# ала
## Abkhaz
### Etymology 1

From Proto-Abkhaz-Abaza *lá (“dog”).

#### Noun

а-ла́ • (a-lá)
* dog

### Etymology 2

From Proto-Abkhaz-Abaza *lá (“eye”).

#### Noun

а́-ла • (á-la)
* eye (organ of sight)

## Bashkir
### Etymology

From Proto-Turkic *āla. Cognate to Kyrgyz ала (ala), etc.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ɑˈl̴ɑ/
* This entry needs an audio pronunciation. If you are a native speaker with a microphone, please record this word. The recorded pronunciation will appear here when it's ready.

### See also

* ал

### Adjective

ала • (ala)
* variegated

### References

* Башҡортса-Русса Һүҙлек [Bashkir-Russian Dictionary]‎ (in Bashkir), Мәскәү: СССР Фәндәр Академияһы, Башҡортостан Филиалы, Тарих, Тел һәм Әҙәбиәт Институты, 1958

## Bulgarian
### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ˈaɫɐ]
* Audio:(file)

### Conjunction

ала • (ala)
* but (conjunction)

#### Usage notes

This conjunction is often used in literature and children's stories, and may contribute to an ominous or moralizing tone.

## Chechen
### Etymology

From Proto-Nakh.

### Verb

ала • (ala)
* to say

## Dolgan
### Noun

ала • (ala)
* a strap in a reindeer yoke
* reindeer yoke

## Eastern Mari
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ɑˈlɑ/
* Rhymes: -ɑ
* Hyphenation: ала

### Etymology 1

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

#### Conjunction

ала • (ala)
* maybe, probably, could be
* hardly, doubtful, who knows
* sometimes... sometimes, either... or, now... now
    ала йӱр йӱреш, ала лум лумешala jür jüreš, ala lum lumešsometimes it rains, sometimes it snows
* or
    эрла толам ала уке, ом палеerla tolam ala uke, om paĺeI'll come tomorrow or I won't, I don't know
* about, roughly

#### Particle

ала • (ala)
* emphatic particle
    шонет мо тый мыйым ала?šońet mo tyj myjym ala?well, are you thinking about me?

##### Derived terms

* ала-кӧ (ala-kö)

### Etymology 2

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

#### Noun

ала • (ala)
* pitch, tar, resin
    Synonym: киш (kiš)

##### Declension
### References

* J. Bradley et al. (2023) “ала”, in The Mari Web Project: Mari-English Dictionary, University of Vienna

## Evenki
### Adjective

ала • (ala)
* sweet

## Ingush
### Etymology 1

Akin to Chechen алу (alu).

#### Noun

ала • (ala)
* flame

### Etymology 2

From Proto-Nakh.

#### Verb

ала • (ala)
* to say

## Macedonian
### Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *xala, unless borrowed from Ottoman Turkish آلا (ala, “spotted, variegated”), euphemistic for ییلان (yılan, “snake”).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ˈaɫa]
* Audio:(file)
* Hyphenation: а‧ла

### Noun

а́ла • (ála) f (plural а́ли)
* (archaic) dragon (mythical creature)
    Synonyms: а́ждер (ážder), змеј (zmej), дра́кон (drákon)
* (figurative) monster

#### References

* Knüppel, Michael (2009) “Zu serbo-kroatisch hȁla ∼ ȁla ‘Drache’”, in Wiener Slavistisches Jahrbuch‎ (in German), volume 55, pages 179–183
* “ала” in Дигитален речник на македонскиот јазик (Digitalen rečnik na makedonskiot jazik) [Digital dictionary of the Macedonian language] − drmj.eu

## Moksha
### Etymology

From Proto-Mordvinic *alə, from Proto-Uralic *ëla. Perhaps by error “ala”, in [ETY] Eesti etümoloogiasõnaraamat [Estonian Etymological Dictionary] (in Estonian) (online version), Tallinn: Eesti Keele Sihtasutus (Estonian Language Foundation), 2012 lists Moksha ал (al, “egg”) as a cognate of Estonian ala. Compare, however, Estonian alus (“foundation”), Livonian alā (“down; under”), alli (“foundation; underside”), among others. Veršinin, however, lists “the lower part of something” as an alternative sense for the word ал (al) in both Mordvinic languages. He speculates that the “egg” sense is secondary to the “underside” sense (as eggs are found under birds), a possible taboo replacement, as collecting eggs in the spring was very important in historic times.

### Pronunciation

IPA: /ɑlɑ/
* This entry needs an audio pronunciation. If you are a native speaker with a microphone, please record this word. The recorded pronunciation will appear here when it's ready.

### Postposition

ала • (ala)
* under
** O. Je. Poljakov (1995) Učimsja govoritʹ po-mokšanski [Let's learn to speak Moksha], Saransk: Mordovskoje knižnoje izdatelʹstvo, →ISBN, page 135
    кудть алаkudť alaunder the house

#### Usage notes

This postposition is used with the genitive case.

### References

* ↑ Veršinin, V. I. (2004) Этимологический словарь мордовских (эрзянского и мокшанского) языков [Etymological dictionary of Mordvinic (Erzya and Moksha) languages] (in Russian), volume 1, Joškar Ola, page 12

## Northern Mansi
### Etymology

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

### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ala]
* Hyphenation: ала
* Rhymes: -la

### Noun

ала (ala) (Sosva, Upper Lozva)
* roof, top
* lid

#### Declension

Sosva:
Upper Lozva

#### Related terms

* алаӈ пӯт (alaň pūt, “saucepan”)

### References

* “ала”, in Northern Mansi-Hungarian dictionary, Tromsø: University of Tromsø, 2023
* Afanasʹjeva, K. V., Sobjanina, S. A. (2012) “ала”, in Školʹnyj mansijsko-russkij slovarʹ [Mansi-Russian school dictionary], Khanty-Mansiysk: RIO IRO

## Russian
### Pronunciation

* ала́: IPA: [ɐˈɫa]
* а́ла: IPA: [ˈaɫə]

### Adjective

ала́ or а́ла • (alá or ála)
* short feminine singular of а́лый (ályj)

## Serbo-Croatian
### Etymology 1
#### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ǎla/

#### Adverb

а̀ла (Latin spelling àla)
* (used for emphasis, or as an intensifier) expression of awe, surprise, dismay, etc.
    Ала је било лепо! ― It sure was nice!
    Aла лажеш! ― Oh, you're lying!

### Etymology 2

Borrowed from Ottoman Turkish آلا (ala, “spotted, variegated”).

#### Alternative forms

* хала

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ǎːla/

#### Adjective

а́ла or а̀ла or а̏ла (Latin spelling ála or àla or ȁla)
* piebald, spotted

### Etymology 3

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *xala, unless borrowed from Ottoman Turkish آلا (ala, “spotted, variegated”), euphemistic for a snake.

#### Alternative forms

* хала

#### Noun

а́ла or а̀ла or а̏ла f (Latin spelling ála or àla or ȁla)
* dragon, type of mythical creature similar to dragon

##### See also

* аждаха
* змај

## Southern Altai
### Etymology

From Proto-Turkic *āla. Cognate to Kyrgyz ала (ala), etc.

### Adjective

ала • (ala)
* variegated

### References

* Čumakajev A. E., editor (2018), “ала”, in Altajsko-russkij slovarʹ [Altaic–Russian Dictionary], Gorno-Altaysk: NII altaistiki im. S.S. Surazakova, →ISBN

## Talysh
### Adjective

ала
* Cyrillic spelling of ala

## Yakut
### Etymology 1

From Proto-Turkic *āla (“variegated”). Akin to Turkish ala.

#### Adjective

ала • (ala)
* piebald
    Synonym: эриэн (erien, “variegated”)

### Etymology 2

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Cognate with the Dolgan term above.

#### Noun

ала • (ala)
* (dialectal) strap (for a reindeer sled)