-a

1. pluralplural of -um

1. pluralplural of -on

plural -as · plural -ae

1. Marks singular nouns, with a foundation in Greek or Latin, often implying femininity, especially when contrasted with words terminating in -us.
2. Changes an element or substance into an oxide.

   magnesium + -a → magnesia

1. Marks nouns, with a foundation in Italian, Spanish, or Portuguese, implying femininity.

   donna

   1 more example

   signora

1. 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: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iii]

   4 more examples

   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 trust upon the work that's done-a on the Cross and Jesus is the one-a one-a God the Father's Son-a Son-a and my sin He cures!

   1980s, Herb Owen, “Wanna”, in Kids Sing Praise, performed by Kids Sing Praise

   Buying bread from a man in Brussels He was six-foot-four and full of muscle I said, "Do you speak-a my language?" He just smiled and gave me a Vegemite sandwich […]

   1981, Colin Hay, Ron Strykert, performed by Men At Work, Down Under

   "I'm-a tell-a you why you better be. I named you in my will, Franco."

   2014, Don Pendleton, California Hit, Open Road Media, →ISBN

1. alternativeslangAlternative form of 've.

   coulda

   3 more examples

   who'da thunk it?

   shoulda

   woulda

1. cliticslangClitic form of o' (contraction of of).

   buncha, cuppa, kinda, loadsa, lotta, sorta

   1 more example

   "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 God damn necks wrang."

   1946, Elizabeth Metzger Howard, Before the Sun Goes Down, page 31

1. informalto (infinitive marker)

   wanna

   3 more examples

   oughta

   gotta

   gonna

1. informaldo (infinitive marker)

   whatta

   1 more example

   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

1. USpronunciation spellingAfrican-American Vernacular; non-rhotic; African-American Vernacular; non-rhoticPronunciation spelling of -er (the agent noun suffix).

   busta, hustla, killa, stunna, sucka

2. AustraliaNew ZealandUKpronunciation spellingnon-rhoticPronunciation spelling of -er (the colloquial clipping suffix).

   Macca, rugga