Α α

English (LSJ)

ἄλφα (q.v.), τό, indecl., first letter of the Gr. alphabet: as Numeral, ά

   A = εἷς and πρῶτος, but 'α = 1,000.

Greek (Liddell-Scott)

Α α: α, ἄλφα, τό, ἄκλ., πρῶτον γράμμα τοῦ Ἑλλ. ἀλφαβήτου: ὅθεν ὡς ἀριθμητικόν, α΄ = εἷς καὶ πρῶτος, ἀλλὰ ͵α = 1000 ἢ χιλιοστός, ή, όν· μετὰ διαιρετικῶν σημείων, (¨α) ἢ μετὰ γραμμῆς εὐθείας ἐπ’ αὐτοῦ (ᾱ) σημαίνει μύριοι (10,000). Ἥρων Νεωτ. 169, 4 καὶ ἀλλ. Εἰς χειρόγραφά τινα τὸ πρῶτος, η, ον, εὕρηται γεγραμμένον αος, αη, αον· ἡ γενικὴ αου, αης καὶ ἡ δοτ. αῳ, αῃ κτλ. - Τὸ μακρὸν ᾱ διαφέρει τοῦ βραχέος ᾰ, οὐχὶ κατὰ εἶδος, ἀλλὰ κατὰ ποσόν, ἦτο δὲ εὐφωνότατον τῶν ἄλλων μακρῶν φωνηέντων· «εὐφωνότατον τὸ ἄλφα ὅταν ἐντείνηται· λέγεται γὰρ ἀνοιγομένου τοῦ στόματος ἐπὶ πλεῖστον, καὶ τοῦ πνεύματος ἄνω φερομένου πρὸς τὸν οὐρανόν», Διονυσ. Ἁ. τόμ. Ε΄, σ. 75, 12. ἔκδ. Ρεϊσκίου. Ἡ καταχρ. δίφθογγος ᾳ ἀντιστοιχεῖ πρὸς τὸ Λατινικὸν ā μακρόν.

English (Abbott-Smith)

Α, α, ἄλφα (q.v.), τό, indecl.,
alpha, the first letter of the Greek alphabet. As a numeral, ά = 1, α = 1000. As a prefix, it appears to have at least two and perhaps three distinct senses:
1.ἀ- (before a vowel, ἀν-) negative, as in ἄ-γνωστος, ἄ-δικος.
2.ἀ-, ἁ- copulative, indicating community and fellowship, as in ἁ-πλοῦς, ἀ-κολουθέω, ἀ-δελφός.
3.An intensive force (LS, s. α), as in ἀ-τενίζω is sometimes assumed (but v. Boisacq, s.v.).

English (Strong)

of Hebrew origin; the first letter of the alphabet; figuratively, only (from its use as a numeral) the first: Alpha. Often used (usually an, before a vowel) also in composition (as a contraction from ἄνευ) in the sense of privation; so, in many words, beginning with this letter; occasionally in the sense of union (as a contraction of ἅμα).