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, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
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, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
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 .
Pronunciation
Interjection
alas
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
exclamation of sorrow, etc.
Albanian: bubu (sq) , bobo (sq) , vaj (sq)
Arabic: وَا حَسْرَتَاه ( wā ḥasratāh ) , وَاهًا ( wāhan )
Armenian: ափսոս (hy) ( apʻsos ) , ավաղ (hy) ( avaġ )
Breton: siwazh (br)
Bulgarian: уви́ (bg) ( uví )
Catalan: ai las (ca)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 唉 (zh) ( āi ) , 哎呀 (zh) ( āiyā ) , 嗚呼 / 呜呼 (zh) ( wūhū )
Czech: běda (cs)
Danish: ak
Dutch: helaas (nl) ,, ach en wee
Egyptian: (jmw )
Esperanto: ve (eo)
Estonian: paraku (et) , kahjuks (et)
Finnish: voi kauhistus , kauheaa , kuinka ikävää
French: hélas (fr)
Galician: ai (gl)
Georgian: ვაი ( vai ) , ვაი მე ( vai me )
German: leider (de) , ach (de) , bedauerlicherweise (de) , weh (de)
Gothic: 𐍅𐌰𐌹 ( wai )
Greek: φευ (el) ( fef ) , αλίμονο (el) ( alímono )
Ancient: φεῦ ( pheû )
Hebrew: אוֹי (he) m ( oy ) , אֵיכָה (he) ( eykha ) , אֲהָהּ (he) ( ahah )
Hiligaynon: abá , abáo
Hungarian: ajjaj (hu) , jaj (hu) , haj (hu) , sajnos (hu) , sajna (hu)
Ido: ve (io)
Irish: abhó , faraor
Italian: ahimé , purtroppo (it)
Japanese: ああ (ja) ( ā ) , あたら (ja) ( atara )
Kannada: ಅಯ್ಯೋ ( ayyō )
Khiamniungan Naga: éishêu
Kurdish:
Central Kurdish: ئاخ (ckb) ( ax ) , ھاوار ( hawar ) , ھەی ھاوار ( hey hawar ) , داخاکەم ( daxakem ) , ئەفسۆس ( efsos )
Latin: eheu (la) , heu , vae
Maori: auē , taukuri
Norwegian: akk (no)
Occitan: ailàs
Old English: ēalā
Persian: افسوس (fa) ( afsus ) , آوخ (fa) ( âvax ) , وای (fa) ( vây )
Polish: biada (pl)
Portuguese: ai de mim , heu (pt) , guai (pt)
Romanian: vai (ro)
Russian: увы́ (ru) ( uvý ) , ах (ru) ( ax )
Scottish Gaelic: och , mo thruaighe , mo chreach , mo sgal
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: јо̑ј , ја̏о , ле̏ле , ку̏кӯ , ( literary ) а̀ва̄ј
Roman: jȏj (sh) , jȁo (sh) , lȅle , kȕkū (sh) , ( literary ) àvāj (sh)
Slovak: bohužiaľ
Spanish: ay (es) , ay de mí , aymé , aj (es) , vay (es) ( Latin America ) , jeu (es) ( El Salvador ) , guay (es) , en fin , ax (es) ( ash )
Sranan Tongo: ke
Swedish: ack (sv)
Telugu: అయ్యో (te) ( ayyō )
Thai: อนิจจา ( à-nít-jaa ) , โถ (th) ( tǒo ) , โธ่ (th) ( tôo ) , พิโธ่ , พุทโธ่ (th) , พุทถัง , อพิโถ , อพิโธ่ , อพิโธ่อพิถัง , พุทโธ่พุทถัง , อพิโธ่พิถัง
Tibetan: ཀྱེ ( kye ) , ཀྱཻ ( kyai ) , ཀྱེ་མ ( kye ma ) , ཀྱི་ཧུད ( kyi hud ) , ཀྱེ་མ་ཧུད ( kye ma hud )
Turkish: ah (tr) , aman (tr) , eyvah (tr)
Welsh: och fi , gwae fi , druan ohonof
Etymology 2
From Yakut алаас ( alaas ) .
Pronunciation
Noun
alas (plural alases or alasses )
A type of geological depression which occurs in Yakutia , formed by the subsidence of permafrost .
Alternative forms: alass , alaas
Translations
Anagrams
Aromanian
Etymology
From Latin laxō . Compare Romanian lăsa , las .
Verb
alas first-singular present indicative (past participle alãsatã )
to let , allow
to leave (something), drop
Derived terms
Balinese
Romanization
alas
Romanization of ᬳᬮᬲ᭄ .
Cebuano
Etymology 1
Blend of a + las . From Spanish a las .
Adverb
alas
o'clock
Etymology 2
From Spanish as .
Noun
alas
( card games ) an ace ; a card with a single spot
a trump card
Estonian
Noun
alas
inessive singular of ala
Finnish
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 )
down , downward , downwards
Inflection
Synonyms
Antonyms
( antonym(s) of “ down; downward ” ) : ylös
Interjection
alas
( followed by a nominative ) down with ( e.g. in demonstrations )
Alas rikolliset!Down with the criminals!
Verb
alas
second-person singular present imperative of alkaa (with enclitic -s )
Derived terms
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 )
base , foundation
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 )
forest
Synonyms: hutan , rimba , wana
Etymology 3
From Javanese .
Noun
alas (plural alas -alas )
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
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
Romanization of ꦲꦭꦱ꧀
Latin
Etymology 1
Pronunciation
Noun
ālās
accusative plural of āla
Etymology 2
Pronunciation
Verb
alās
second-person singular present active subjunctive of alō
References
Latvian
Pronunciation
Noun
alas f
inflection of ala :
genitive singular
nominative / vocative / accusative plural
Malay
Pronunciation
Noun
alas (Jawi spelling الس , plural alas -alas , informal 1st possessive alasku , 2nd possessive alasmu , 3rd possessive alasnya )
base , framework , layer , pad , foundation
Derived terms
Further reading
Middle English
Etymology
from Old French a las .
Interjection
alas
alas
Descendants
Mirandese
Noun
alas
plural of ala
Occitan
Noun
alas
plural of ala
Old Javanese
Etymology
From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *halas ( “ forest, wilderness, woods, jungle ” ) , from Proto-Austronesian *Salas ( “ forest, wilderness, woods ” ) .
Noun
alas
wood , forest
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
plural of ala
Old Sundanese
Etymology
From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *halas ( “ forest, wilderness, woods, jungle ” ) , from Proto-Austronesian *Salas ( “ forest, wilderness, woods ” ) .
Noun
alas
wood , forest
( 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
plural of ala
Verb
alas
second-person singular present indicative of alar
Serbo-Croatian
Noun
àlās m (Cyrillic spelling а̀ла̄с )
alternative form of hàlās
Declension
Spanish
Pronunciation
Noun
alas f pl
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 )
forest
Synonym: leuweung
Tagalog
Etymology 1
Borrowed from Spanish al as .
Pronunciation
Noun
alás (Baybayin spelling ᜀᜎᜐ᜔ )
( card games ) ace
Synonym: eis
( figuratively , by extension) trump card
Derived terms
See also
Etymology 2
Borrowed from Spanish a las .
Pronunciation
Adverb
alás (Baybayin spelling ᜀᜎᜐ᜔ )
o'clock ( except for one o' clock )
Synonym: ( for one o' clock ) ala
Etymology 3
Pronunciation
Adjective
alás (Baybayin spelling ᜀᜎᜐ᜔ )
cut short and even
Noun
alas (Baybayin spelling ᜀᜎᜐ᜔ )
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
forest