-a
Marks singular nouns, with a foundation in Greek or Latin, often implying femininity, especially when contrasted with words terminating in -us.
Suffix morpheme
- Marks singular nouns, with a foundation in Greek or Latin, often implying femininity, especially when contrasted with words terminating in -us.
- Changes an element or substance into an oxide.
- magnesium + -a → magnesia
Origin
Learned borrowing from Latin -a (nominative first declension neuter singular suffix)
Forms
Synonyms
Antonyms
Derived
Suffix US, alt of
- Pronunciation spelling of -er (the agent noun suffix).
- busta, hustla, killa, stunna, sucka
- Pronunciation spelling of -er (the colloquial clipping suffix).
- Macca, rugga
Origin
A pronunciation spelling of -er, representing the unstressed schwa /ə/ in non-rhotic dialects.
Related
Suffix form of, morpheme
- plural of -um
Origin
Learned borrowing from Latin -a (nominative second declension neuter plural suffix), plural counterpart to -um (nominative second declension neuter singular suffix).
Derived
bacteria cilia colossea data fora mausolea memoranda musea quanta sanatoria stadia ultimata
Suffix form of, morpheme
- plural of -on
Origin
Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek -α (-a, nominative second declension neuter plural suffix), plural counterpart to -ον (-on, nominative second declension neuter singular suffix).
Derived
amnia archaea automata cola criteria Diptera ephemera -hedra mitochondria neura panthea phenomena taxa -zoa
Suffix morpheme
- Marks nouns, with a foundation in Italian, Spanish, or Portuguese, implying femininity.
- donna
- signora
Origin
Borrowed from Italian -a, Spanish -a and Portuguese -a, all feminine noun suffixes from Latin -a.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Suffix alt of, alternative
- Alternative form of 've.
- who'da thunk it?
- shoulda
- coulda
Origin
Contraction of have.
Suffix morpheme
- Added for metrical reasons to songs, poetry and verse, or as an empty filler syllable to other speech.
- A merry heart goes all the day Your sad tires in a mile-a - c. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Winters Tale”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London:...
- 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. - 1936 July 18, Leon Schlesinger (producer) / Norman Spencer (music), I Love to Singa
- 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...
Origin
Added especially for metrical reasons, or as an empty filler syllable.
Suffix clitic, form of
- Clitic form of o' (contraction of of).
- buncha, cuppa, kinda, loadsa, lotta, sorta
- "Jesus Christ! Was my folks refined. My mam she wouldn't think-a lettin' us young'uns call a pee pot a pee pot. A chamber's what she called it... And by God! Us young'uns had ter call the pee pot a chamber or git our...
Origin
Contraction of of.
Suffix informal, morpheme
- to (infinitive marker)
- oughta
- wanna
- gotta
Origin
Contraction of to.
Suffix informal, morpheme
- do (infinitive marker)
- whatta
- Yeah, Flav, I'm tired of them dissing brothers in the P.E. out there, we got to do something about this/(What-a we do? What-a we do?) - 1988, Living Colour, “Funny Vibe”, Epic:
Origin
Contraction of do.