (ā) (dialectal)

1. that

   Synonyms: அந்த (anta), அ- (a-)

   ஆ கடற்கரை

   ā kaṭaṟkarai

   that beach

Compare Malayalam ആ (ā).

ஆ • (ā)

1. dialectal form of ஆம் (ām, “yes”).

ஆ • (ā)

1. dialectal form of ஆம் (ām, “yes”).

• University of Madras (1924–1936), “ஆ-தல்”, in Tamil Lexicon, Madras [Chennai]: Diocesan Press
• Johann Philipp Fabricius (1779), “ஆ”, in A Malabar and English Dictionary, Tranquebar: Evangelical Lutheran Mission Pub. House; republished as Tamil and English Dictionary, 1972
• University of Madras (1924–1936), “ஆ”, in Tamil Lexicon, Madras [Chennai]: Diocesan Press
• S. Ramakrishnan (1992), “ஆகு”, in தற்காலத் தமிழ் அகராதி [Dictionary of Contemporary Tamil] (in Tamil), Madras: Cre-A Publishers, page [1]