Word: a Part of Speech: article Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ís? Proto-Indo-European *h₁óynos Proto-Germanic *ainaz Proto-West Germanic *ain Old English ān Middle English an Middle English a English a From Middle English a, an, from Old English ān (“one; a; lone; sole”). More at one. The "n" was gradually lost before consonants in almost all dialects by the 15th century. Cognate with Alemannic German a (“a, an”), East Franconian a (“a, an”). Pronunciation: /eɪ/, /ə/ 1. An unspecified example of (something); the indefinite article. Example: There was a man here looking for you yesterday. Example: He had another formidable difficulty in getting him across the river, where both horses stuck for a time in the mire, and Beatte was nearly unseated from his saddle by the force of the current and the struggles of his captive. 2. One; used before score, dozen, hundred, thousand, million, etc. Example: I've seen it happen a hundred times. Example: Everybody drinks a lot in wartime, but it seemed to me that I must have drunk enough to float a couple of battleships. 3. Used in some phrases denoting quantity, such as a few, a good many, a couple, a little, a bit, etc. Example: He's a bit thick, isn't he? Example: They asked me a few questions. 4. Used in some phrases denoting quantity, such as a few, a good many, a couple, a little, a bit, etc. Example: There are a few hundred orders that need to be fulfilled by tomorrow. Example: The blues were eating leisurely, swimming about and opening their great mouths, spouting and filling their enormous stomachs with intense satisfaction. They had no idea of danger. There must have been about fifteen of them, peacefully feeding. One of them, its belly gorged probably with a few trillion plankton, seemed to be lying asleep on the surface. 5. Used in some adverbial phrases denoting the degree or extent of an action, such as a little, a bit, a lot, etc. Example: The door was opened a little. Example: If, for example, you ask a child what he likes to do, he may say he doesn't know. However, if you watch him during free time, and note that he plays basketball a lot, you may infer that this is a high-probability behavior, and he finds it reinforcing. 6. The same; one and the same. Used in phrases such as of a kind, birds of a feather, etc. Example: We are of a mind on matters of morals. Example: They're two of a kind. 7. Any; every; used before a noun which has become modified to limit its scope. Example: A man who dies intestate leaves his children troubles and difficulties. 8. Any; used with a negative to indicate not a single one. Example: It was so dark that we couldn't see a thing. Example: He fell all that way, and hasn't a bump on his head? 9. Used before an adjective that modifies a noun (singular or plural) delimited by a numeral. Example: The lottery jackpot is worth a staggering three hundred million dollars. Example: The holidays are a mere one week away. 10. One; someone named; used before a person's name, suggesting that the speaker knows little about the person other than the name. Example: We've received an interesting letter from a Mrs. Miggins of London. 11. Used before an adjective modifying a person's name, typically used to emphasize that person's current condition or emotional state. Example: At Waterloo she asked George for £5 and said that she would go home by tube, and a relieved George watched her descend the Underground steps. Example: "There, I think that's done it," declared a triumphant John, "we just need to try it with the bar now, where is it?" 12. Someone or something like; similar to; used before a proper noun to create an example out of it. Example: The center of the village was becoming a Times Square. Example: The man is a regular Romeo.