alas

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English

Etymology 1

From Middle English alas, from Old French a las (French hélas), from a (ah) + las, from Latin lassus (weary). Compare Dutch helaas, North Frisian ielas, West Frisian eilaas.

Alternative forms

Pronunciation

Interjection

alas

  1. Used to express sorrow, regret, compassion, grief, resignation, or disappointment.
    Synonyms: alack, oh well
    I wanted to catch the last bus home, but alas, I was ten minutes late and had to take a taxi instead.
    • c. 1521, John Skelton, Speke Parott:
      Helas I lamente the dull abuſyd brayne
      The enfatuate fantaſies the wytles wylfulnes
      Of on and hothyr at me that haue dyſdayne
    • c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, , page 278, column 1:
      Alas poore Yorick, I knew him Horatio, a fellow of infinite Ieſt; of moſt excellent fancy, he hath borne me on his backe a thouſand times: And how abhorred my Imagination is, my gorge riſes at it.
    • 1611, The Holy Bible,  (King James Version), London: Robert Barker, , →OCLC, Revelation 18:10:
      Standing afarre off for the feare of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great citie Babylon, that mighty citie: for in one houre is thy iudgement come.
    • 1920, Edward Carpenter, Pagan and Christian Creeds, New York: Harcourt, Brace and Co., published 1921, page 188:
      The thorough and shameless commercialism of Sex has alas! been reserved for what is called "Christian civilization," and with it (perhaps as a necessary consequence) Prostitution and Syphilis have grown into appalling evils, accompanied by a gigantic degradation of social standards, and upgrowth of petty Philistinism and niaiserie.
Derived terms
Translations

Etymology 2

 Alas (geography) on Wikipedia

From Yakut алаас (alaas).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /əˈlɑːs/, /əˈlæs/

Noun

alas (plural alases or alasses)

  1. A type of geological depression which occurs in Yakutia, formed by the subsidence of permafrost.
    Alternative forms: alass, alaas
Translations

Anagrams

Aromanian

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Latin laxō. Compare Romanian lăsa, las.

Verb

alas first-singular present indicative (past participle alãsatã)

  1. to let, allow
  2. to leave (something), drop

Derived terms

Balinese

Romanization

alas

  1. Romanization of ᬳᬮᬲ᭄.

Cebuano

Etymology 1

Blend of a +‎ las. From Spanish a las.

Adverb

alas

  1. o'clock

Etymology 2

From Spanish as.

Noun

alas

  1. (card games) an ace; a card with a single spot
  2. a trump card

Estonian

Noun

alas

  1. inessive singular of ala

Finnish

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *alas. Equivalent to ala- (lower, under) +‎ -s (s-lative singular).

Pronunciation

Adverb

alas (comparative alemmaksi or alemmas, superlative alimmaksi or alimmas)

  1. down, downward, downwards

Inflection

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • (antonym(s) of down; downward): ylös

Interjection

alas

  1. (followed by a nominative) down with (e.g. in demonstrations)
    Alas rikolliset!
    Down with the criminals!

Verb

alas

  1. second-person singular present imperative of alkaa (with enclitic -s)

Derived terms

compounds

Further reading

Anagrams

Indonesian

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /a.las/
  • Hyphenation: a‧las

Etymology 1

From Malay alas (base, layer), from Classical Malay الس (alas).

Noun

alas (plural alas-alas)

  1. base, foundation
  2. layer, lining, covering
Synonyms
Derived terms

Etymology 2

From Javanese alas (ꦲꦭꦱ꧀, forest), from Old Javanese alas (forest), from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *halas (forest, wilderness, woods, jungle), from Proto-Austronesian *Salas (forest, wilderness, woods). Cognate to Balinese ᬳᬮᬲ᭄ (alas, forest).

Noun

alas (plural alas-alas)

  1. forest
    Synonyms: hutan, rimba, wana

Etymology 3

From Javanese .

Noun

alas (plural alas-alas)

  1. rope on a small boat balancer

Further reading

Ingrian

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *alas. Cognates include Finnish alas and dialectal Estonian alas.

Pronunciation

Adverb

alas

  1. Synonym of allaa
    • 1936, D. I. Efimov, Lukukirja: Inkeroisia alkușkouluja vart (ensimäine osa), Leningrad: Riikin Ucebno-pedagogiceskoi Izdateljstva, page 13:
      Yks, kaks! Alas läks.
      Yks! Kaks! Ympäär plaks!
      One, two! Down you go.
      One! Two! Around you plop down!

Derived terms

References

  • Ruben E. Nirvi (1971) Inkeroismurteiden Sanakirja, Helsinki: Suomalais-Ugrilainen Seura, page 11
  • Arvo Laanest (1997) Isuri keele Hevaha murde sõnastik, Eesti Keele Instituut, page 19

Javanese

Romanization

alas

  1. Romanization of ꦲꦭꦱ꧀

Latin

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

Noun

ālās

  1. accusative plural of āla

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

Verb

alās

  1. second-person singular present active subjunctive of alō

References

Latvian

Pronunciation

Noun

alas f

  1. inflection of ala:
    1. genitive singular
    2. nominative/vocative/accusative plural

Malay

Pronunciation

Noun

alas (Jawi spelling الس, plural alas-alas, informal 1st possessive alasku, 2nd possessive alasmu, 3rd possessive alasnya)

  1. base, framework, layer, pad, foundation

Derived terms

Further reading

Middle English

Etymology

from Old French a las.

Interjection

alas

  1. alas
    • 1470–1483 (date produced), Thom̃s Malleorre [i.e., Thomas Malory], “[Morte Arthur]”, in Le Morte Darthur (British Library Additional Manuscript 59678), [England: s.n.], folio 451, verso, lines 13–14:
      Alas ſeyde quene Gwenyu now ar we myſcheved bothe //
      Alas!” said Queen Guinevere, “now are we mischieved both!”

Descendants

  • English: alas

Mirandese

Noun

alas

  1. plural of ala

Occitan

Noun

alas

  1. plural of ala

Old Javanese

Etymology

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *halas (forest, wilderness, woods, jungle), from Proto-Austronesian *Salas (forest, wilderness, woods).

Noun

alas

  1. wood, forest
  2. quantity of flowers or plants growing in a thick cluster

Descendants

Further reading

  • "alas" in P.J. Zoetmulder with the collaboration of S.O. Robson, Old Javanese-English Dictionary. 's-Gravenhage: M. Nijhoff, 1982.

Old Spanish

Noun

alas

  1. plural of ala

Old Sundanese

Etymology

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *halas (forest, wilderness, woods, jungle), from Proto-Austronesian *Salas (forest, wilderness, woods).

Noun

alas

  1. wood, forest
  2. (by extension) land, territory
    • (Can we date this quote?), Bujangga Manik:
      Sadatang ka tungtung Sunda, meuntasing di Cipamali, datang ka alas Jawa.
      When I've reached the limits of Sunda, I crossed the Pamali river, and came to the lands of Java.

Descendants

  • > Sundanese: alas (inherited)

Portuguese

Noun

alas

  1. plural of ala

Verb

alas

  1. second-person singular present indicative of alar

Serbo-Croatian

Noun

àlās m (Cyrillic spelling а̀ла̄с)

  1. alternative form of hàlās

Declension

Spanish

Pronunciation

Noun

alas f pl

  1. plural of ala

Sundanese

Etymology

From Old Sundanese alas, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *halas (forest, wilderness, woods, jungle), from Proto-Austronesian *Salas (forest, wilderness, woods).

Noun

alas or ᮃᮜᮞ᮪ (alas)

  1. forest
    Synonym: leuweung

Tagalog

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Spanish al as.

Pronunciation

Noun

alás (Baybayin spelling ᜀᜎᜐ᜔)

  1. (card games) ace
    Synonym: eis
  2. (figuratively, by extension) trump card
Derived terms
See also
Playing cards in Tagalog · baraha (layout · text)
alas dos tres kuwatro singko seis siyete
otso nuwebe diyes kabayo, sota reyna hari diyoker, payaso

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Spanish a las.

Pronunciation

Adverb

alás (Baybayin spelling ᜀᜎᜐ᜔)

  1. o'clock (except for one o' clock)
    Synonym: (for one o' clock) ala

Etymology 3

Pronunciation

Adjective

alás (Baybayin spelling ᜀᜎᜐ᜔)

  1. cut short and even

Noun

alas (Baybayin spelling ᜀᜎᜐ᜔)

  1. act of cutting or lopping off growth evenly
    Synonym: palas
Derived terms

References

  • alas”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, Manila, 2018
  • Zorc, David Paul (1979–1983) Core Etymological Dictionary of Filipino: Part 1, page 9

Anagrams

Tetum

Etymology

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *halas, from Proto-Austronesian *Salas.

Noun

alas

  1. forest