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

1. no, not (in subordinate or conditional clauses)
2. 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

1. sail
2. dorsal fin (of fish)

Etymology 2

From Proto-Polynesian *laqa. Compare Maori rā.

Noun

lā

1. sun, sun’s heat; sunny, solar

Derived terms

• Lāhainā
• nānālā

Etymology 3

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

Noun

lā

1. day

Related terms

• Lā Hoʻomaikaʻi
• lā noa
• Lāpule

Etymology 4

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

Noun

lā

1. The name of the Latin-script letter L/l.
2. 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

1. expressing doubt, uncertainty

Etymology 6

From Proto-Nuclear Polynesian *la.

Pronoun

lā

1. (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)

1. Hanyu Pinyin reading of 翋
2. Hanyu Pinyin reading of 啣 / 衔
3. Hanyu Pinyin reading of 嚹
4. Hanyu Pinyin reading of 垃
5. Hanyu Pinyin reading of 拉
6. Hanyu Pinyin reading of 搕
7. Hanyu Pinyin reading of 摹
8. Hanyu Pinyin reading of 柆
9. Hanyu Pinyin reading of 磖
10. Hanyu Pinyin reading of 菈
11. 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

1. sun

Verb

lā

1. (stative) to be sunny

Etymology 2

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

Noun

lā

1. sail

Etymology 3

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

Noun

lā

1. branch

Etymology 4

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

Pronoun

lā

1. they two

See also

Tokelauan personal pronouns

Independent
	singular	dual		plural
		long	short
1st person (exclusive)	au, kita1	ki māua	ki mā	ki mātou
1st person (inclusive)	―	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 (exclusive)	kō	ki mā		ki mātou
1st person (inclusive)	―	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
		long	short
1st person (exclusive)	o oku, o kita1	o māua	o mā	o mātou
1st person (inclusive)	―	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
		long	short
1st person (exclusive)	a aku, a kita1	a māua	a mā	a mātou
1st person (inclusive)	―	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
			long	short			long	short
1st person	excl.	toku, tota1	to māua	to mā	to mātou	oku, ota1	o māua	o mā	o mātou
	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
			long	short			long	short
1st person	excl.	taku, tata1	ta māua	ta mā	ta mātou	aku, ata1	a māua	a mā	a mātou
	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
			long	short			long	short
1st person	excl.	hoku, hota1	ho māua	ho mā	ho mātou	ni oku, ni ota1	ni o māua	ni o mā	ni o mātou
	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
			long	short			long	short
1st person	excl.	haku, hata1	ha māua	ha mā	ha mātou	ni aku, ni ata1	ni a māua	ni a mā	ni a mātou
	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

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

References

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