0
The line over the letter a is there to assist with the translation of a foreign, archaic, or unfamiliar word. Depending on the context it can mean (at least) two separate pronunciations.
1.) In older English texts, Latin words, or most western words in general the line over the a indicates that it is a long vowel. That means the 'a' is meant to be pronounced like in day or pay. This is the product of older versions of phonetic spelling.
2.) If the word in question is of Sanskrit origin (a word originating in and around India for example) the letter a is to be pronounced like in the word father. A good example of this is the word nirvana, which in some older texts would be printed with lines above both of the 'a's. This is a product of the International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration (IAST), which is a system for rendering Sanskrit words in the English alphabet.
There may probably be more language specific answers to your question, but I hope the above two rules help you through the most common occurrences of the letter a with a line over it.
I make no claims at being any kind of linguist, but those are the answers I found after asking myself the same question some time back.
Cheers,
Casey from Texas
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
Add your answer:
Earn +20 pts
What is the symbol for without?
You can use w/o. In medical shorthand without is a s with a line over it and with is a c with a line over it
What is a mean high tide line?
High tide line averaged over 18.6 years.
What does an over-line bar over a variable mean in physics?
It could represent a vector.
Which line of longitude is mexico?
It lies between 118°22' W and 86°42' W
If you followed the 70 W line of longitude north to the North Pole and then continued on the same line south what line of longitude would you be on?
If you followed the 70 W line of longitude north to the North Pole and then continued south, you would eventually end up on the 110 E line of longitude.
What does W with a horizontal line over it indicate?
w with a line over means 'which'. c with a line over means 'with'.
What is the symbol for without?
You can use w/o. In medical shorthand without is a s with a line over it and with is a c with a line over it
What is the shorthand symbol for without?
You can use w/o. In medical shorthand without is a s with a line over it and with is a c with a line over it
WHAT DOES A c with a line over it mean?
With
What is a Q with a line over it?
it mean everies
What does the medical abbreviation p with a line over it mean?
P with a line over it means after in medical terms."post"
What does cwn mean in Welsh?
It means 'dogs' it has a circumflex (^) over the 'w'.
What do c and s with a dash over them mean in medical terms?
C with a line over it means with, and s with a line over it means without.
What does the letter x with a line over it mean?
10
What does a line over a v mean?
It means venous
Is Lima's the capital of Peru east or west of the W degrees w line of longitude?
The coordinates of Lima, Peru is 12.0464° S, 77.0428° WNot sure what you mean by the Y degrees w line of longitude.Lima is South of the Equator, and West of the Prime Meridian.
How do i get this years w-2 on line?
how do i get a copy of this years w-2 on line ?
