а

Meaning

1. The first letter of the Russian alphabet, called а (a) and written in the Cyrillic script.
2. The name of the Cyrillic script letter А/а.
3. The name of the Latin script letter A/a.
4. The sound expressed by the letter A.
5. The first item in a list of similar items.
6. The first item among those numbered with the same number as a pre-existing one.
7. but, and, while, although (deviates from the preceding idea in some manner; introduces a new or different meaning, as opposed to но (no), which usually indicates contrarity)
8. oh! (expressing surprise or realization)
9. colloquial particle used to seek confirmation: eh
10. he, she or it (used to point to a particular person)
11. A, ampere

Etymology / origin

Inherited from Old East Slavic а (a, “and, but”), from Proto-Slavic *a (“and, but”), from Proto-Balto-Slavic *ō, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁ōd (presumed to be the ablative of *éy, h₁e). Cognate with Lithuanian õ (“and, but”). Possible link with Lithuanian ar̃ (“question particle”). Compare Russian а (a, “and, but”), и (i, “and”) and да (da, “and, but”) with Lithuanian ar̃ (“if, whether”), ir̃ (“and”) and dár (“still, yet”).

Related words

Descendant words

• а(Eastern Mari) (bor)
• A(Estonian) (cog)
• A(Ingrian) (bor)
• A(Latgalian) (cog)
• а(Mongolian) (bor)
• а(Russian) (cog)
• A(Skolt Sami) (bor)
• ә(Tatar) (bor)
• а(Udmurt) (bor)
• A(Votic) (bor)

Sources

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