alfa
Translingual

English
Noun
alfa
- (international standards) Alternative letter-case form of Alfa from the NATO/ICAO Phonetic Alphabet.
- (international standards) Alternative spelling of alpha used in the ruleset of the international nonproprietary name system, where various digraphs are usually deprecated (except for grandfathered exceptions) because their replacement is translingually preferable (thus, for example, f not ph, t not th, and e not ae).
Asturian
Etymology
From Ancient Greek ἄλφα (álpha), of Semitic origin.
Catalan
Etymology
From Ancient Greek ἄλφα (álpha), of Semitic origin.
Further reading
- “alfa” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
Czech
Etymology
Borrowed from Ancient Greek ἄλφα (álpha), of Semitic origin.
Declension
This noun needs an inflection-table template.
Dutch
Alternative forms
- alpha (superseded)
Etymology
Ultimately from Ancient Greek ἄλφα (álpha), of Semitic origin.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈɑl.faː/
Audio (file) - Hyphenation: al‧fa
Noun
alfa f (plural alfa's, diminutive alfaatje n)
Derived terms
- alfamannetje
- alfawetenschap
- alfawijfje
Finnish
Αα | Previous: | n/a |
---|---|---|
Next: | beeta |
Etymology
From Ancient Greek ἄλφα (álpha), of Semitic origin.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈɑlf(ː)ɑ/, [ˈɑ̝lf(ː)ɑ̝]
- Rhymes: -ɑlfɑ
- Syllabification(key): al‧fa
Noun
alfa
Declension
Inflection of alfa (Kotus type 9/kala, no gradation) | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
nominative | alfa | alfat | ||
genitive | alfan | alfojen | ||
partitive | alfaa | alfoja | ||
illative | alfaan | alfoihin | ||
singular | plural | |||
nominative | alfa | alfat | ||
accusative | nom. | alfa | alfat | |
gen. | alfan | |||
genitive | alfan | alfojen alfainrare | ||
partitive | alfaa | alfoja | ||
inessive | alfassa | alfoissa | ||
elative | alfasta | alfoista | ||
illative | alfaan | alfoihin | ||
adessive | alfalla | alfoilla | ||
ablative | alfalta | alfoilta | ||
allative | alfalle | alfoille | ||
essive | alfana | alfoina | ||
translative | alfaksi | alfoiksi | ||
instructive | — | alfoin | ||
abessive | alfatta | alfoitta | ||
comitative | See the possessive forms below. |
Possessive forms of alfa (type kala) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Compounds
French
Pronunciation
Audio (file)
Related terms
Further reading
- “alfa”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Galician
Etymology
From Ancient Greek ἄλφα (álpha), of Semitic origin.
Hungarian
Etymology
From Ancient Greek ἄλφα (álpha), of Semitic origin.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [ˈɒlfɒ]
- Hyphenation: al‧fa
- Rhymes: -fɒ
Declension
Inflection (stem in long/high vowel, back harmony) | ||
---|---|---|
singular | plural | |
nominative | alfa | alfák |
accusative | alfát | alfákat |
dative | alfának | alfáknak |
instrumental | alfával | alfákkal |
causal-final | alfáért | alfákért |
translative | alfává | alfákká |
terminative | alfáig | alfákig |
essive-formal | alfaként | alfákként |
essive-modal | — | — |
inessive | alfában | alfákban |
superessive | alfán | alfákon |
adessive | alfánál | alfáknál |
illative | alfába | alfákba |
sublative | alfára | alfákra |
allative | alfához | alfákhoz |
elative | alfából | alfákból |
delative | alfáról | alfákról |
ablative | alfától | alfáktól |
non-attributive possessive - singular |
alfáé | alfáké |
non-attributive possessive - plural |
alfáéi | alfákéi |
Possessive forms of alfa | ||
---|---|---|
possessor | single possession | multiple possessions |
1st person sing. | alfám | alfáim |
2nd person sing. | alfád | alfáid |
3rd person sing. | alfája | alfái |
1st person plural | alfánk | alfáink |
2nd person plural | alfátok | alfáitok |
3rd person plural | alfájuk | alfáik |
Further reading
- alfa in Bárczi, Géza and László Országh. A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára (‘The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language’, abbr.: ÉrtSz.). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN
- alfa in Ittzés, Nóra (ed.). A magyar nyelv nagyszótára (’A Comprehensive Dictionary of the Hungarian Language’). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 2006–2031 (work in progress; published A–ez as of 2023)
Icelandic
Etymology
From Ancient Greek ἄλφα (álpha), of Semitic origin.
Declension
n-w | singular | |
---|---|---|
indefinite | definite | |
nominative | alfa | alfað |
accusative | alfa | alfað |
dative | alfa | alfanu |
genitive | alfa | alfans |
Indonesian
Etymology
Borrowed from Ancient Greek ἄλφα (álpha), of Semitic origin. Doublet of alif.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): (standard) /ˈal.fa/, (dialectal) /ˈal.pa/
- Rhymes: -fa, -a
- Hyphenation: al‧fa
Noun
alfa (plural alfa-alfa, first-person possessive alfaku, second-person possessive alfamu, third-person possessive alfanya)
- alpha:
- The name of the first letter of the Greek alphabet (Α, α), followed by beta. In the Latin alphabet it is the predecessor to A.
- first, see alpha and omega.
- Synonyms: pertama, permulaan
- (astronomy) Alpha, the brightest star in a constellation according to the Bayer designation.
- (electronics) common-base current gain of a transistor in electronics.
- (statistics) the significance level of a statistical test; the alpha level.
Further reading
- “alfa” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Language Development and Fostering Agency — Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic Indonesia, 2016.
Irish
Etymology 1
Borrowed from Ancient Greek ἄλφα (álpha), of Semitic origin.
Derived terms
- alfa-cháithnín m (“alpha particle”)
- alfa-gha m (“alpha wave”)
- alfa-héilics m (“alpha helix”)
- alfa-radaíocht (“alpha radiation”)
- alfa-rithim (“alpha rhythm”)
- alfa-thástáil (“alpha test”)
- alfa-uimhir (“alphanumeric”, noun)
- alfa-uimhriúil (“alphanumeric”, adjective)
- fireannach alfa (“alpha male”)
Etymology 2
From Arabic حَلْفَا (ḥalfā).
Declension
Fourth declension
Bare forms (no plural of this noun)
|
Forms with the definite article
|
Mutation
Irish mutation | |||
---|---|---|---|
Radical | Eclipsis | with h-prothesis | with t-prothesis |
alfa | n-alfa | halfa | t-alfa |
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs. |
Further reading
- Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977), “alfa”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
- Entries containing “alfa” in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm, 1959, by Tomás de Bhaldraithe.
- Entries containing “alfa” in New English-Irish Dictionary by Foras na Gaeilge.
Italian
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈal.fa/
- Rhymes: -alfa
- Hyphenation: àl‧fa
Etymology 1
From Ancient Greek ἄλφα (álpha), of Semitic origin.
Noun
alfa m or f (invariable)
- alpha, specifically:
- the name of the Greek-script letter Α/α
- The name of the Latin-script letter Ɑ.; Latin alpha
See also
Anagrams
Norwegian Bokmål
Etymology
From Ancient Greek ἄλφα (álpha) (sense 1), and Arabic حَلْفَا (ḥalfā) (sense 2).
Noun
alfa m (definite singular alfaen, indefinite plural alfaer, definite plural alfaene)
- alpha, first letter of the Greek alphabet.
- esparto grass, Stipa tenacissima
Synonyms
- (sense 2) alfagress
Derived terms
Norwegian Nynorsk
Etymology
From Ancient Greek ἄλφα (álpha) (sense 1), and Arabic حَلْفَا (ḥalfā) (sense 2).
Noun
alfa m (definite singular alfaen, indefinite plural alfaer or alfaar, definite plural alfaene or alfaane)
- alpha, first letter of the Greek alphabet.
- esparto grass, Stipa tenacissima
Synonyms
- (sense 2) alfagras
Derived terms
References
- “alfa” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.
Old Norse
Polish
Etymology
Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek ἄλφα (álpha),[1] from Phoenician 𐤀 (ʾ /ʾālep/). First attested in 1533.[2]
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈal.fa/
Audio (file) - Rhymes: -alfa
- Syllabification: al‧fa
Noun
alfa f (indeclinable)
- alpha (Greek letter Α, α)
- umieć alfę z betą (Middle Polish) ― to be educated
Declension
Or indeclinable.
Derived terms
References
- Mirosław Bańko; Lidia Wiśniakowska (2021) Wielki słownik wyrazów obcych, →ISBN
- “alfa”, in Słownik Polszczyzny XVI Wieku [A Dictionary of 16th Century Polish], 2010-2022
Further reading
- alfa in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
- alfa in Polish dictionaries at PWN
- Barbara Rykiel-Kempf (16.06.2020), “ALFA”, in Elektroniczny Słownik Języka Polskiego XVII i XVIII Wieku [Electronic Dictionary of the Polish Language of the XVII and XVIII Century]
- Samuel Bogumił Linde (1807-1814), “alfa”, in Słownik języka polskiego
- Aleksander Zdanowicz (1861), “alfa”, in Słownik języka polskiego, Wilno 1861
- J. Karłowicz, A. Kryński, W. Niedźwiedzki, editors (1900), “alfa”, in Słownik języka polskiego (in Polish), volume 1, Warsaw, page 24
Portuguese
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin alpha, from Ancient Greek ἄλφα (álpha), of Semitic origin. Doublet of alef.
Romanian
Etymology
From Ancient Greek ἄλφα (álpha).
Declension
singular | ||
---|---|---|
m gender | indefinite articulation | definite articulation |
nominative/accusative | (un) alfa | alfaul |
genitive/dative | (unui) alfa | alfaului |
vocative | alfaule |
Serbo-Croatian
Etymology
From Ancient Greek ἄλφα (álpha), of Semitic origin.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /âlfa/
- Hyphenation: al‧fa
Spanish
Etymology
Borrowed from Ancient Greek ἄλφα (álpha), of Semitic origin.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈalfa/ [ˈal.fa]
- Rhymes: -alfa
- Syllabification: al‧fa
Derived terms
Related terms
Further reading
- “alfa”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014