lā

See also: Appendix:Variations of "la"

Akkadian

Etymology

From Proto-Semitic *lā. Cognate with Arabic لَا (lā) and Biblical Hebrew לֹא (loʔ).

Pronunciation

(Old Babylonian) IPA^(key): /laː/

Adverb

lā

no, not (in subordinate or conditional clauses)
without

Cuneiform spellings
Logograms	Phonetic
𒉡 (NU)	𒆷𒀀 (la-a) 𒆷 (la)

Hawaiian

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈlaː/

Etymology 1

From Proto-Polynesian *la, from Proto-Oceanic *layaʀ, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *layaʀ, from Proto-Austronesian *layaʀ.

Noun

lā

sail
dorsal fin (of fish)

Etymology 2

From Proto-Polynesian *laqa. Compare Maori rā.

Noun

lā

sun, sun’s heat; sunny, solar

Derived terms

Etymology 3

From Proto-Eastern Polynesian *raqa, from Proto-Polynesian *laqa.

Noun

lā

day

Related terms

Etymology 4

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

lā

The name of the Latin-script letter L/l.
each of the two cross sticks that hold the corners of a dip net

Etymology 5

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Particle

lā

expressing doubt, uncertainty

Etymology 6

From Proto-Nuclear Polynesian *la.

Pronoun

lā

(demonstrative) that

Usage notes

Occurs after both nouns and verbs, and as the last part of kēlā (“that”) and pēlā (“like that”); following directionals, it is usually unstressed and written as the last part of the directional (aʻela, akula, ihola, maila). It also occurs in the sequence ua lā (“that aforementioned”).

Mandarin

Alternative forms

la — nonstandard

Pronunciation

Audio: (file)

Romanization

lā (la¹, Zhuyin ㄌㄚ)

Hanyu Pinyin reading of 翋
Hanyu Pinyin reading of 啣／衔
Hanyu Pinyin reading of 嚹
Hanyu Pinyin reading of 垃
Hanyu Pinyin reading of 拉
Hanyu Pinyin reading of 搕
Hanyu Pinyin reading of 摹
Hanyu Pinyin reading of 柆
Hanyu Pinyin reading of 磖
Hanyu Pinyin reading of 菈
Hanyu Pinyin reading of 邉

Tokelauan

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ˈlaː]
Hyphenation: lā

Etymology 1

From Proto-Polynesian *laqa. Cognates include Hawaiian lā and Samoan lā.

Noun

lā

sun

Verb

lā

(stative) to be sunny

Etymology 2

From Proto-Polynesian *la. Cognates include Hawaiian lā and Samoan lā.

Noun

lā

sail

Etymology 3

From Proto-Polynesian *raqa. Cognates include Tongan vaʻa and Samoan la.

Noun

lā

branch

Etymology 4

From Proto-Nuclear Polynesian *la. Cognates include Samoan lā.

Pronoun

lā

they two

Independent
	singular	dual		plural
	singular	long	short	plural
1st person (excl.)	au, kita¹	ki māua	ki mā	ki mātou
1st person (incl.)	―	ki tāua	ki tā	ki tātou
2nd person	koe	koulua		koutou
3rd person	ia	ki lāua	ki lā	ki lātou
Agentive clitic
	singular	dual		plural
1st person (excl.)	kō	ki mā		ki mātou
1st person (incl.)	―	ki tā		ki tātou
2nd person	kē	koulua		koutou
3rd person	ia	ki lā		ki lātou
¹⁾ Sympathetic ^*) Pronouns preceded by ki may drop this preposition when in a possessive phrase.

Tokelauan possessive pronouns

Inalienable (O-type)
	singular	dual		plural
	singular	long	short	plural
1st person (excl.)	o oku, o kita¹	o māua	o mā	o mātou
1st person (incl.)	―	o tāua	o tā	o tātou
2nd person	o ōu, o koe	o koulua		o koutou
3rd person	o ona	o lāua	o lā	o lātou
Alienable (A-type)
	singular	dual		plural
	singular	long	short	plural
1st person (excl.)	a aku, a kita¹	a māua	a mā	a mātou
1st person (incl.)	―	a tāua	a tā	a tātou
2nd person	a āu, a koe	a koulua		a koutou
3rd person	a ana	a lāua	a lā	a lātou
¹⁾ Sympathetic *) Only the singular pronouns differ from the personal pronouns

Tokelauan possessive determiners

	Definite inalienable (O-type)
	singular reference				plural reference
	sg	du		pl	sg	du		pl
	sg	long	short	pl	sg	long	short	pl
1st person (excl.)	toku, tota¹	to māua	to mā	to mātou	oku, ota¹	o māua	o mā	o mātou
1st person (incl.)	―	to tāua	to tā	to tātou	―	o tāua	o tā	o tātou
2nd person	tō	toulua		toutou	ō	oulua		outou
3rd person	tona	to lāua	to lā	to lātou	ona	o lāua	o lā	o lātou
	Definite alienable (A-type)
	singular reference				plural reference
	sg	du		pl	sg	du		pl
	sg	long	short	pl	sg	long	short	pl
1st person (excl.)	taku, tata¹	ta māua	ta mā	ta mātou	aku, ata¹	a māua	a mā	a mātou
1st person (incl.)	―	ta tāua	ta tā	ta tātou	―	a tāua	a tā	a tātou
2nd person	tau	taulua		tautou	au	aulua		autou
3rd person	tana	ta lāua	ta lā	ta lātou	ana	a lāua	a lā	a lātou
	Indefinite inalienable (O-type)
	singular reference				plural reference
	sg	du		pl	sg	du		pl
	sg	long	short	pl	sg	long	short	pl
1st person (excl.)	hoku, hota¹	ho māua	ho mā	ho mātou	ni oku, ni ota¹	ni o māua	ni o mā	ni o mātou
1st person (incl.)	―	ho tāua	ho tā	ho tātou	―	ni o tāua	ni o tā	ni o tātou
2nd person	hō	houlua		houtou	ni ō	ni oulua		ni outou
3rd person	hona	ho lāua	ho lā	ho lātou	ni ona	ni o lāua	ni o lā	ni o lātou
	Indefinite alienable (A-type)
	singular reference				plural reference
	sg	du		pl	sg	du		pl
	sg	long	short	pl	sg	long	short	pl
1st person (excl.)	haku, hata¹	ha māua	ha mā	ha mātou	ni aku, ni ata¹	ni a māua	ni a mā	ni a mātou
1st person (incl.)	―	ha tāua	ha tā	ha tātou	―	ni a tāua	ni a tā	ni a tātou
2nd person	hau	haulua		hautou	ni au	ni aulua		ni autou
3rd person	hana	ha lāua	ha lā	ha lātou	ni ana	ni a lāua	ni a lā	ni a lātou
¹⁾ Sympathetic

Etymology 5

Particle

lā

Used to emphasise the preceding verb.
Used to mark the consultative mood.

References

R. Simona, editor (1986), Tokelau Dictionary‎^[1], Auckland: Office of Tokelau Affairs, page 170