English Online Dictionary. What means la? What does la mean?
English
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /lɑː/
- Rhymes: -ɑː
Etymology 1
From Latin labii, from the first word of the sixth line of Ut queant laxis, the medieval hymn on which solfège was based because its lines started on each note of the scale successively.
Alternative forms
- lah
Noun
la (plural las)
- (music) A syllable used in solfège to represent the sixth note of a major scale.
-
- And now Mrs Waters (for we must confess she was in the same bed), being, I suppose, awakened from her sleep, and seeing two men fighting in her bedchamber, began to scream in the most violent manner, crying out murder! robbery! and more frequently rape! which last, some, perhaps, may wonder she should mention, who do not consider that these words of exclamation are used by ladies in a fright, as fa, la, la, ra, da, &c., are in music, only as the vehicles of sound, and without any fixed ideas.
-
Translations
Coordinate terms
- (music): do, re, mi, fa, sol, ti
Etymology 2
Sound used to form meaningless song refrains. Of imitative origin. Compare Old English la, a common exclamation, Ancient Greek λαλαγε (lalage, “babble”), German lallen (“to babble”).
Interjection
la
- Represents the sound of music or singing.
- "La la la la, I can't hear you!" Jimmy said, sticking his fingers in his ears.
- I couldn't make out the words of the song, it was just a bunch of la la la as far as I could hear.
Etymology 3
From Middle English la, from Old English lā. More at lo.
Alternative forms
- law
Interjection
la
- (obsolete) Used to introduce a statement with emphatic or intensive effect.
- (archaic) Expressing surprise, anger. etc.
-
- La, ma'am, what doth your la'ship think? the girl that your la'ship saw at church on Sunday, whom you thought so handsome; though you would not have thought her so handsome neither, if you had seen her nearer, but to be sure she hath been carried before the justice for being big with child.
- 1811, Jane Austen, Sense and Sensibility, vol. III ch. 2:
- “Oh, la! here come the Richardsons. I had a vast deal more to say to you, but I must not stay away from them any longer.”
-
Etymology 4
From French la, Italian la.
Adjective
la (not comparable)
- Prefixed to the name of a woman, with ironic effect (as though an opera prima donna).
- 2007, Kate Carter, The Guardian, 22 Nov 2007:
- Following lukewarm on the heels of an article a few weeks ago, where (I paraphrase due to having filed the relevant copy in the recycling bin) Victoria Beckham made a "well-meaning" remark that the other Spice Girls might want to lose a few pounds, we now have a new incidence of La Beckham's scintillating and entirely well-meaning humour.
- 2010, Christopher Hitchens, Hitch-22, Atlantic 2011, page 232:
- By judicious leaking, he also managed to make la Kirkpatrick and her associates look rather unsavory.
- 2007, Kate Carter, The Guardian, 22 Nov 2007:
Etymology 5
Possibly a shortened form of lad.
Noun
la (plural las)
- (Liverpudlian) lad, lid
Anagrams
- & al., -al, AL, Al, a.l., al, al-
Afrikaans
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [lɑː]
Noun
la (plural [please provide])
- (music) la (solfège)
References
- 2007. The UCLA Phonetics Lab Archive. Los Angeles, CA: UCLA Department of Linguistics.
Ama
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ɭa/
Noun
la
- fish
Aromanian
Etymology
From Latin illac. Compare Romanian la.
Preposition
la
- at
- by
Asturian
Etymology
From Latin illa(m).
Article
la f sg (masculine el, neuter lo, masculine plural los, feminine plural les)
- (definite) the
Usage notes
- The article la contracts to l' before a word beginning with a or ha: l'asturiana (the Asturian), l'habitación (the habitation)
Pronoun
la
- her (third-person singular feminine direct pronoun)
Catalan
Pronunciation
- (Balearic, Central) IPA(key): /lə/
- (Valencian) IPA(key): /la/
Etymology 1
From Old Occitan la, from Latin illa(m).
Article
la f (masculine el, masculine plural els, feminine plural les)
- the; feminine singular definite article
Usage notes
The article la is contracted to l' before a vowel or h-, except before a following (h)i- or (h)u-.
Pronoun
la (enclitic and proclitic, contracted proclitic l')
- her (direct object)
Declension
Etymology 2
Noun
la m (plural las)
- (music) la (sixth note of a diatonic scale)
Further reading
- “la” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
Chickasaw
Pronoun
la
- I (first-person singular pronoun)
Dalmatian
Etymology
From Latin illa(m).
Article
la
- the; feminine singular definite article
Related terms
- el
- i
- le
Dutch
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /laː/
- Hyphenation: la
- Rhymes: -aː
Etymology 1
From earlier lade, from Middle Dutch lāde, from Old Dutch *latha, from Proto-Germanic *hlaþō.
Noun
la f (plural la's, diminutive laatje n)
- drawer
Alternative forms
- lade
Derived terms
- bureaula
- schuifla
Descendants
- Afrikaans: laai
Etymology 2
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Noun
la f (plural la's, diminutive laatje n)
- la (music)
Anagrams
- al
Emilian
Etymology
From Latin illa(m), feminine form of ille.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /la/
- Hyphenation: la
Article
la f sg (plural al, el, li)
- the
Pronoun
la (personal)
- (nominative case) she
- (accusative case) her
Alternative forms
- Becomes l’ before a vowel.
- Becomes -la when acting as an enclitic.
Related terms
Esperanto
Etymology
Borrowed from French la, Italian la, Spanish la.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /la/
- Hyphenation: la
Article
la
- the
- la libro — the book
- la libroj — the books
- la angla lingvo — the English language
- la angla — (the) English (language) (clipped form)
Alternative forms
- l' (poetic)
Finnish
Etymology
From lauantai.
Noun
la
- Abbreviation of lauantai (“Saturday”).
French
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /la/
- Homophones: là, las
Etymology 1
From Middle French la, from Old French la, from Latin illam, which is the accusative singular feminine of ille.
Article
la f sg
- the (definite article).
Usage notes
- la becomes l’ before a vowel or an unaspirated h.
Pronoun
la ?
- her, it (direct object).
Related terms
Etymology 2
Noun
la m (plural la)
- (music) la, the note 'A'.
See also
- là
References
Further reading
- “la” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).
Friulian
Etymology
From Latin illa(m).
Article
la f sg (plural lis)
- the
See also
- lis, il
Galician
Etymology 1
Pronoun
la f (accusative)
- Alternative form of a (“her”)
Usage notes
The l- forms of accusative third-person pronouns are used when the preceding word ends in -r or -s, and is suffixed to the preceding word
Related terms
- a
- lo
- na
Etymology 2
Noun
la m (plural las)
- (music) la (sixth note of the scale)
- (music) A (the musical note or key)
See also
- (musical notes) nota musical; dó, re, mi, fa, sol, la, si (Category: gl:Music)
Etymology 3
From Old Portuguese lãa, from Latin lāna.
Alternative forms
- laa
Noun
la f (uncountable)
- wool
Guinea-Bissau Creole
Etymology
From Portuguese lá. Cognates with Kabuverdianu la.
Adverb
la
- there
Haitian Creole
Etymology 1
From French l'art
Noun
la
- art
Etymology 2
Article
la
- the (definite article)
Usage notes
This article is used only after a word that ends with an oral (non-nasal) vowel and an oral consonant, in that order, and when it modifies a singular noun.
See also
- a
- an
- lan
- nan
- yo
- yon
Hungarian
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [ˈlɒ]
Interjection
la
- (archaic) used in dialects at the end of an exclamatory sentence as an emphasis
- ott van la! - there it is!
- a syllable used when singing a tune without lyrics
Ido
Alternative forms
- (apocopic form) l'
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /la/
Etymology 1
Borrowed from Esperanto la, from French la, Italian la, Spanish la.
Article
la (plural le)
- the
Derived terms
Etymology 2
Borrowed from English la, French la, Italian la, Spanish la, Portuguese lá, German A, Russian ля (lja).
Noun
la (plural le la or lai)
- (music) la
Interlingua
Pronoun
la
- (accusative) her
- (dative) to her
Istriot
Etymology
From Latin illa(m), feminine of ille.
Article
la f sg (masculine el)
- feminine singular definite article the
- 1877, Antonio Ive, Canti popolari istriani: raccolti a Rovigno, volume 5, Ermanno Loescher, page 29:
- Ti son la manduleîna inzucherada.
- You are the sugared almond.
- Ti son la manduleîna inzucherada.
- 1877, Antonio Ive, Canti popolari istriani: raccolti a Rovigno, volume 5, Ermanno Loescher, page 29:
Italian
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /la/
- Rhymes: -a
Etymology 1
From Latin illa(m), feminine form of ille.
Article
la f sg (plural le)
- the
Usage notes
The article la elides with words that begin with a vowel, becoming l'.
Pronoun
la f sg (plural le, masculine lo)
- (accusative) her, it
- (Can we date this quote by Pasolini and provide title, author's full name, and other details?)
- (Can we date this quote by Pasolini and provide title, author's full name, and other details?)
- (accusative, formal) you (term of respect)
Alternative forms
- -la (enclitic)
See also
Etymology 2
Noun
la m (invariable)
- (music) la (musical note)
- (music) A (musical note and scale)
Derived terms
- la maggiore
- la minore
References
Further reading
- La (nota) on the Italian Wikipedia.Wikipedia it
Anagrams
- al
Kabuverdianu
Etymology
From Portuguese lá.
Adverb
la
- there
Kambera
Preposition
la
- in
References
- Marian Klamer (1998) A Grammar of Kambera, Berlin, New York: Mouton de Gruyter, →ISBN, page 127
Kilivila
Verb
-la-
- to leave, to go
- kula - thou goest
- kulosi - ye go
- bala - I will go
Idioms
- kusisu, bala
See also
- -wa-
References
Ladin
Etymology
From Latin illa(m).
Article
la f (singular)
- the
Usage notes
- The article la elides with words that begin with a vowel, becoming l'.
See also
- l
- l'
- i
- les
Ladino
Article
la (Hebrew spelling לה, plural las, masculine el)
- the (feminine singular)
Malay
Particle
la
- Misspelling of lah.
Mandarin
Pronunciation
Romanization
la (Zhuyin ˙ㄌㄚ)
- Pinyin transcription of 啦
- Pinyin transcription of 嚹
- Pinyin transcription of 鞡
- Pinyin transcription of 𤷟
- Pinyin transcription of 𩋷
la
- Nonstandard spelling of lā.
- Nonstandard spelling of lá.
- Nonstandard spelling of lǎ.
- Nonstandard spelling of là.
Usage notes
- English transcriptions of Mandarin speech often fail to distinguish between the critical tonal differences employed in the Mandarin language, using words such as this one without the appropriate indication of tone.
Matal
Preposition
la
- in
- from
References
Michif
Etymology
From French la.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [la]
Article
la f (masculine li, masculine and feminine plural lii)
- the
Middle French
Etymology 1
From Old French la, from Latin illam.
Article
la f (masculine le, masculine and feminine plural les)
- the
Descendants
- French: la
Etymology 2
From Old French la.
Alternative forms
- là (circa 1550)
Adverb
la
- there
Descendants
- French: là
Mirandese
Etymology
From Latin illa(m).
Article
la f (plural las, masculine l, masculine plural ls)
- the
Neapolitan
Pronoun
la
- Alternative form of 'a
Norman
Etymology
From Old French la, from Latin illa(m).
Pronunciation
Article
la f (plural les)
- (Jersey) the (feminine singular definite article)
Coordinate terms
- (gender) lé
Norwegian Bokmål
Etymology 1
From the verb late
Verb
la (imperative la, present tense lar, simple past lot, past participle latt)
- to let
- to leave (in a given state)
Etymology 2
From Old Norse hlaða
Verb
la (imperative la, present tense lar, simple past ladde, past participle ladd)
- alternative form of lade
Etymology 3
Verb
la
- simple past of legge
References
- “la” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
Norwegian Nynorsk
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /lɑː/
Etymology 1
From Old Norse láta. Akin to English let.
Alternative forms
- lata
- late
Verb
la (present tense lèt or lar, past tense lét or let, past participle late or latt, imperative la)
- let, allow
Etymology 2
Verb
la
- past tense of leggja, leggje, legga and legge
References
- “la” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.
Novial
Pronoun
la
- she; her
Related terms
- las
- lo
- le
Occitan
Etymology
From Old Occitan la, from Latin illa(m).
Article
la (masculine lo, feminine plural las, masculine plural los)
- the; feminine singular definite article
Old French
Etymology
From Latin illa(m).
Article
la
- the (feminine singular oblique definite article)
- the (feminine singular nominative definite article)
- circa 1170, Chrétien de Troyes, Érec et Énide:
- Trop avons fet grant reposee,
Recomançomes la meslee!- We have rested too much
- Let's restart the battle! (literally, the mix)
- Trop avons fet grant reposee,
- circa 1170, Chrétien de Troyes, Érec et Énide:
Inflection
Pronoun
la
- it (feminine singular object pronoun)
Descendants
- Middle French: la
- French: la
Old Irish
Alternative forms
- le
Etymology
From a form of Proto-Celtic *letos (“side”), from which leth.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /la/
Preposition
la (with the accusative)
- with
- c. 800, Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles, published in Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus (reprinted 1987, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies), edited and with translations by Whitley Stokes and John Strachan, vol. I, pp. 499–712, Wb. 14d17
- c. 800, Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles, published in Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus (reprinted 1987, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies), edited and with translations by Whitley Stokes and John Strachan, vol. I, pp. 499–712, Wb. 14d17
- belonging to
- c. 800, Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles, published in Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus (reprinted 1987, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies), edited and with translations by Whitley Stokes and John Strachan, vol. I, pp. 499–712, Wb. 6b22
- c. 800, Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles, published in Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus (reprinted 1987, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies), edited and with translations by Whitley Stokes and John Strachan, vol. I, pp. 499–712, Wb. 7d10
- c. 800, Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles, published in Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus (reprinted 1987, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies), edited and with translations by Whitley Stokes and John Strachan, vol. I, pp. 499–712, Wb. 6b22
Inflection
Derived terms
Combinations with a definite article:
- lassin (masculine and feminine singular)
- lassa (neuter singular)
- lasna (plural)
Combinations with a possessive determiner:
- lam (“with my”)
- lat (“with your sg”)
- lia (“with his/her/its/their”)
- liar (“with our”)
Combinations with a relative pronoun:
- lassa (“with which”)
Descendants
- Irish: le
- Manx: lesh
- Scottish Gaelic: le
Further reading
- Gregory Toner, Maire Ní Mhaonaigh, Sharon Arbuthnot, Dagmar Wodtko, Maire-Luise Theuerkauf, editors (2019), “la”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
- Rudolf Thurneysen (1940, reprinted 2003)D. A. Binchy and Osborn Bergin, transl., A Grammar of Old Irish, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, →ISBN, pages 272–73, 523
Old Occitan
Etymology
From Latin illa(m).
Article
la (masculine lo)
- the; feminine singular definite article
Descendants
- Catalan: la
- Occitan: la
Portuguese
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /lɐ/
Pronoun
la
- Alternative form of a (third-person feminine singular objective pronoun) used as an enclitic and mesoclitic following a verb form ending in a consonant (-z, -r and -s, but not -m); the consonant is elided and the preceding vowel takes an accent if necessary
Romanian
Alternative forms
- ла (Moldavia)
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /la/
- Rhymes: -a
Etymology 1
From Latin illac.
Preposition
la (+accusative)
- at
- to, towards
Etymology 2
From Latin lavāre, present active infinitive of lavō, from Proto-Indo-European *lewh₃- (“to wash”).
Alternative forms
- (Transylvania) lăia
Verb
a la (third-person singular present lă, past participle lăut) 1st conj.
- (uncommon) to wash (especially the head)
Conjugation
Synonyms
- se spăla, scălda, îmbăia
Derived terms
- lăutoare, lăutură
Related terms
- lături
- lăun
- spăla
Samoan
Noun
la
- sun
Santa Catarina Albarradas Zapotec
Noun
la
- name
References
- Basic Vocabulary, page 63
Sicilian
Etymology
From Latin illa(m), from ille.
Article
la f sg (plural li)
- the
See also
Southern Ndebele
Etymology
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Pronoun
la
- these; class 6 proximal demonstrative.
Spanish
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /la/
Etymology 1
From Old Spanish ela, from Latin illa(m), feminine singular of ille.
Article
la f sg (masculine el, feminine plural las, masculine plural los)
- the
Pronoun
la
- accusative of ella, ello (when the antecedent's implied gender is feminine), and usted (when referring to a woman); her, it, you (formal)
- Impersonal neuter pronoun (accusative) in certain colloquial phrases: 'it', 'this'.
- La sabe toda.
- He/she knows everything (it all)
- ¡Dónde la viste!
- Where have you seen this!
- No te la creo.
- I don't believe you.
- La sabe toda.
Usage notes
- Sometimes used where English would prefer a possessive: "Tengo algo en la bolsa" (literally, I have something in the bag) as opposed to "Tengo algo en mi bolsa". (I have something in my bag).
See also
- a la
- lo
- saberla
- pasarla
- jugársela
- buscársela
- verla
Etymology 2
Noun
la m (plural las)
- (music) la (sixth note of the scale)
- (music) A (the musical note or key)
See also
- (musical notes) nota musical; do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, si (Category: es:Music)
Swahili
Etymology 1
From Proto-Bantu *-dɪ́a.
Verb
-la (infinitive kula)
- to eat
- (by extension) to consume, to eradicate
Conjugation
Derived terms
- Verbal derivations:
- Applicative: -lia
- Causative: -lisha
- Passive: -liwa
- Stative: -lika (“be edible”)
- Other formations: -la chumvi nyingi (“to live a long life (idiomatic)”)
- Nominal derivations:
- chakula (“food”)
- mla
Etymology 2
From Arabic لَا (lā).
Interjection
la
- no
See also
- siyo
- hapana
Etymology 3
See -a.
Particle
la
- Ji class inflected form of -a.
Swedish
Alternative forms
- lade
Verb
la
- past tense of lägga.
Conjunction
la
- (dialectal, Gothenburg, Västergötland) Synonym of väl
Anagrams
- -al, al
Tsafiki
Pronoun
la
- I; the first-person singular masculine pronoun; the first-person singular pronoun used by adult men
Coordinate terms
- čiʰké (first-person singular feminine pronoun, first-person singular pronoun used by adult women)
- če (first-person singular pronoun used by children)
- čiʰke-lá (first-person plural pronoun)
References
- The Languages of the Andes (2004, Willem F. H. Adelaar, Pieter C. Muysken)
Vietnamese
Pronunciation
- (Hà Nội) IPA(key): [laː˧˧]
- (Huế) IPA(key): [laː˧˧]
- (Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA(key): [laː˧˧]
Etymology 1
Verb
la • (啰, 囉)
- to cry, to shout
- (Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) to reprimand, to scold
Derived terms
Etymology 2
Non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of Chinese 騾 (“mule”; SV: loa).
Noun
(classifier con) la • (騾)
- a horse-donkey hybrid; a mule or a hinny
See also
- lừa
Walloon
Etymology
From Latin illac.
Adverb
la
- there
Synonyms
- låvå
Antonyms
- chal, droci
Wolof
Pronoun
la
- you (second-person singular object pronoun)
See also
Xhosa
Etymology
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Pronoun
la
- these; class 6 proximal demonstrative.
Yatzachi Zapotec
Noun
la
- name
Zulu
Etymology
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈlá/
Pronoun
la
- these; class 6 proximal demonstrative.
Inflection
References
- C. M. Doke; B. W. Vilakazi (1972), “la”, in Zulu-English Dictionary, →ISBN: “la (2)”