-a
/ɑ/
Word Rarity
Common
Frequency: 7.36 in modern English
1
Scrabble Score
1
Letters
2
Syllables
1
Unique Chars
Meaning
suffix
plural of -um
suffix
plural of -on
suffix
Marks singular nouns, with a foundation in Greek or Latin, often implying femininity, especially when contrasted with words terminating in -us.
suffix
Marks nouns, with a foundation in Italian, Spanish, or Portuguese, implying femininity.
Example Sentences
- "magnesium + -a → magnesia"
- "donna"
- "signora"
- "A merry heart goes all the day Your sad tires in a mile-a"
- "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."
- "I wanna wanna wanna wanna wanna wanna really wanna be just like the Lord So every day Im gonna gonna read the Book and rest upon-a God's own holy Word Of good in me there's none-a none-a that's okay because I'm gonna trust upon the work that's done-a on the Cross and Jesus is the one-a one-a God the Father's Son-a Son-a and my sin He cures!"
Etymology
Learned borrowing from Latin -a (nominative second declension neuter plural suffix), plural counterpart to -um (nominative second declension neuter singular suffix).
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: -a
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ɑ/
- British English: /ɑ/
Usage
- Slang
- Informal
- American usage
- Australian usage
- New Zealand usage
- British usage
Inflected Forms
-as (plural)
-ae (plural)