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Lah
Definitions
- 1 A locality in the Shire of Yarriambiack, north western Victoria, Australia.
- 1 Alternative spelling of la. alt-of, alternative
- 2 Initialism of lithium aluminium hydride. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
- 3 the syllable naming the sixth (submediant) note of a major or minor scale in solmization wordnet
- 4 Initialism of licentiate of the Apothecaries' Hall abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
- 1 Placed at the end of a sentence to accentuate the mood or attitude of the speaker.
"Pitch contour: low-mid [lɑ(ː)˨], mid-falling [lɑː˧˨]"
- 2 Placed at the end of a sentence to convey reassurance or express solidarity.
"Pitch contour: low-mid [lɑ(ː)˨], mid-falling [lɑː˧˨]"
- 3 Indicates an attempt at expressing sympathy, conveying informality or sincerity, or establishing a rapport with the listener.
"Pitch contour: low-mid [lɑ(ː)˨]"
- 4 Placed at the end of an assertive statement to express denial or dismissiveness.
"Pitch contour: low-mid [lɑ(ː)˨], mid-falling [lɑː˧˨]"
- 5 Used after an assertive statement to reinforce its authoritativeness, or to show that the speaker is confident with what they are saying.
"Pitch contour: low-mid [lɑ(ː)˨], mid-falling [lɑː˧˨]"
Show 12 more definitions
- 6 Asserts that something is clear, obvious or straightforward.
"Pitch contour: falling [lɑ(ː)˦˨]"
- 7 Used to tone down an imperative sentence, so it sounds more like a request or suggestion.
"Pitch contour: falling [lɑ(ː)˦˨]"
- 8 Indicates strong persuasion at the end of an imperative sentence.
"Pitch contour: mid-falling [lɑː˧˨]"
- 9 Indicates a retrospective remark or a reassessment of one’s opinion.
"Pitch contour: low-mid [lɑ(ː)˨], mid-falling [lɑː˧˨]"
- 10 Reinforces a suggestion with the implication that it is the more practical option.
"Pitch contour: low-mid [lɑ(ː)˨], mid-falling [lɑː˧˨]"
- 11 Indicates confirmation-seeking at the end of an inferential statement.
"Pitch contour: falling [lɑː˦˨]"
- 12 Used to express realisation, or vexation when something is already obvious.
"Pitch contour: falling [lɑː˦˨]"
- 13 Reinforces the factuality of an assertive statement made to correct an inaccurate, underlying assumption. uncommon
"Pitch contour: mid-rising [lɑ(ː)˧˦]"
- 14 Used to convey a slight sense of dissatisfaction or irritation. uncommon
"Pitch contour: mid-rising [lɑ(ː)˧˦]"
- 15 Used for enumeration (when listing examples). uncommon
"Pitch contour: mid [lɑː˧]"
- 16 An assertive separator, used to reverse the order of the usual topic–comment structure of a sentence. Malaysia, uncommon
"Pitch contour: low-mid [lɑ(ː)˨]"
- 17 Used sarcastically. uncommon
"Pitch contour: low-mid [lɑː˨], (in the example below) high-mid [lɑ(ː)˦]"
Etymology
An anglicised spelling of la.
From Malay lah, Hokkien 啦 (--la) and Cantonese 啦 (laa¹). Doublet of la in colloquial Hong Kong English. Lim (2007) lists multiple sources: * Bazaar Malay, for its use as a particle of emphasis (akin to Malay lah), and the senses expressing commands, invitations and "solidarity, familiarity [and] informality". * Hokkien 啦 (--la), which indicates finality, completion and confirmation-seeking, as well as "emphasis, persuasiveness, dismissiveness [and] listing". * Cantonese 啦 (laa¹), expressing a "general lack of definiteness or forcefulness", and for its role in softening commands.
See also for "lah"
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