ا

a, the first letter of the Arabic, Persian, and Urdū alphabets. Its pronunciation depends on the vowel which accompanies it;e.g. ا with fatḥa (َا )=the Devanāgarī अ = the English a, as in cedar (or =the English u in fun); ا with kasra (ِا )=the Devanāgarī इ=the English i, as in fin; ا with ẓamma (ُا )=the Devanāgarī उ=the English u, as in bull.—ا with fatḥa, followed by ا, (i.e. اَا, which is usually written آ)=the Devanāgarī आ=the English ā, as in father; ا with fatḥa, followed by the letter و,(i.e.وَا)=the Devanāgarī औ=the English au (sounded like ou in house); ا with fatḥa, followed by the letter ي, (i.e. يَا),=the Devanāgarī ऐ=the English ai, as in aisle.—اwith ẓamma, followed by the letter و, (i.e. وُا),=1˚, the Devanāgarī ऊ=the English u, as in rule (or=the oo in pool), and, 2˚, =the Devanāgarī ओ=the English o, as in pole.—ا with kasra, followed by ي, (i.e. يِا), = 1˚, the Devanāgarī ई=the English ī, as in caprice; and,2˚, =the Devanāgarī ए=the French e, as in fête.ا is used,— 1˚ (arithmetically, according to the Abjad, q.v.) for the number one. 2˚ (for अ,in Almanacks and Astrology) for Sunday, and Aries. 3˚ (for अ) as a name of the god Vishnu. 4˚ as an inseparable prefix to a word beginning with a consonant, to signify negation or privation: e.g. aśuddha, 'impure,' 'incorrect.'As in Greek,a becomes an before a vowel;e.g. ananta, 'without end,' 'endless.'