learn+from+a+distance

ăb, ā, abs, prep. with abl. This IndoEuropean particle (Sanscr. apa or ava, Etr. av, Gr. upo, Goth. af, Old Germ. aba, New Germ. ab, Engl. of, off) has in Latin the following forms: ap, af, ab (av), au-, a, a; aps, abs, as-. The existence of the oldest form, ap, is proved by the oldest and best MSS. analogous to the prep. apud, the Sanscr. api, and Gr. epi, and by the weakened form af, which, by the rule of historical grammar and the nature of the Latin letter f, can be derived only from ap, not from ab. The form af, weakened from ap, also very soon became obsolete. There are but five examples of it in inscriptions, at the end of the sixth and in the course of the seventh century B. C., viz.:

AF VOBEIS,

Inscr. Orell. 3114;

AF MVRO,

ib. 6601;

AF CAPVA,

ib. 3308;

AF SOLO,

ib. 589;

AF LYCO,

ib. 3036 ( afuolunt =avolant, Paul. ex Fest. p. 26 Mull., is only a conjecture). In the time of Cicero this form was regarded as archaic, and only here and there used in account-books; v. Cic. Or. 47, 158 (where the correct reading is af, not abs or ab), and cf. Ritschl, Monum. Epigr. p. 7 sq.—The second form of this preposition, changed from ap, was ab, which has become the principal form and the one most generally used through all periods—and indeed the only oue used before all vowels and h; here and there also before some consonants, particularly l, n, r, and s; rarely before c, j, d, t; and almost never before the labials p, b, f, v, or before m, such examples as ab Massiliensibus, Caes. B. C. 1, 35, being of the most rare occurrence.—By changing the b of ab through v into u, the form au originated, which was in use only in the two compounds aufero and aufugio for abfero, ab-fugio; aufuisse for afuisse, in Cod. Medic. of Tac. A. 12, 17, is altogether unusual. Finally, by dropping the b of ab, and lengthening the a, ab was changed into a, which form, together with ab, predominated through all periods of the Latin language, and took its place before all consonants in the later years of Cicero, and after him almoet exclusively.—By dropping the b without lengthening the a, ab occurs in the form a- in the two compounds a-bio and a-perio, q. v.—On the other hand, instead of reducing ap to a and a, a strengthened collateral form, aps, was made by adding to ap the letter s (also used in particles, as in ex, mox, vix). From the first, aps was used only before the letters c, q, t, and was very soon changed into abs (as ap into ab):

abs chorago,

Plaut. Pers. 1, 3, 79 (159 Ritschl):

abs quivis,

Ter. Ad. 2, 3, 1:

abs terra,

Cato, R. R. 51;

and in compounds: aps-cessero,

Plaut. Trin. 3, 1, 24 (625 R.); id. ib. 3, 2, 84 (710 R): abs-condo, abs-que, abs-tineo, etc. The use of abs was confined almost exclusively to the combination abs te during the whole ante-classic period, and with Cicero till about the year 700 A. U. C. (=B. C. 54). After that time Cicero evidently hesitates between abs te and a te, but during the last five or six years of his life a te became predominant in all his writings, even in his letters; consequently abs te appears but rarely in later authors, as in Liv. 10, 19, 8; 26, 15, 12;

and who, perhaps, also used abs conscendentibus,

id. 28, 37, 2; v. Drakenb. ad. h. l. (Weissenb. ab).—Finally abs, in consequence of the following p, lost its b, and became ds- in the three compounds aspello, as-porto, and as-pernor (for asspernor); v. these words.—The late Lat. verb abbrevio may stand for adbrevio, the d of ad being assimilated to the following b.The fundamental signification of ab is departure from some fixed point (opp. to ad. which denotes motion to a point).

In space, and,

Fig., in time and other relations, in which the idea of departure from some point, as from source and origin, is included; Engl. from, away from, out of; down from; since, after; by, at, in, on, etc.

Lit., in space: ab classe ad urbem tendunt, Att. ap. Non. 495, 22 (Trag. Rel. p. 177 Rib.):

Caesar maturat ab urbe proficisci,

Caes. B. G. 1, 7:

fuga ab urbe turpissima,

Cic. Att. 7, 21:

ducite ab urbe domum, ducite Daphnim,

Verg. E. 8, 68. Cicero himself gives the difference between ab and ex thus: si qui mihi praesto fuerit cum armatis hominibus extra meum fundum et me introire prohibuerit, non ex eo, sed ab ( from, away from) eo loco me dejecerit....Unde dejecti Galli? A Capitolio. Unde, qui cum Graccho fucrunt? Ex Capitolio, etc., Cic. Caecin. 30, 87; cf. Diom. p. 408 P., and a similar distinction between ad and in under ad.—Ellipt.: Diogenes Alexandro roganti, ut diceret, si quid opus esset: Nunc quidem paululum, inquit, a sole, a little out of the sun, Cic. Tusc. 5, 32, 92. —Often joined with usque:

illam (mulierem) usque a mari supero Romam proficisci,

all the way from, Cic. Clu. 68, 192; v. usque, I.—And with ad, to denote the space passed over: siderum genus ab ortu ad occasum commeant, from... to, Cic. N. D. 2, 19 init.; cf. ab... in:

venti a laevo latere in dextrum, ut sol, ambiunt,

Plin. 2, 47, 48, § 128.

Sometimes with names of cities and small islands, or with domus (instead of the usual abl.), partie., in militnry and nautieal language, to denote the marching of soldiers, the setting out of a flcet, or the departure of the inhabitants from some place:

oppidum ab Aenea fugiente a Troja conditum,

Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 33:

quemadmodum (Caesar) a Gergovia discederet,

Caes. B. G. 7, 43 fin.; so id. ib. 7, 80 fin.; Sall. J. 61; 82; 91; Liv. 2, 33, 6 al.; cf.:

ab Arimino M. Antonium cum cohortibus quinque Arretium mittit,

Caes. B. C. 1, 11 fin.; and:

protinus a Corfinio in Siciliam miserat,

id. ib. 1, 25, 2:

profecti a domo,

Liv. 40, 33, 2;

of setting sail: cum exercitus vestri numquam a Brundisio nisi hieme summa transmiserint,

Cic. Imp. Pomp. 12, 32; so id. Fam. 15, 3, 2; Caes. B. C. 3, 23; 3, 24 fin.:

classe qua advecti ab domo fuerant,

Liv. 8, 22, 6;

of citizens: interim ab Roma legatos venisse nuntiatum est,

Liv. 21, 9, 3; cf.:

legati ab Orico ad M. Valerium praetorem venerunt,

id. 24, 40, 2.

Sometimes with names of persons or with pronouns: pestem abige a me, Enn. ap. Cic. Ac. 2, 28, 89 (Trag. v. 50 Vahl.):

Quasi ad adulescentem a patre ex Seleucia veniat,

Plaut. Trin. 3, 3, 41; cf.:

libertus a Fuflis cum litteris ad Hermippum venit,

Cic. Fl. 20, 47:

Nigidium a Domitio Capuam venisse,

id. Att. 7, 24:

cum a vobis discessero,

id. Sen. 22:

multa merces tibi defluat ab Jove Neptunoque,

Hor. C. 1, 28, 29 al. So often of a person instead of his house, lodging, etc.: videat forte hic te a patre aliquis exiens, from the father, i. e. from his house, Ter. Heaut. 2, 2, 6:

so a fratre,

id. Phorm. 5, 1, 5:

a Pontio,

Cic. Att. 5, 3 fin.:

ab ea,

Ter. And. 1, 3, 21; and so often: a me, a nobis, a se, etc., from my, our, his house, etc., Plaut. Stich. 5, 1, 7; Ter. Heaut. 3, 2, 50; Cic. Att. 4, 9, 1 al.

Transf., without the idea of motion. To designate separation or distance, with the verbs abesse, distare, etc., and with the particles longe, procul, prope, etc.

Of separation:

ego te afuisse tam diu a nobis dolui,

Cic. Fam. 2, 1, 2:

abesse a domo paulisper maluit,

id. Verr. 2, 4, 18, § 39:

tum Brutus ab Roma aberat,

Sall. C. 40, 5:

absint lacerti ab stabulis,

Verg. G. 4, 14.—

Of distance:

quot milia fundus suus abesset ab urbe,

Cic. Caecin. 10, 28; cf.:

nos in castra properabamus, quae aberant bidui,

id. Att. 5, 16 fin.; and:

hic locus aequo fere spatio ab castris Ariovisti et Caesaris aberat,

Caes. B. G. 1, 43, 1:

terrae ab hujusce terrae, quam nos incolimus, continuatione distantes,

Cic. N. D. 2, 66, 164:

non amplius pedum milibus duobus ab castris castra distabant,

Caes. B. C. 1, 82, 3; cf. id. lb. 1, 3, 103.—With adverbs: annos multos longinque ab domo bellum gerentes, Enn. ap. Non. 402, 3 (Trag. v. 103 Vahl.):

cum domus patris a foro longe abesset,

Cic. Cael. 7, 18 fin.; cf.:

qui fontes a quibusdam praesidiis aberant longius,

Caes. B. C. 3, 49, 5:

quae procul erant a conspectu imperii,

Cic. Agr. 2, 32, 87; cf.:

procul a castris hostes in collibus constiterunt,

Caes. B. G. 5, 17, 1; and:

tu procul a patria Alpinas nives vides,

Verg. E. 10, 46 (procul often also with simple abl.;

v. procul): cum esset in Italia bellum tam prope a Sicilia, tamen in Sicilia non fuit,

Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 2, § 6; cf.:

tu apud socrum tuam prope a meis aedibus sedebas,

id. Pis. 11, 26; and:

tam prope ab domo detineri,

id. Verr. 2, 2, 3, § 6.—So in Caesar and Livy, with numerals to designate the measure of the distance:

onerariae naves, quae ex eo loco ab milibus passuum octo vento tenebatur,

eight miles distant, Caes. B. G. 4, 22, 4; and without mentioning the terminus a quo: ad castra contenderunt, et ab milibus passunm minus duobus castra posuerunt, less than two miles off or distant, id. ib. 2, 7, 3; so id. ib. 2, 5, 32; 6, 7, 3; id. B. C. 1, 65; Liv. 38, 20, 2 (for which:

duo milia fere et quingentos passus ab hoste posuerunt castra,

id. 37, 38, 5). —

To denote the side or direction from which an object is viewed in its local relations,=a parte, at, on, in: utrum hacin feriam an ab laeva latus? Enn. ap. Plaut. Cist. 3, 10 (Trag. v. 38 Vahl.); cf.:

picus et cornix ab laeva, corvos, parra ab dextera consuadent,

Plaut. As. 2, 1, 12: clamore ab ea parte audito. on this side, Caes. B. G. 3, 26, 4: Gallia Celtica attingit ab Sequanis et Helvetiis flumen Rhenum, on the side of the Sequani, i. e. their country, id. ib. 1, 1, 5:

pleraque Alpium ab Italia sicut breviora ita arrectiora sunt,

on the Italian side, Liv. 21, 35, 11:

non eadem diligentia ab decumuna porta castra munita,

at the main entrance, Caes. B. G. 3, 25 fin.:

erat a septentrionibus collis,

on the north, id. ib. 7, 83, 2; so, ab oriente, a meridie, ab occasu; a fronte, a latere, a tergo, etc. (v. these words).

Fig.

In time.

From a [p. 3] point of time, without reference to the period subsequently elapsed. After:

Exul ab octava Marius bibit,

Juv. 1,40:

mulieres jam ab re divin[adot ] adparebunt domi,

immediately after the sucrifice, Plaut. Poen. 3, 3, 4:

Caesar ab decimae legionis cohortatione ad dextrum cornu profectus,

Caes. B. G. 2, 25, 1:

ab hac contione legati missi sunt,

immediately after, Liv. 24, 22, 6; cf. id. 28, 33, 1; 40, 47, 8; 40, 49, 1 al.:

ab eo magistratu,

after this office, Sall. J. 63, 5:

a summa spe novissima exspectabat,

after the greatest hope, Tac. A. 6, 50 fin. —Strengthened by the adverbs primum, confestim, statim, protinus, or the adj. recens, immediately after, soon after:

ut primum a tuo digressu Romam veni,

Cic. Att. 1, 5, 4; so Suet. Tib. 68:

confestim a proelio expugnatis hostium castris,

Liv. 30, 36, 1:

statim a funere,

Suet. Caes. 85;

and followed by statim: ab itinere statim,

id. ib. 60:

protinus ab adoptione,

Vell. 2, 104, 3:

Homerus qui recens ab illorum actate fuit,

soon after their time, Cic. N. D. 3, 5; so Varr. R. R. 2, 8, 2; Verg. A. 6, 450 al. (v. also primum, confestim, etc.).—

Sometimes with the name of a person or place, instead of an action: ibi mihi tuae litterae binae redditae sunt tertio abs te die,

i. e. after their departure from you, Cic. Att. 5, 3, 1: in Italiam perventum est quinto mense a Carthagine Nov[adot ], i. e. after leaving (=postquam a Carthagine profecti sunt), Liv. 21, 38, 1:

secundo Punico (bello) Scipionis classis XL. die a securi navigavit,

i. e. after its having been built, Plin. 16, 39, 74, § 192. —Hence the poct. expression: ab his, after this (cf. ek toutôn), i. e. after these words, hereupon, Ov. M. 3, 273; 4, 329; 8, 612; 9, 764.

With reference to a subsequent period. From, since, after:

ab hora tertia bibebatur,

from the third hour, Cic. Phil. 2, 41:

infinito ex tempore, non ut antea, ab Sulla et Pompeio consulibus,

since the consulship of, id. Agr. 2, 21, 56:

vixit ab omni aeternitate,

from all eternity, id. Div. 1, 51, 115:

cum quo a condiscipulatu vivebat conjunctissime,

Nep. Att. 5, 3:

in Lycia semper a terrae motu XL. dies serenos esse,

after an earthquake, Plin. 2, 96, 98, § 211 al.:

centesima lux est haec ab interitu P. Clodii,

since the death of, Cic. Mil. 35, 98; cf.:

cujus a morte quintus hic et tricesimus annus est,

id. Sen. 6, 19; and:

ab incenso Capitolio illum esse vigesumiun annum,

since, Sall. C. 47, 2:

diebus triginta, a qua die materia caesa est,

Caes. B. C. 1, 36.—Sometimes joined with usque and inde:

quod augures omnes usque ab Romulo decreverunt,

since the time of, Cic. Vat. 8, 20:

jam inde ab infelici pugna ceciderant animi,

from the very beginning of, Liv. 2, 65 fin. —Hence the adverbial expressions ab initio, a principio, a primo, at, in, or from the beginning, at first; v. initium, principium, primus. Likewise ab integro, anew, afresh; v. integer.—Ab... ad, from (a time)... to:

ab hora octava ad vesperum secreto collocuti sumus,

Cic. Att. 7, 8, 4; cf.:

cum ab hora septima ad vesperum pugnatum sit,

Caes. B. G. 1, 26, 2; and:

a quo tempore ad vos consules anni sunt septingenti octoginta unus,

Vell. 1, 8, 4; and so in Plautus strengthened by usque:

pugnata pugnast usque a mane ad vesperum,

from morning to evening, Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 97; id. Most. 3, 1, 3; 3, 2, 80.—Rarely ab... in: Romani ab sole orto in multum diei stetere in acie, from... till late in the day, Liv. 27, 2, 9; so Col. 2, 10, 17; Plin. 2, 31, 31, § 99; 2, 103, 106, § 229; 4, 12, 26, § 89.

Particularly with nouns denoting a time of life:

qui homo cum animo inde ab ineunte aetate depugnat suo,

from an early age, from early youth, Plaut. Trin. 2, 2, 24; so Cic. Off. 2, 13, 44 al.:

mihi magna cum co jam inde a pueritia fuit semper famillaritas,

Ter. Heaut. 1, 2, 9; so,

a pueritia,

Cic. Tusc. 2, 11, 27 fin.; id. Fam. 5, 8, 4:

jam inde ab adulescentia,

Ter. Ad. 1, 1, 16:

ab adulescentia,

Cic. Rep. 2, 1:

jam a prima adulescentia,

id. Fam. 1, 9, 23:

ab ineunte adulescentia,

id. ib. 13, 21, 1; cf.

followed by ad: usque ad hanc aetatem ab incunte adulescentia,

Plaut. Trin. 2, 2, 20:

a primis temporibus aetatis,

Cic. Fam. 4, 3, 3:

a teneris unguiculis,

from childhood, id. ib. 1, 6, 2:

usque a toga pura,

id. Att. 7, 8, 5:

jam inde ab incunabulis,

Liv. 4, 36, 5:

a prima lanugine,

Suet. Oth. 12:

viridi ab aevo,

Ov. Tr. 4, 10, 17 al.;

rarely of animals: ab infantia,

Plin. 10, 63, 83, § 182.—Instead of the nom. abstr. very often (like the Greek ek paioôn, etc.) with concrete substantives: a pucro, ab adulescente, a parvis, etc., from childhood, etc.:

qui olim a puero parvulo mihi paedagogus fuerat,

Plaut. Merc. 1, 1, 90; so,

a pausillo puero,

id. Stich. 1, 3, 21:

a puero,

Cic. Ac. 2, 36, 115; id. Fam. 13, 16, 4 (twice) al.:

a pueris,

Cic. Tusc. 1, 24, 57; id. de Or. 1, 1, 2 al.:

ab adulescente,

id. Quint. 3, 12:

ab infante,

Col. 1, 8, 2:

a parva virgine,

Cat. 66, 26 al. —Likewise and in the same sense with adject.: a parvo, from a little child, or childhood, Liv. 1, 39, 6 fin.; cf.:

a parvis,

Ter. And. 3, 3, 7; Cic. Leg. 2, 4, 9:

a parvulo,

Ter. And. 1, 1, 8; id. Ad. 1, 1, 23; cf.:

ab parvulis,

Caes. B. G. 6, 21, 3:

ab tenero,

Col. 5, 6, 20;

and rarely of animals: (vacca) a bima aut trima fructum ferre incipit,

Varr. R. R. 2, 1, 13.

In other relations in which the idea of going forth, proceeding, from something is included.

In gen. to denote departure, separation, deterring, avoiding, intermitting, etc., or distance, difference, etc., of inanimate or abstract things. From: jus atque aecum se a malis spernit procul, Enn. ap. Non. 399, 10 (Trag. v. 224 Vahl.):

suspitionem et culpam ut ab se segregent,

Plaut. Trin. 1, 2, 42:

qui discessum animi a corpore putent esse mortem,

Cic. Tusc. 1, 9, 18:

hic ab artificio suo non recessit,

id. ib. 1, 10, 20 al.:

quod si exquiratur usque ab stirpe auctoritas,

Plaut. Trin. 1, 2, 180:

condicionem quam ab te peto,

id. ib. 2, 4, 87; cf.:

mercedem gloriae flagitas ab iis, quorum, etc.,

Cic. Tusc. 1, 15, 34:

si quid ab illo acceperis,

Plaut. Trin. 2, 2, 90:

quae (i. e. antiquitas) quo propius aberat ab ortu et divina progenie,

Cic. Tusc. 1, 12, 26:

ab defensione desistere,

Caes. B. C. 2, 12, 4:

ne quod tempus ab opere intermitteretur,

id. B. G. 7, 24, 2:

ut homines adulescentis a dicendi studio deterream,

Cic. de Or. 1, 25, 117, etc.—Of distance (in order, rank, mind, or feeling):

qui quartus ab Arcesila fuit,

the fourth in succession from, Cic. Ac. 1, 12, 46:

tu nunc eris alter ab illo,

next after him, Verg. E. 5, 49; cf.:

Aiax, heros ab Achille secundus,

next in rank to, Hor. S. 2, 3, 193:

quid hoc ab illo differt,

from, Cic. Caecin. 14, 39; cf.:

hominum vita tantum distat a victu et cultu bestiarum,

id. Off. 2, 4, 15; and:

discrepare ab aequitate sapientiam,

id. Rep. 3, 9 fin. (v. the verbs differo, disto, discrepo, dissideo, dissentio, etc.):

quae non aliena esse ducerem a dignitate,

Cic. Fam. 4, 7:

alieno a te animo fuit,

id. Deiot. 9, 24 (v. alienus). —So the expression ab re (qs. aside from the matter, profit; cf. the opposite, in rem), contrary to one's profit, to a loss, disadvantageous (so in the affirmative very rare and only ante-class.):

subdole ab re consulit,

Plaut. Trin. 2, 1, 12; cf. id. Capt. 2, 2, 88; more frequently and class. (but not with Cicero) in the negative, non, haud, ab re, not without advantage or profit, not useless or unprofitable, adcantageous:

haut est ab re aucupis,

Plaut. As. 1, 3, 71:

non ab re esse Quinctii visum est,

Liv. 35, 32, 6; so Plin. 27, 8, 35; 31, 3, 26; Suet. Aug. 94; id. Dom. 11; Gell. 18, 14 fin.; App. Dogm. Plat. 3, p. 31, 22 al. (but in Ter. Ad. 5, 3, 44, ab re means with respect to the money matter).

In partic.

To denote an agent from whom an action proceeds, or by whom a thing is done or takes place. By, and in archaic and solemn style, of. So most frequently with pass. or intrans. verbs with pass. signif., when the active object is or is considered as a living being: Laudari me abs te, a laudato viro, Naev. ap. Cic. Tusc. 4, 31, 67: injuria abs te afficior, Enn. ap. Auct. Her. 2, 24, 38:

a patre deductus ad Scaevolam,

Cic. Lael. 1, 1:

ut tamquam a praesentibus coram haberi sermo videretur,

id. ib. 1, 3:

disputata ab eo,

id. ib. 1, 4 al.:

illa (i. e. numerorum ac vocum vis) maxime a Graecia vetere celebrata,

id. de Or. 3, 51, 197:

ita generati a natura sumus,

id. Off. 1, 29, 103; cf.:

pars mundi damnata a rerum natura,

Plin. 4, 12, 26, § 88:

niagna adhibita cura est a providentia deorum,

Cic. N. D. 2, 51 al. —With intrans. verbs:

quae (i. e. anima) calescit ab eo spiritu,

is warmed by this breath, Cic. N. D. 2, 55, 138; cf. Ov. M. 1, 417: (mare) qua a sole collucet, Cic. Ac. 2, 105:

salvebis a meo Cicerone,

i. e. young Cicero sends his compliments to you, id. Att. 6, 2 fin.:

a quibus (Atheniensibus) erat profectus,

i. e. by whose command, Nep. Milt. 2, 3:

ne vir ab hoste cadat,

Ov. H. 9, 36 al. —A substantive or adjective often takes the place of the verb (so with de, q. v.):

levior est plaga ab amico quam a debitore,

Cic. Fam. 9, 16, 7; cf.:

a bestiis ictus, morsus, impetus,

id. Off. 2, 6, 19:

si calor est a sole,

id. N. D. 2, 52:

ex iis a te verbis (for a te scriptis),

id. Att. 16, 7, 5:

metu poenae a Romanis,

Liv. 32, 23, 9:

bellum ingens a Volscis et Aequis,

id. 3, 22, 2:

ad exsolvendam fldem a consule,

id. 27, 5, 6.—With an adj.:

lassus ab equo indomito,

Hor. S. 2, 2, 10:

Murus ab ingenic notior ille tuo,

Prop. 5, 1, 126:

tempus a nostris triste malis,

time made sad by our misfortunes, Ov. Tr. 4, 3, 36.—Different from per:

vulgo occidebantur: per quos et a quibus?

by whom and upon whose orders? Cic. Rosc. Am. 29, 80 (cf. id. ib. 34, 97: cujus consilio occisus sit, invenio; cujus manu sit percussus, non laboro); so,

ab hoc destitutus per Thrasybulum (i. e. Thrasybulo auctore),

Nep. Alc. 5, 4.—Ambiguity sometimes arises from the fact that the verb in the pass. would require ab if used in the active:

si postulatur a populo,

if the people demand it, Cic. Off. 2, 17, 58, might also mean, if it is required of the people; on the contrary: quod ab eo (Lucullo) laus imperatoria non admodum exspectabatur, not since he did not expect military renown, but since they did not expect military renown from him, Cic. Ac. 2, 1, 2, and so often; cf. Rudd. II. p. 213. (The use of the active dative, or dative of the agent, instead of ab with the pass., is well known, Zumpt, § 419. It is very seldom found in prose writers of the golden age of Roman liter.; with Cic. sometimes joined with the participles auditus, cognitus, constitutus, perspectus, provisus, susceptus; cf. Halm ad Cic. Imp. Pomp. 24, 71, and ad ejusdem, Cat. 1, 7 fin.; but freq. at a later period; e. g. in Pliny, in Books 2-4 of H. N., more than twenty times; and likewise in Tacitus seventeen times. Vid. the passages in Nipperd. ad Tac. A. 2, 49.) Far more unusual is the simple abl. in the designation of persons:

deseror conjuge,

Ov. H. 12, 161; so id. ib. 5, 75; id. M. 1, 747; Verg. A. 1, 274; Hor. C. 2, 4, 9; 1, 6, 2;

and in prose,

Quint. 3, 4, 2; Sen. Contr. 2, 1; Curt. 6, 7, 8; cf. Rudd. II. p. 212; Zumpt ad Quint. V. p. 122 Spalding.—Hence the adverbial phrase a se=uph heautou, sua sponte, of one's own uccord, spontaneously:

ipsum a se oritur et sua sponte nascitur,

Cic. Fin. 2, 24, 78:

(urna) ab se cantat quoja sit,

Plaut. Rud. 2, 5, 21 (al. eapse; cf. id. Men. 1, 2, 66); so Col. 11, 1, 5; Liv. 44, 33, 6.

With names of towns to denote origin, extraction, instead of gentile adjectives. From, of:

pastores a Pergamide,

Varr. R. R. 2, 2, 1:

Turnus ab Aricia,

Liv. 1, 50, 3 (for which Aricinus, id. 1, 51, 1):

obsides dant trecentos principum a Cora atque Pometia liberos,

Liv. 2, 22, 2; and poet.: O longa mundi servator ab Alba, Auguste, thou who art descended from the old Alban race of kings (=oriundus, or ortus regibus Albanis), Prop. 5, 6, 37.

In giving the etymology of a name: eam rem (sc. legem, Gr. nomon) illi Graeco putant nomine a suum cuique tribuendo appellatam, ego nostro a legendo, Cic. Leg. 1, 6, 19: annum intervallum regni fuit: id ab re... interregnum appellatum, Liv. 1, 17, 6:

(sinus maris) ab nomine propinquae urbis Ambracius appellatus,

id. 38, 4, 3; and so Varro in his Ling. Lat., and Pliny, in Books 1-5 of H. N., on almost every page. (Cf. also the arts. ex and de.)

With verbs of beginning and repeating: a summo bibere, in Plaut. to drink in succession from the one at the head of the table:

da, puere, ab summo,

Plaut. As. 5, 2, 41; so,

da ab Delphio cantharum circum, id Most. 1, 4, 33: ab eo nobis causa ordienda est potissimum,

Cic. Leg. 1, 7, 21:

coepere a fame mala,

Liv. 4, 12, 7:

cornicem a cauda de ovo exire,

tail-foremost, Plin. 10, 16, 18:

a capite repetis, quod quaerimus,

Cic. Leg. 1, 6, 18 al.

With verbs of freeing from, defending, or protecting against any thing:

a foliis et stercore purgato,

Cato, R. R. 65 (66), 1:

tantumne ab re tuast oti tibi?

Ter. Heaut. 1, [p. 4] 1, 23; cf.:

Saguntini ut a proeliis quietem habuerant,

Liv. 21, 11, 5:

expiandum forum ab illis nefarii sceleris vestigiis,

Cic. Rab. Perd. 4, 11:

haec provincia non modo a calamitate, sed etiam a metu calamitatis est defendenda,

id. Imp. Pomp. 6, 14 (v. defendo):

ab incendio urbem vigiliis munitam intellegebat,

Sall. C. 32:

ut neque sustinere se a lapsu possent,

Liv. 21, 35, 12:

ut meam domum metueret atque a me ipso caveret,

Cic. Sest. 64, 133.

With verbs of expecting, fearing, hoping, and the like, ab =a parte, as, Cic. Att. 9, 7, 4: cum eadem metuam ab hac parte, since I fear the same from this side; hence, timere, metuere ab aliquo, not, to be afraid of any one, but, to fear something (proceeding from) from him:

el metul a Chryside,

Ter. And. 1, 1, 79; cf.:

ab Hannibale metuens,

Liv. 23, 36; and:

metus a praetore,

id. 23, 15, 7;

v. Weissenb. ad h. l.: a quo quidem genere, judices, ego numquam timui,

Cic. Sull. 20, 59:

postquam nec ab Romanis robis ulla est spes,

you can expect nothing from the Romans, Liv. 21, 13, 4.

With verbs of fastening and holding:

funiculus a puppi religatus,

Cic. Inv. 2, 51, 154:

cum sinistra capillum ejus a vertice teneret,

Q. Cic. Pet. Cons. 3.

Ulcisci se ab aliquo, to take vengeance on one:

a ferro sanguis humanus se ulciscitur,

Plin. 34, 14, 41 fin.

Cognoscere ab aliqua re to knoio or learn by means of something (different from ab aliquo, to learn from some one):

id se a Gallicis armis atque insignibus cognovisse,

Caes. B. G. 1, 22.

Dolere, laborare, valere ab, instead of the simple abl.:

doleo ab animo, doleo ab oculis, doleo ab aegritudine,

Plaut. Cist. 1, 1, 62:

a morbo valui, ab animo aeger fui,

id. Ep. 1, 2, 26; cf. id. Aul. 2, 2, 9:

a frigore et aestu ne quid laborent,

Varr. R. R. 2, 2, 17; so,

a frigore laborantibus,

Plin. 32, 10, 46, § 133; cf.:

laborare ab re frumentaria,

Caes. B. G. 7, 10, 1; id. B. C. 3, 9; v. laboro.

Where verbs and adjectives are joined with ab, instead of the simple abl., ab defines more exactly the respect in which that which is expressed by the verb or adj. is to be understood, in relation to, with regard to, in respect to, on the part of:

ab ingenio improbus,

Plaut. Truc. 4, 3, 59:

a me pudica'st,

id. Curc. 1, 1, 51:

orba ab optimatibus contio,

Cic. Fl. 23, 54; ro Ov. H. 6,156: securos vos ab hac parte reddemus, Planc. ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 24 fin. (v. securus):

locus copiosus a frumento,

Cic. Att. 5, 18, 2; cf.:

sumus imparati cum a militibas tum a pecunia,

id. ib. 7, 15 fin.:

ille Graecus ab omni laude felicior,

id. Brut. 16, 63:

ab una parte haud satis prosperuin,

Liv. 1, 32, 2 al.;

so often in poets ab arte=arte,

artfully, Tib. 1, 5, 4; 1, 9, 66; Ov. Am. 2, 4, 30.

In the statement of the motive instead of ex, propter, or the simple abl. causae, from, out of, on account of, in consequence of: ab singulari amore scribo, Balb. ap. Cic. Att. 9, 7, B fin.:

linguam ab irrisu exserentem,

thrusting out the tongue in derision, Liv. 7, 10, 5:

ab honore,

id. 1, 8; so, ab ira, a spe, ab odio, v. Drak. ad Liv. 24, 30, 1: 26, 1, 3; cf. also Kritz and Fabri ad Sall. J. 31, 3, and Fabri ad Liv. 21, 36, 7.

Especially in the poets instead of the gen.:

ab illo injuria,

Ter. And. 1, 1, 129:

fulgor ab auro,

Lucr. 2, 5:

dulces a fontibus undae,

Verg. G. 2, 243.

In indicating a part of the whole, for the more usual ex, of, out of:

scuto ab novissimis uni militi detracto,

Caes. B. G. 2, 25, 1:

nonnuill ab novissimis,

id. ib.; Cic. Sest. 65, 137; cf. id. ib. 59 fin.: a quibus (captivis) ad Senatum missus (Regulus).

In marking that from which any thing proceeds, and to which it belongs:

qui sunt ab ea disciplina,

Cic. Tusc. 2, 3, 7:

ab eo qui sunt,

id. Fin. 4, 3, 7:

nostri illi a Platone et Aristotele aiunt,

id. Mur. 30, 63 (in imitation of oi upo tinos).

To designate an office or dignity (with or without servus; so not freq. till after the Aug. period;

in Cic. only once): Pollex, servus a pedibus meus,

one of my couriers, Cic. Att. 8, 5, 1; so,

a manu servus,

a secretary, Suet. Caes. 74: Narcissum ab eplstulis ( secretary) et Pallantem a rationibus ( accountant), id. Claud. 28; and so, ab actis, ab admissione, ab aegris, ab apotheca, ab argento, a balneis, a bibliotheca, a codicillis, a jumentis, a potione, etc. (v. these words and Inscr. Orell. vol. 3, Ind. xi. p. 181 sq.).

The use of ab before adverbs is for the most part peculiar to later Latinity:

a peregre,

Vitr. 5, 7 (6), 8:

a foris,

Plin. 17, 24, 37; Vulg. Gen, 7, 16; ib. Matt. 23, 27:

ab intus,

ib. ib. 7, 15:

ab invicem,

App. Herb. 112; Vulg. Matt. 25, 32; Cypr. Ep. 63, 9: Hier. Ep. 18:

a longe,

Hyg. Fab. 257; Vulg. Gen. 22, 4; ib. Matt. 26, 58:

a modo,

ib. ib. 23, 39;

Hier. Vit. Hilar.: a nune,

Vulg. Luc. 1, 48:

a sursum,

ib. Marc. 15, 38.

Ab is not repeated like most other prepositions (v. ad, ex, in, etc.) with pron. interrog. or relat. after subst. and pron. demonstr. with ab:

Arsinoen, Stratum, Naupactum...fateris ab hostibus esse captas. Quibus autem hostibus? Nempe iis, quos, etc.,

Cic. Pis. 37, 91:

a rebus gerendis senectus abstrahit. Quibus? An iis, quae in juventute geruntur et viribus?

id. Sen. 6:

a Jove incipiendum putat. Quo Jove?

id. Rep. 1, 36, 56:

res publica, quascumque vires habebit, ab iis ipsis, quibus tenetur, de te propediem impetrabit,

id. Fam. 4, 13, 5.—

Ab in Plantus is once put after the word which it governs: quo ab, As. 1, 1, 106.—

It is in various ways separated from the word which it governs:

a vitae periculo,

Cic. Brut. 91, 313:

a nullius umquam me tempore aut commodo,

id. Arch. 6, 12:

a minus bono,

Sall. C. 2, 6:

a satis miti principio,

Liv. 1, 6, 4:

damnis dives ab ipsa suis,

Ov. H. 9, 96; so id. ib. 12, 18; 13, 116.—

The poets join a and que, making aque; but in good prose que is annexed to the following abl. (a meque, abs teque, etc.):

aque Chao,

Verg. G. 4, 347:

aque mero,

Ov. M. 3, 631:

aque viro,

id. H. 6, 156:

aque suis,

id. Tr. 5, 2, 74 al. But:

a meque,

Cic. Fam. 2, 16, 1:

abs teque,

id. Att. 3, 15, 4:

a teque,

id. ib. 8, 11, §

7: a primaque adulescentia,

id. Brut. 91, 315 al. —

A Greek noun joined with ab stands in the dat.: a parte negotiati, hoc est pragmatikê, removisse, Quint. 3, 7, 1.

In composition ab,

Retains its original signif.: abducere, to take or carry away from some place: abstrahere, to draw auay; also, downward: abicere, to throw down; and denoting a departure from the idea of the simple word, it has an effect apparently privative: absimilis, departing from the similar, unlike: abnormis, departing from the rule, unusual (different from dissimilis, enormis); and so also in amens=a mente remotus, alienus ( out of one's senses, without self-control, insane): absurdus, missounding, then incongruous, irrational: abutor (in one of its senses), to misuse: aborior, abortus, to miscarry: abludo; for the privative force the Latin regularly employs in-, v. 2. in.—

It more rarely designates completeness, as in absorbere, abutor ( to use up). (The designation of the fourth generation in the ascending or descending line by ab belongs here only in appearance; as abavus for quartus pater, great-great-grandfather, although the Greeks introduced upopappos; for the immutability of the syllable ab in abpatrnus and abmatertera, as well as the signif. Of the word abavus, grandfather's grandfather, imitated in abnepos, grandchild's grandchild, seems to point to a derivation from avi avus, as Festus, p. 13 Mull., explains atavus, by atta avi, or, rather, attae avus.)

1 to.

voy a Madrid I'm going to Madrid

me voy al extranjero I'm going abroad

llegó a Buenos Aires/a la fiesta he arrived in Buenos Aires/at the party

2 at (moment).

a las siete at seven o'clock

a los once años at the age of eleven

al caer la noche at nightfall

al oír la noticia se desmayó on hearing the news, she fainted

Llegué al amanecer I arrived at dawn.

3 per, every (frecuency).

40 horas a la semana 40 hours per o a week

tres veces al día three times a day

4 to.

dáselo a Ricardo give it to Ricardo

dile a Ricardo que venga tell Ricardo to come

5 to.

entró a pagar he came in to pay

aprender a nadar to learn to swim

6 by, about to, for.

* * *

► nombre femenino (pl as o aes)

1 (la letra) A, a

► abreviatura

1 ( Alteza) Highness; (abreviatura) H

► abreviatura

1 ( autopista) motorway; (abreviatura) M

► símbolo

1 ( amperio) ampere, amp; (símbolo) A

* * *

1) to

2) into

3) in

4) at

5) on

6) with

* * *

SF = a (=letra) A, a

* * *

a femenino (pl aes) ( read as [a]) the letter A, a

* * *

= for, per, to.

Ex. The fine policy matrix corresponds to the loan policy matrix, cell for cell.

Ex. Indexing can thus be achieved at a detailed level, with often many terms per document, with almost no indexing effort.

Ex. Accessibility to the documents stored in files is an important factor, so the physical storage is important.

----

* a + Adjetivo + escala = on a + Adjetivo + scale.

* a alguna parte = someplace.

* a alta presión = high-pressured, high-pressure.

* a altas horas de la noche = late at night.

* a ambas orillas del Atlántico = on both sides of the ocean, on both sides of the Atlantic.

* a ambos lados de = on either side of.

* a ambos lados del Altántico = on both sides of the ocean, on both sides of the Atlantic.

* a ambos lados de + Lugar = on both sides of + Lugar.

* a años luz de = light years away from.

* a bajas temperaturas = at low temperature.

* a bajo coste = low-cost.

* a bajo costo = low-cost.

* a bajo nivel = low-level.

* a bajo precio = lower-cost, at a low price, on the cheap.

* a base de = in the form of, on a diet of.

* a base de carne = meaty [meatier -comp., meatiest -sup.].

* a base de cometer errores = the hard way.

* a base de errores = the hard way.

* a boca de jarro = at close range.

* a bocajarro = point blank.

* a bombo y platillo = fanfare, with a bang.

* a bordo = aboard, on board ship.

* a bordo de = aboard, onboard.

* a bordo de un barco = shipboard, on board ship.

* a buen recaudo = in a safe place, in safekeeping.

* a caballo = on horseback, astride.

* a caballo entre = astride... and..., midway between.

* a caballo entre... y... = half way between... and....

* a caballo regalado no se le mira el diente = never look a gift horse in the mouth.

* a cada rato = every so often, every now and then, every now and again, every once in a while.

* a cambio = in return.

* a cambio de = in exchange for, in return for.

* a cambio de nada = for nothing.

* a cántaros = cats and dogs.

* a cargo = in the saddle.

* a cargo (de) = charged with, in charge (of), at the helm (of).

* a cargo de Alguien = under supervision.

* a cargo de las riendas = in the saddle.

* a cargo del ayuntamiento = local authority-run.

* a cargo del gobierno = government-operated, government-run.

* a cargo de una sola persona = one-man band.

* a cargo de voluntarios = volunteer-run.

* a chorros = profusely.

* a ciegas = blindfold, blindly, blindfolded, in the dark.

* a ciencia cierta = for sure, for certain.

* a cierta distancia = some distance away.

* a cierta distancia de = off.

* a cierta distancia de la costa = offshore.

* a cierta distancia del litoral = offshore.

* a cobro revertido = reverse charges.

* a color = multi-colour [multi-color -USA].

* a comienzos de + Expresión Temporal = early + Expresión Temporal, the.

* a comienzos de + Fecha = in the early + Fecha, in the early part of + Fecha.

* a comienzos de + Período de Tiempo = by the turn of + Período de Tiempo, at the turn of + Período de Tiempo.

* a conciencia = deliberately, wilfully [willfully, -USA], by design, on purpose.

* a condición de que + Subjuntivo = provided (that), providing (that), as long as.

* a contenido enriquecido = content-enriched.

* a continuación = next, then, in the following, herewith.

* a continuación se enumeran = given below.

* a contracorriente = against the grain.

* a contraluz = against the light.

* a contrapelo = against the grain, against the nap.

* a coro = with one voice, in unison.

* a corto plazo = before very long, short term [short-term], in the short run, short-range, at short notice, in the short term, short-run.

* a costa de = at the cost of, at the expense of, at + Nombre's + expense, at cost of.

* a costa de mucho = at (a) great expense.

* a costa de otro = at someone else's expense.

* a costa de otros = at other people's expense.

* a criterio de = at the discretion of.

* a cualquier hora = anytime, around the clock.

* a cualquier hora del día o de la noche = at any hour of the day or night, at any time of the day or night.

* a cualquier precio = at any cost, at all costs, at any price.

* a cuatro aguas = hipped.

* a cuatro patas = on all fours, on four legs.

* a cuenta de = at the expense of.

* a cuenta de la empresa = at company expense.

* a cuenta de otro = at someone else's expense.

* a cuenta de otros = at other people's expense.

* a cuenta propia = at + Posesivo + expense, at + Posesivo + own expense.

* a cuerpo de rey = the lap of luxury.

* a cuestas = in tow.

* a decir de todos = by all accounts.

* a decir verdad = to tell the truth, if the truth be known, if the truth be told, in all truth, in truth, fact is, the fact is (that), to be fair.

* a decir verdad... = the fact of the matter is that....

* a demanda = pro re nata.

* a deshora(s) = at odd times, out of hours.

* a día de hoy = as of today.

* a diario = every day.

* a diestro y siniestro = like there's no tomorrow.

* a dieta = on a diet.

* a diferencia de = apart from, as opposed to, in contradistinction to, as contrasted with, in contrast (to/with), quite apart from, in sharp contrast (with).

* a diferencia de + Nombre = unlike + Nombre.

* a diferentes niveles = multi-tiered [multitiered], multi-tier [multitier].

* a discreción = at will, no holds barred.

* a disgusto = unwillingly, reluctantly.

* a disposición de = at the disposal of.

* a distancia = remote, remotely, distantly.

* a doble espacio = double-spaced.

* a domicilio = domiciliary.

* ¿a dónde se dirige(n)...? = whither?.

* ¿a dónde va(n)...? = whither?.

* ¿a dónde vas? = quo vadis, whither thou goest.

* a dos niveles = two-tier.

* a dos velas = skint, penniless, broke.

* a duras penas = with great difficulty.

* a efectos de = in terms of, for the purpose of + Nombre.

* a efectos prácticos = to all intents and purposes, for all practical purposes, for all intents and purposes, to all intents.

* a él = him.

* a ellos = them.

* a escala = drawn-to-scale.

* a escala industrial = on an industrial scale, industrial-scale.

* a escala mundial = globally, on a global scale.

* a escala natural = full-scale.

* a escondidas = by stealth, stealthily, furtively, on the quiet, on the sly.

* a eso = thereto.

* a espaldas de = out of sight of.

* a estas alturas = by now.

* a este fin = to this end.

* a este paso = at this rate.

* a este respecto = in this respect.

* a este ritmo = at this rate.

* a estrenar = brand new.

* a examen = under the microscope.

* a excepción de = barring, except for, excepting, other than, with the exception of, short of.

* a excepción de que = except that.

* a excepción de uno = with one exception.

* a expensas de = at the expense of, at + Nombre's + expense.

* a expensas de otro = at someone else's expense.

* a expensas de otros = at other people's expense.

* a + Expresión Temporal = as of + Expresión Temporal.

* a falta de = for want of, in the absence of, in default of, for lack of, short of.

* a favor = in favour.

* a favor de = in favour of.

* a favor de la decisión personal sobre el aborto = pro-choice.

* a favor de la esclavitud = pro-slavery.

* a favor de la raza negra = pro-black [problack].

* a favor de la vida humana = pro-life.

* a favor y en contra = pro and con.

* a + Fecha = as per + Fecha.

* a finales de = by the end of, at the close of + Expresión Temporal.

* a finales de + Expresión Temporal = as of late + Expresión Temporal, at the end of + Expresión Temporal, by the close of + Expresión Temporal.

* a finales de + Fecha = in the late + Fecha, in late + Fecha.

* a finales de los + Década = late + Década, the.

* a finales del + Siglo = late + Siglo, late period of + Siglo.

* a fin de cuentas = at the end of the day, in the end, in the final count, in the grand scheme of things, when all is said and done, after all is said and done.

* a fondo = fully, thoroughly, full-scale.

* a fondo perdido = non-refundable.

* ¡a freír espárragos! = on your bike!.

* a fuerza de = by dint of.

* a fuerza de cometer errores = the hard way.

* a fuerza de errores = the hard way.

* a gas = gas-powered.

* a gatas = on all fours.

* a grandes rasgos = broadly, rough draft.

* a granel = in bulk.

* a gran escala = large scale [large-scale], massive, on a wide scale, high-volume, wide-scale, on a broad scale, in a big way, on a grand scale.

* a gran velocidad = at great speed.

* a grito limpio = at the top of + Posesivo + voice.

* a grito pelado = at the top of + Posesivo + voice.

* a gritos = vociferously.

* a groso modo = crudely.

* a grosso modo = roughly, rough draft.

* a gusto = at ease, at leisure.

* a gusto de = to the liking of, at the pleasure of.

* a horcajadas = astride.

* a hurtadillas = surreptitiously, by stealth, stealthily, furtively, on the sly.

* a imitación de lo clásico = classicising [classicizing, -USA], classicised [classicized, -USA].

* a iniciativa de = at the initiative of.

* a iniciativas del gobierno = government-led.

* a instancia de = at the urging of.

* a instancias de = at the instigation of, at the behest of, under the auspices of.

* a intervalos = at intervals.

* a intervalos + Adjetivo = at + Adjetivo + intervals.

* a intervalos semanales = at weekly intervals.

* a invitación de = at the invitation of.

* a jabón = soapy [soapier -comp., soapiest -sup.].

* a juicio = on trial.

* a juicio público = in the public eye.

* a juzgar por = to judge by, judging by, judging from.

* a la acuarela = water-coloured [water-colored, -USA].

* a la alcaldía = mayoral.

* a la altura de = of the stature of, equal to.

* a la altura de la cintura = waist high, waist deep.

* a la altura de la rodilla = knee-high.

* a la altura de los hombros = shoulder-high.

* a la anchura de los hombros = shoulder-width.

* a la anochecida = at nightfall.

* a la antigua = old-style.

* a la antigua usanza = old-style.

* a la atención de = c/o (care of).

* a la baja = on the wane.

* a la brasa = grilled.

* a la buena de Dios = out in the cold.

* a la cabeza de = in the forefront of/in.

* a la caída de la noche = at nightfall, at twilight.

* a la caída de la tarde = at twilight.

* a la carta = a la carte.

* a la defensiva = on the defensive.

* a la derecha = at the right.

* a la derecha de = on the right side of, on the right-hand side of.

* a la deriva = rudderless.

* a la discreción de = at the discretion of.

* a la disposición de Alguien = at + Posesivo + disposal.

* a la expectativa de = on the lookout for, on the alert for.

* a la + Expresión Temporal = a + Expresión Temporal.

* a la fuerza = forcefully, of necessity, forcibly, compulsorily.

* a la fuga = on the run, on the lam.

* a la hora de + Infinitivo = when it came to + Gerundio, when it comes to + Gerundio.

* a la hora de la verdad = when push comes to shove, if it comes to the crunch, when it comes to the crunch, when the worst comes to the worst, if the worst comes to the worst, when the crunch comes to the crunch, if the crunch comes to the crunch.

* a la hora del café = at coffee.

* a la intemperie = in the open, exposed.

* a la inversa = mirror-fashion, mirror image, in reverse.

* a la izquierda = at the left.

* a la larga = in the long term, over the long term, in the end, eventually, for the long pull, over a period of time, over the long haul, in the far term, ultimately, by and by.

* a la ligera = lightly.

* a la luz de = in light of, in the light of.

* a la luz de la luna = by moonlight, in the moonlight, moonlit.

* a la luz de las estrellas = by starlight.

* a la luz de las velas = by candlelight, candlelight, candlelit.

* a la luz del día = in the light of day.

* a la luz de una lámpara de gas = by gaslight.

* a la mano de = available at the fingertips of.

* a la misma altura que = in the same league as.

* a la moda = trendy [trendier -comp., trendiest -sup.].

* a la onda = in the know.

* a la opinión pública = in the public eye.

* a la par = in concert, in tandem, neck and neck, in a tandem fashion, in parallel.

* a la par que = in tandem with, hand in hand (with), as the same time as.

* a la parrilla = grilled, on the grill.

* a la perfección = superbly.

* a la plancha = griddled, on the griddle, on the hotplate.

* a largo plazo = in the long term, over the long term, long-range, in the long run, long-term, over the long run, over the long haul, long-run, in the far term, far-term.

* a la salida = on the way out.

* a la sazón = at that time.

* a las doce del mediodía = at high noon.

* a la semana = a week, per week.

* a las mil maravillas = marvellously [marvelously, -USA], famously, like a house on fire.

* a la sombra de = in the shadow of.

* a las puertas de = on the threshold of.

* a la última = hip [hipper -comp., hippest -sup.], on the fast track, hipped.

* a la vanguardia = on the cutting edge, on the leading edge, in the fast lane, on the fast track, at the leading edge, on the bleeding edge.

* a la vanguardia de = in the vanguard of, at the forefront of, in the forefront of/in, at the vanguard of.

* a la velocidad de la luz = at the speed of light.

* a la velocidad del rayo = at the speed of lightning.

* a la velocidad del sonido = at the speed of sound.

* a la venta = on release.

* a la vez = at once, at one time, at similar times, at the same time, concurrently, side-by-side, simultaneously, at the same instant, in parallel, in tandem, at the one time, in a tandem fashion, at a time, in unison.

* a la vez que = hand in hand (with), cum, in conjunction with, in unison with.

* a la vista = in sight, within sight.

* a la vista de = in light of, in the light of.

* a la vuelta de = on the return leg of.

* a la zaga = not far behind, in tow.

* al azar = lucky draw, lucky dip.

* al extremo norte = northernmost.

* al extremo oeste = westernmost.

* al hacer esto = in doing so.

* al norte del estado = upstate.

* a lo extremo = to the extreme.

* a lo grande = in a big way, big time, grandly, on a grand scale.

* a lo hecho, pecho = no use crying over spilt/spilled milk, you've made your bed, now you must lie in it!.

* a lo largo de = along, down, throughout.

* a lo largo de + Expresión Temporal = sometime + Expresión Temporal.

* a lo largo de la historia = over time.

* a lo largo de la ruta = along the way.

* a lo largo del tiempo = longitudinal, longitudinally.

* a lo largo de todo = the entire length of.

* a lo largo y ancho del país = countrywide [country-wide].

* a lo largo y ancho de + Lugar = up and down + Lugar.

* a lo lejos = in the distance.

* a lo loco = helter-skelter, like there's no tomorrow.

* a lo máximo = at best, at most, at the most.

* a lo mejor = perhaps.

* a lo que salga = come what may.

* a los ojos de = in the eyes of.

* a lo sumo = at best, at most, at the most.

* al otro lado del atlántico = across the pond.

* al otro lado del charco = across the pond.

* al otro lado del océano = across the pond.

* a lo zombi = zombielike.

* a mano = by hand, manually, nearby [near-by], handy, within reach, within easy reach.

* a mano alzada = by a show of hands.

* a mano derecha de = on the right side of, on the right-hand side of.

* a manojos = by the handful.

* a manos de = at the hands of.

* a marchas forzadas = in a rush, against the clock.

* a mares = cats and dogs.

* a más largo plazo = longer-term.

* a más..., más... = the + Comparativo..., the + Comparativo....

* a más tardar = at the latest.

* a mata caballo = in a hurry, hurried, hurriedly, helter-skelter.

* a media asta = at half-mast, at half staff.

* a mediados de = in the middle decades of.

* a mediados de + Fecha = in the mid + Fecha.

* a mediados de semana = midweek.

* a media jornada = half-time [half time].

* a media mañana = mid-morning.

* a medianoche = at midnight.

* a medias = half-hearted [halfhearted], qualified.

* a medias entre... y... = betwixt and between.

* a medida = custom, bespoke.

* a medida que + avanzar + el año = as the year + wear on.

* a medida que + avanzar + el día = as the day + wear on.

* a medida que pasaba el tiempo = as time passed (by), as time went by.

* a medida que pasa el tiempo = as time passes (by).

* a medida que pasa + Expresión Temporal = as + Expresión Temporal + go by.

* a medida que + pasar + el año = as the year + wear on.

* a medida que + pasar + el día = as the day + wear on.

* a medida que se necesite = on demand, on request, as required.

* a medida que + transcurrir + el año = as the year + wear on.

* a medida que + transcurrir + el día = as the day + wear on.

* a medio abrir = half-opened.

* a medio camino = halfway [half-way/half way].

* a medio comprender = half-understood.

* a medio formar = half-formed.

* a medio fuego = medium heat.

* a medio hacer = halfway done, half done.

* a medio plazo = medium-term, near-term, in the medium term, in the mid-term, mid-term [midterm].

* a medio rimar = half-rhymed.

* a medio vestir = half dressed.

* a menor escala = at a reduced rate.

* a menos que = unless, short of.

* a menudo = oftentimes [often times], ofttimes [oft-times].

* a merced de = at the mercy of.

* a mí = me.

* a mi entender = to my mind.

* a mi modo de ver = in my books.

* a mi parecer = to my mind, methinks, in my books.

* a mitad de = half way through, halfway through.

* a mitad de camino = halfway [half-way/half way].

* a mitad de camino entre... y... = midway between, half way between... and....

* a mitad de camino entre... y... = astride... and....

* a mitad de precio = at half price.

* a mí también me gustaría tener la misma oportunidad = turnabout is fair play.

* a modo de = by way of, in the vein of, as a kind of.

* a modo de aclaración = in parenthesis, on a sidenote.

* a modo de advertencia = cautionary.

* a modo de ejemplo = by way of illustration.

* a modo de explicación = parenthetically.

* a modo de ilustración = by way of illustration.

* a modo de inciso = in passing, by the way of (a) digression.

* a modo de paréntesis = parenthetical.

* a modo de prólogo = prefatory.

* a modo de resumen = wrap-up.

* a mogollón = aplenty [a-plenty].

* a montón = aplenty [a-plenty].

* a montones = in droves, by the sackful.

* a muchos niveles = many-levelled [many-leveled, -USA].

* a muerte = bitter, bitterly.

* a nadie le importa nada = nobody + gives a damn.

* a nivel de barrio = neighbourhood-based.

* a nivel de calle = on the ground level.

* a nivel de la calle = at ground level.

* a nivel del suelo = at ground level.

* a nivel estatal = statewide [state-wide].

* a nivel federal = federally, federally.

* a nivel individual = privately.

* a nivel local = locally, domestically.

* a nivel multicultural = multi-culturally [multiculturally].

* a nivel mundial = worldwide [world-wide], globally.

* a nivel nacional = nationally, domestically, countrywide [country-wide].

* a nivel privado = privately.

* a nivel regional = regionally.

* a nombre de = payable to.

* a no ser que = unless.

* a nosotros = us.

* a ojo = ocular.

* a ojos vista = before + Posesivo + (own two) eyes.

* a orillas del océano = oceanfront.

* a orillas del río = riverfront.

* a orillas de un lago = lakeside, lakefront, by the lakeside.

* a otro sitio = somewhere else.

* a pares = in pairs.

* a partes iguales = share and share alike, in equal measure(s).

* a partir de = on the basis of, based on, working from, from, on a diet of, in response to.

* a partir de ahora = from now on, from this point on, henceforth, as of now.

* a partir de ahora y durante + Cuantificador + años = for + Cuantificador + years to come.

* a partir de aquí = hereupon.

* a partir de ello = therefrom.

* a partir de entonces = from this time on, hereafter, thereafter, whereafter, from then on, thenceforth, henceforth, from that moment on.

* a partir de ese momento = from that moment on.

* a partir de este momento = hereinafter.

* a partir de esto = on this basis, on that basis.

* a partir de + Fecha = from + Fecha, effective + Fecha.

* a partir de hoy = as from today.

* a partir de la medianoche = late night.

* a partir de los títulos = title-based.

* a paso de tortuga = at a snail's pace.

* a paso ligero = on the double.

* a pasos agigantados = at an exponential rate, at exponential rates, by leaps and bounds.

* a pedir de boca = without a hitch.

* a pequeña escala = in a small way, small scale [small-scale].

* a perpetuidad = in perpetuity.

* a pesar de (que) = albeit (that), despite, in spite of, notwithstanding, although, despite the fact that, in spite of the fact that.

* a pesar de todo = all the same, in spite of everything, despite everything, despite it all, in spite of it all, all this said.

* a pesar de todo + Posesivo + Nombre = for all + Posesivo + Nombre.

* a petición de = at the request of, at the urging of, at the behest of.

* a petición del usuario = on demand, on request.

* a petición popular = by popular demand.

* a pie = on foot, afoot, dismounted.

* a pilas = battery-operated.

* a pique = sinking.

* a placer = at will.

* a plena luz del día = in broad daylight.

* a poca distancia = not far behind.

* a poca distancia andando = within walking distance, within an easy walk.

* a poca distancia a pie = within an easy walk, within walking distance.

* a pocos minutos andando = within walking distance, within easy walking distance, within an easy walk.

* a pocos minutos a pie = within walking distance, within easy walking distance, within an easy walk.

* a porrillo = by the handful.

* a + Posesivo + aire = to + Posesivo + heart's content.

* a + Posesivo + alcance = in the ballpark for + Pronombre, in + Posesivo + ballpark range.

* a + Posesivo + costa = at + Posesivo + expense.

* a + Posesivo + cuidado = in + Posesivo + safekeeping.

* a + Posesivo + discreción = at will, at + Posesivo + discretion.

* a + Posesivo + disposición = at + Posesivo + disposal.

* a + Posesivo + entender = to the best of + Posesivo + belief.

* a + Posesivo + espaldas = behind + Posesivo + back.

* a + Posesivo + expensas = at + Posesivo + expense.

* a + Posesivo + favor = in + Posesivo + favour, to + Posesivo + credit.

* a + Posesivo + juicio = in + Posesivo + estimation.

* a + Posesivo + manera = in + Posesivo + own way.

* a + Posesivo + saber = to the best of + Posesivo + knowledge.

* a + Posesivo + saber y entender = to the best of + Posesivo + knowledge and belief.

* a + Posesivo + servicio = at + Posesivo + service.

* a + Posesivo + sorprender = much to + Posesivo + surprise.

* a + Posesivo + vista = before + Posesivo + (own two) eyes.

* a posteriori = reactive, in retrospect, after-the-fact, hindsight, with hindsight, a posteriori, in hindsight.

* a precio de coste = at cost price, at cost.

* a precio de costo = at cost price, at cost.

* a precio de ganga = at a steal.

* a precio especial = at reduced cost, discounted, cut-rate, cut-price.

* a precio razonable = at reasonable cost(s).

* a precio reducido = at a discount.

* a precios competitivos = competitively priced.

* a precios especiales = at reduced rates, at preferential rates.

* a precios razonables = at affordable prices.

* a presión = pressurised [pressurized, -USA].

* a primera hora de la mañana = first thing in the morning.

* a primera hora de + Período del Día = first thing + Período del Día.

* a primeras horas de la tarde = late afternoon.

* a primera vista = on first acquaintance, at first sight, on first inspection, on the face of it, at first blush, at first glance, on the surface, prima facie, first-blush.

* a primeros de + Fecha = in the early + Fecha.

* a principios de + Fecha = in the early + Fecha.

* a principios de los + Década = early + Década, the.

* a priori = proactive [pro-active], foresight, a priori, on the surface.

* a prisa = quickly.

* a propósito = deliberate, for the record, incidentally, intentionally, by the way, in passing, anecdotally, purposely, by design, on purpose, wilfully [willfully, -USA], on a sidenote, studiously, by the way of (a) digression, by the by(e), speaking of which, designedly.

* a propósito de = apropos of.

* a propósito de nada = for no specific reason, for no particular reason.

* a prueba = on trial.

* a prueba de bombas = ruggedised [ruggedized, -USA], bomb-proof.

* a prueba de conejos = rabbit-proof.

* a prueba de fallos = fail-safe.

* a prueba de incendios = fireproof [fire-proof].

* a prueba de niños = childproof.

* a prueba de robos = theft proof.

* a prueba de tornados = tornado proof.

* a prueba de un tratamiento duro = ruggedised [ruggedized, -USA].

* a prueba de viento = windproof.

* a puerta cerrada = behind closed doors.

* a punta de pistola = at gunpoint.

* a punto de = on the verge of, a heartbeat away from.

* a punto de + Infinitivo = about to + Infinitivo.

* a punto de irse a pique = on the rocks.

* a punto de morir = on + Posesivo + deathbed.

* a puñados = by the sackful, by the handful.

* a quemarropa = point blank.

* a quien madruga, Dios le ayuda = the early bird catches the worm.

* a quienquiera que = whomever.

* a rachas = by fits and starts.

* a ráfagas = in bursts.

* a raíz de = in the wake of.

* a rajatabla = to the letter.

* a ras de = flush with.

* a ras de la calle = ground-floor.

* a ras del suelo = at ground level.

* a rastras = in tow.

* a ratos = intermittently.

* a reacción = jet-assisted.

* a rebosar (de) = jam-packed (with), filled to capacity.

* a regañadientes = grudgingly, grudging, begrudgingly, unwillingly, reluctantly.

* a régimen = on a diet.

* a remolque = in tow.

* a reventar (de) = jam-packed (with), filled to capacity.

* a saber = namely, viz, to wit.

* a sabiendas = knowing, knowingly, wilfully [willfully, -USA].

* a sabiendas de que = on the understanding that.

* a sacudidas = jerkily.

* a saltitos = jerky [jerkier -comp., jerkiest -sup.].

* a salvo = in a safe place, in safekeeping, out of harm's way.

* a sangre fría = cold-blooded.

* a ser posible = if possible.

* a simple vista = by the naked eye, superficially, on first thought.

* a solas = all by + Reflexivo, by + Reflexivo.

* a su debido tiempo = in due course, timely, in due time.

* a sueldo = paid.

* a su precio normal = at full price.

* a su propio ritmo = at an individual pace.

* a su tiempo = in a timely fashion, in due course, in a timely manner.

* a su vez = Verbo + further, in turn, in its/their turn.

* a tal efecto = to this effect.

* a tales efectos = hereto.

* a tarifa reducida = at reduced cost.

* a tarifas especiales = at reduced rates, at preferential rates.

* a temperatura ambiente = at room temperature.

* a tener en cuenta en el futuro = for future reference.

* a tenor de = in light of, in the face of, in the light of, in view of.

* a ti = you, thee.

* a tiempo = in timely fashion, on time, promptly, timely, just in time, in time.

* a tiempo completo = full-time.

* a tiempo parcial = part-time.

* a tientas = in the dark.

* a tientas y a ciegas = blindly, in the dark.

* a ti mismo = yourself, thyself.

* a tiro = within gunshot, within range.

* a tirones = jerky [jerkier -comp., jerkiest -sup.].

* a título de = by way of, for the sake of.

* a título gratuito = gratuitous.

* a título personal = in a personal capacity, in a private capacity.

* a toda costa = absolutely, at all costs, come what may, at any cost, at any price.

* a toda máquina = in the fast lane, fast lane, full steam ahead, at full tilt, full-tilt, full-throttle, at full throttle, at top speed, at full blast, at full speed.

* a toda marcha = at full throttle, at top speed, at full blast, at full speed, at full stretch.

* a toda mecha = at a rate of knots, full steam ahead, at full blast, at full throttle, at top speed, at full speed, at full stretch.

* a toda pasta = at a rate of knots.

* a toda pastilla = in the fast lane, on the fast track, fast lane, overdrive, full steam ahead, full-tilt, at full tilt, full-throttle, at full throttle, at a rate of knots, at top speed, at full blast, at full speed.

* a toda prueba = unswerving.

* a todas horas = at all hours, around the clock.

* a todas luces = patently.

* a todas partes = far and wide.

* a toda velocidad = full-tilt, at full tilt, full-throttle, at full throttle, at top speed, at full blast, at full speed.

* a todo alrededor = all round.

* a todo color = full-colour, in full colour.

* a todo gas = full steam ahead, full-tilt, at full tilt, full-throttle, at full throttle, at top speed, at full blast, at full speed, at full stretch.

* a todo lo largo de = the length of.

* a todo meter = full steam ahead, at full stretch, at full speed, at full blast, at top speed, at full throttle.

* a todo ritmo = in full swing, in full force, in full gear.

* a todos lados = far and wide.

* a todos los efectos = to all intents and purposes, to all intents, for all practical purposes, for all intents and purposes.

* a todos los niveles = at all levels.

* a todos nosotros = us all.

* a todos por igual = one size fits all.

* a todo vapor = full steam ahead, full-tilt, at full tilt, full-throttle, at full throttle, at top speed, at full blast, at full speed, at full stretch.

* a todo volumen = at full blast.

* a tontas y a ciegas = headlong, runaway.

* a tontas y locas = like there's no tomorrow, without rhyme or reason.

* a tope = packed to capacity, in the fast lane, fast lane, choc-a-block, chock-full, in full swing, in full gear, packed to the rafters.

* a trancas y barrancas = with great difficulty, by fits and starts.

* a través de = by way of, in the form of, through, via, out of, through the agency of.

* a través de Internet = Internet-based, Web-based, Web-supported.

* a través de la historia = over time.

* a través de la TI = IT-enabled.

* a través de la web = Web-based, Web-supported.

* a través de los años = over the years, down the years.

* a través de los ojos de = through the eyes of.

* a través de los siglos = over the centuries.

* a través del teléfono = call-in.

* a través del tiempo = over time.

* a través de operador = operator-assisted.

* a tres bandas = three pronged.

* a tres niveles = three-tiered.

* a troche y moche = like there's no tomorrow.

* a trompicones = by fits and starts.

* a tropezones = falteringly, hesitantly, haltingly, jerkily.

* a trozos = piecewise.

* ¡A tu salud! = Here's to you!.

* a última hora = at the last minute, at the eleventh hour, last minute [last-minute], at the very last minute, at the very last moment, at the very last.

* a últimas horas de la tarde = late evening.

[b]* a últ

* * *

a femenino (pl aes) ( read as [a]) the letter A, a

* * *

* * *

La preposición a suele emplearse precedida de ciertos verbos como empezar, ir, oler, sonar etc, en cuyo caso ver bajo el respectivo verbo.

No se traduce cuando introduce el complemento directo de persona (ser humano, pronombres personales que lo representan como quien, alguien, etc) o un nombre con un objeto o animal personalizado: amo a mi patria = I love my country, pasear al perro = to walk the dog.

En los casos en que precede al artículo definido el para formar la contracción al, ver bajo la siguiente entrada, donde también se encontrarán otros ejemplos y usos de a.

A (en relaciones de espacio, lugar)

1 (indicando dirección) to

voy a México/a la fiesta I'm going to Mexico/to the party

voy a casa I'm going home

dobla a la derecha turn right

se cayó al río she fell into the river

ver tb entrar, llegar, etc

2 (indicando posición) at

estaban sentados a la mesa they were sitting at the table

a orillas del Ebro on the banks of the Ebro

se sentó al sol he sat in the sun

se sentó a mi derecha he sat down to the right of me o on my right

a la vuelta de la esquina around the corner

queda al norte de Toledo it's (to the) north of Toledo

ver tb costado, lado

(indicando distancia): está a diez kilómetros de aquí it's ten kilometers from here, it's ten kilometers away

está a unos 20 minutos de aquí it takes o it's about 20 minutes from here, it's a 20 minute drive ( o walk etc) from here

B (en relaciones de tiempo)

1 (señalando hora, momento, fecha) at

abren a las ocho they open at eight o'clock

¿a qué hora vengo? what time shall I come?

a eso de las dos at around o about two o'clock

a la hora del almuerzo at lunchtime

a mediados de abril in mid-April

hoy estamos a 20 it's the 20th today

al día siguiente the next o following day

empezó a hablar a los diez meses he started talking when he was ten months old o at ten months

llegó a la mañana/noche ( RPl); he arrived in the morning/at night

2 al + INF:

se cayó al bajar del autobús she fell as she was getting off the bus

al verlo me di cuenta de que ya no lo quería when I saw him o on seeing him, I realized that I no longer loved him

al salir de la estación torcí a la izquierda I turned left out of the station

(indicando distancia en el tiempo): a escasos minutos de su llegada (después) just a few minutes after she arrived; (antes) just a few minutes before she arrived

trabajan de lunes a viernes/de una a cinco they work (from) Monday to Friday/from one to five

a los diez minutos del primer tiempo ten minutes into the first half o after ten minutes of the first half

estaré en París de martes a jueves I'll be in Paris from Tuesday until Thursday, I'll be in Paris Tuesday through Thursday ( AmE)

(en relaciones de proporción, equivalencia): tres veces al día/a la semana three times a day/a week

sale a 2.000 euros por cabeza it works out at 2,000 euros per person

iban a 100 kilómetros por hora they were going (at) 100 kilometers per hour

nos ganaron cinco a tres they beat us by five points to three, they beat us five three o ( AmE) five to three

(indicando modo, estilo): fuimos a pie/a caballo we walked/rode, we went on foot/on horseback

pollo al horno/a la brasa roast/barbecued chicken

un peinado a lo Rodolfo Valentino a Rudolph Valentino hairstyle

a crédito on credit

ilustraciones a todo color full-color illustrations

una tela a rayas a piece of striped material

E (en complementos verbales)

(introduciendo el complemento directo de persona): ¿viste a José? did you see José?

la policía está buscando al asesino the police are looking for the murderer

no he leído a Freud I haven't read (any) Freud

[ the personal a is only used when a specific person or persons are involved

busca una secretaria bilingüe he's looking for a bilingual secretary

]

(introduciendo el complemento indirecto): le escribió una carta a su padre he wrote a letter to his father, he wrote his father a letter

dáselo/dáselos a ella give it/them to her

les enseña inglés a mis hijos she teaches my children English

suave al tacto soft to the touch

agradable al oído pleasing to the ear

(indicando procedencia): se lo compré a una gitana I bought it from o ( colloq) off a gipsy

1 (en complementos de finalidad) to

enséñale a nadar teach him to swim

fue a preguntar he went to ask

los instó a que participaran he urged them to take part

voy a ir a que me hagan un chequeo I'm going to go and have a checkup

2 ( fam)

(para): ¿a qué tanta ceremonia? what's all the fuss for?

¿a qué le fuiste a decir eso? what did you go and tell him that for?

a por ( Esp fam): bajo a por pan I'm going down to get some bread o for some bread ( colloq)

¿quién va a ir a por los niños? who's going to fetch o get the children?

¡a por ello! go for it!

G (señalando una acción que ha de realizarse) a + INF:

los puntos a tratar en la reunión de mañana the points to be discussed at tomorrow's meeting

es una idea a tener en cuenta it's an idea to bear in mind o that should be borne in mind

total a pagar total payable

horario a convenir hours to be arranged

(en órdenes): ¡a la cama, niños! off to bed, children!

¡a callar! shut up! ( colloq)

vamos ¡a trabajar! come on, let's get some work done!

2 (con valor condicional) a + INF:

a decir verdad to tell you the truth

a juzgar por lo que tú dices judging from what you say

3 ( fam)

(en cuanto a): a tozudo no hay quien le gane when it comes to being stubborn there's nobody like him

(indicando causa): a petición del interesado ( frml); at the request of the interested party

al no saber idiomas está en desventaja as he doesn't speak any languages he is at a disadvantage, he's at a disadvantage not speaking any languages

(expresando desafío): ¿a que no sabes qué nota me puso? you'll never guess what mark she gave me!

tú no te atreverías — ¿a que sí? you wouldn't dare — do you want to o a bet? ( colloq)

¡a que no puedes! bet you can't! ( colloq)

* * *

◊ a sustantivo femenino (pl aes) (read as /a/) the letter A, a

a) ( indicando dirección) to;

◊ voy a México/la tienda I'm going to Mexico/to the shop;

b) ( indicando posición):

◊ estaban sentados a la mesa they were sitting at the table;

c) ( indicando distancia):

◊ a diez kilómetros de aquí ten kilometers from here

a) (señalando hora, momento) at;

◊ a las ocho at eight o'clock;

b) ( señalando fecha):

◊ hoy estamos a lunes/a 20 today is Monday/it's the 20th today

c) al + inf:

◊ se cayó al bajar del tren she fell as she was getting off the train;

d) ( indicando distancia en el tiempo):

◊ a escasos minutos de su llegada ( después) a few minutes after she arrived;

◊ de lunes a viernes (from) Monday to Friday

◊ tres veces al día three times a day;

◊ a pie/a caballo on foot/on horseback;

a) ( introduciendo el complemento directo de persona):

◊ ¿viste a José? did you see José?;

b) ( introduciendo el complemento indirecto) to;

◊ le escribió una carta a su padre he wrote a letter to his father, he wrote his father a letter;

c) ( indicando procedencia):

◊ se lo compré a una gitana I bought it from o (colloq) off a gipsy

* * *

1. (abrev de autopista) Br M, US freeway

2. (abrev de alfil) [en notación de ajedrez] B

A, a [a] nf

si por a o por be… if for any reason…

* * *

1 dirección to;

al este de to the east of;

a casa home;

ir a la cama/al cine go to bed/to the movies;

¡a trabajar! get to work!;

vamos a Buenos Aires we’re going to Buenos Aires;

voy a casa de Marta I’m going to Marta’s (house)

2 situación at;

a la mesa at the table;

al lado de next to;

a la derecha on the right;

al sol in the sun;

a treinta kilómetros de Cuzco thirty kilometers from Cuzco;

está a cinco kilómetros it’s five kilometers away

3 tiempo

¿a qué hora llegas? what time do you arrive?;

a las tres at three o’clock;

de once a doce from eleven (o’clock) to twelve;

estamos a quince de febrero it’s February fifteenth;

a los treinta años at the age of thirty;

a la llegada del tren when the train arrives

4 modo

a la española the Spanish way;

a mano by hand;

a pie on foot;

a 50 kilómetros por hora at fifty kilometers an hour

5 precio

¿a cómo o

cuánto está? how much is it?;

están a dos pesos el kilo they are two pesos a kilo

6 objeto indirecto

dáselo a tu hermano give it to your brother

7 objeto directo

vi a mi padre I saw my father

8 en perífrasis verbal

empezar a begin to;

jugar a las cartas play cards;

decidirse a hacer algo decide to do sth;

voy a comprarlo I’m going to buy it;

a decir verdad to tell the truth

9 para introducir pregunta

¿a que no lo sabes? I bet you don’t know;

a ver OK, right;

a ver lo que pasa ahora let’s see what happens now

abr (= alias) aka (= also known as)

* * *

a nf

: first letter of the Spanish alphabet

a prep

1) : to

nos vamos a México: we're going to Mexico

2) (used before direct or indirect objects referring to persons)

¿llamaste a tu papá?: did you call your dad?

como a usted le guste: as you wish

3) : in the manner of

papas a la francesa: french fries

4) : on, by means of

a pie: on foot

5) : per, each

tres pastillas al día: three pills per day

6) (with infinitive)

enséñales a leer: teach them to read

problemas a resolver: problems to be solved

* * *

a prep

1. (dirección) to

2. (posición) at

3. (distancia) away

4. (tiempo) at

5. (distribución, cantidad, medida, precio) a / at

8. (complemento indirecto en general) to

9. (para) for

10. (de) from

ἀπό (Hom.+) prep. w. gen. (see the lit. on ἀνά, beg., also for ἀπό: KDieterich, IndogF 24, 1909, 93–158; LfgrE s.v.). Basic sense ‘separation from’ someone or someth., fr. which the other uses have developed. In the NT it has encroached on the domain of Att. ἐκ, ὑπό, παρά, and the gen. of separation; s. Mlt. 102; 246; Mlt-Turner 258f.

① a marker to indicate separation from a place, whether person or thing, from, away from

ⓐ w. all verbs denoting motion, esp. those compounded w. ἀπό: ἀπάγεσθαι, ἀπαλλάσσεσθαι, ἀπελαύνειν, ἀπέρχεσθαι, ἀπολύεσθαι, ἀποπλανᾶσθαι, ἀποστέλλειν, ἀποφεύγειν, ἀποχωρεῖν, ἀποχωρίζεσθαι; but also w. ἀνίστασθαι, διαστῆναι, διέρχεσθαι, ἐκδημεῖν, ἐκκινεῖν, ἐκπλεῖν, ἐκπορεύεσθαι, ἐξέρχεσθαι, ἐξωθεῖν, ἐπιδιδόναι, μεταβαίνειν, μετατίθεσθαι, νοσφίζειν, παραγίνεσθαι, πλανᾶσθαι, πορεύεσθαι, ὑπάγειν, ὑποστρέφειν, φεύγειν; s. the entries in question.

ⓑ w. all verbs expressing the idea of separation ἐκβάλλειν τὸ κάρφος ἀ. τοῦ ὀφθαλμοῦ remove the splinter fr. the eye Mt 7:4 v.l. (for ἐκ). ἐξέβαλον ἀπὸ τῆς πήρας αὐτῶν δῶρα they set forth gifts out of their travel bags GJs 21:3. ἀπολύεσθαι ἀ. ἀνδρός be divorced fr. her husband Lk 16:18, cp. Ac 15:33. ἀποκυλίειν, ἀπολαμβάνεσθαι, ἀποστρέφειν, ἐπιστρέφεσθαι, ἐπανάγειν, αἴρειν, ἀφαιρεῖν, ἀπολέσθαι, μερίζειν et al., s. the pertinent entries. So also κενὸς ἀ. τινος Hs 9, 19, 2. ἔρημος ἀ. τινος (Jer 51:2) 2 Cl 2:3. W. verbs which express the concept of separation in the wider sense, like loose, free, acquit et al. ἀπορφανίζειν, ἀποσπᾶν, διεγείρεσθαι, δικαιοῦν, ἐκδικοῦν, ἐλευθεροῦν, λούειν, λύειν, λυτροῦν, ῥαντίζειν, σαλεύειν, στέλλειν, σῴζειν, φθείρειν, s. the entries; hence also ἀθῷος (Sus 46 Theod. v.l.) Mt 27:24. καθαρὸς ἀ. τινος (Tob 3:14; but s. Dssm. NB 24 [BS 196; 216]) Ac 20:26; cp. Kuhring 54.

ⓒ verbs meaning be on guard, be ashamed, etc., take ἀπό to express the occasion or object of their caution, shame, or fear; so αἰσχύνεσθαι, βλέπειν, μετανοεῖν, προσέχειν, φοβεῖσθαι, φυλάσσειν, φυλάσσεσθαι; s. 5 below.

ⓓ w. verbs of concealing, hiding, hindering, the pers. from whom someth. is concealed is found w. ἀπό; so κρύπτειν τι ἀπό τινος, παρακαλύπτειν τι ἀπό τινος, κωλύειν τι ἀπό τινος; s. the entries.

ⓔ in pregnant constr. like ἀνάθεμα εἶναι ἀ. τοῦ Χριστοῦ be separated fr. Christ by a curse Ro 9:3. μετανοεῖν ἀ. τ. κακίας (Jer 8:6) Ac 8:22. ἀποθνῄσκειν ἀ. τινος through death become free from Col 2:20. φθείρεσθαι ἀ. τ. ἁπλότητος be ruinously diverted from wholehearted commitment 2 Cor 11:3. Cp. Hs 6, 2, 4.

ⓕ as a substitute for the partitive gen. (Hdt. 6, 27, 2; Thu. 7, 87, 6; PPetr III, 11, 20; PIand 8, 6; Kuhring 20; Rossberg 22; Johannessohn, Präp. 17) τίνα ἀ. τῶν δύο; Mt 27:21, cp. Lk 9:38; 19:39 (like PTebt 299, 13; 1 Macc 1:13; 3:24; Sir 6:6; 46:8). τὰ ἀ. τοῦ πλοίου pieces of the ship Ac 27:44. ἐκχεῶ ἀ. τοῦ πνεύματός μου Ac 2:17f (Jo 3:1f). λαμβάνειν ἀ. τ. καρπῶν get a share of the vintage Mk 12:2 (cp. Just., A I, 65, 5 μεταλαβεῖν ἀπὸ τοῦ … ἄρτου).—Of foods (as in Da 1:13, 4:33a; 2 Macc 7:1) ἐσθίειν ἀ. τ. ψιχίων eat some of the crumbs Mt 15:27; Mk 7:28. χορτάζεσθαι ἀ. τινος eat one’s fill of someth. Lk 16:21. αἴρειν ἀ. τῶν ἰχθύων pick up the remnants of the fish Mk 6:43. ἐνέγκατε ἀ. τ. ὀψαρίων bring some of the fish J 21:10 (the only instance of this usage in J; s. M-EBoismard, Le chapitre 21 de Saint Jean: RB 54 [’47] 492).—Of drink (cp. Sir 26:12) πίνειν ἀπὸ τ. γενήματος τῆς ἀμπέλου drink the product of the vine Lk 22:18.

② to indicate the point from which someth. begins, whether lit. or fig.

ⓐ of place from, out from (Just., D. 86, 1 ἀπὸ τῆς πέτρας ὕδωρ ἀναβλύσαν ‘gushing out of the rock’) σημεῖον ἀ. τ. οὐρανοῦ a sign fr. heaven Mk 8:11. ἀ. πόλεως εἰς πόλιν from one city to another Mt 23:34. ἀπʼ ἄκρων οὐρανῶν ἕως ἄκρων αὐτῶν (Dt 30:4; Ps 18:7) from one end of heaven to the other 24:31, cp. Mk 13:27. ἀπʼ ἄνωθεν ἕως κάτω from top to bottom Mt 27:51. ἀρξάμενοι ἀ. Ἰερουσαλήμ beginning in Jerusalem Lk 24:47 (s. also Lk 23:5; Ac 1:22; 10:37). ἀφʼ ὑμῶν ἐξήχηται ὁ λόγος τ. κυρίου the word of the Lord has gone out from you and sounded forth 1 Th 1:8. ἀπὸ βορρᾶ, ἀπὸ νότου in the north, in the south (PCairGoodsp 6, 5 [129 B.C.] ἐν τῷ ἀπὸ νότου πεδίῳ; Mitt-Wilck. I/2, 11A col. 1, 12f [123 B.C.] τὸ ἀπὸ νότου τῆς πόλεως χῶμα; ln. 7 ἀπὸ βορρᾶ τῆς πόλεως; 70, 16 al.; Josh 18:5; 19:34; 1 Km 14:5) Rv 21:13.

ⓑ of time from … (on), since (POxy 523, 4; Mel., HE 4, 26, 8; s. Kuhring 54ff).

α. ἀ. τῶν ἡμερῶν Ἰωάννου from the days of John Mt 11:12. ἀ. τῆς ὥρας ἐκείνης 9:22. ἀπʼ ἐκείνης τ. ἡμέρας (Jos., Bell. 4, 318, Ant. 7, 382) Mt 22:46; J 11:53. ἔτη ἑπτὰ ἀ. τῆς παρθενίας αὐτῆς for seven years fr. the time she was a virgin Lk 2:36. ἀ. ἐτῶν δώδεκα for 12 years 8:43. ἀ. τρίτης ὥρας τῆς νυκτός Ac 23:23. ἀ. κτίσεως κόσμου Ro 1:20. ἀ. πέρυσι since last year, a year ago 2 Cor 8:10; 9:2.—ἀπʼ αἰῶνος, ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς, ἀπʼ ἄρτι (also ἀπαρτί and ἄρτι), ἀπὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου, ἀπὸ τότε, ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν; s. the pertinent entries.

β. w. the limits defined, forward and backward: ἀπὸ … ἕως (Jos., Ant. 6, 364) Mt 27:45. ἀπὸ … ἄχρι Phil 1:5. ἀπὸ … μέχρι Ac 10:30; Ro 5:14; 15:19.

γ. ἀφʼ ἧς (sc. ὥρας or ἡμέρας, which is found Col 1:6, 9; but ἀφʼ ἧς became a fixed formula: ParJer 7:28; Plut., Pelop. [285] 15, 5; s. B-D-F §241, 2) since Lk 7:45 (Renehan ’75, 36f); Ac 24:11; 2 Pt 3:4 (cp. X., Hell. 4, 6, 6; 1 Macc 1:11). ἀφʼ οὗ (sc.—as in X., Cyr. 1, 2, 13—χρόνου; Att. ins in Meisterhans.³-Schw. and s. Witkowski, index 163; ἀφʼ οὗ is also a formula) since, when once (X., Symp. 4, 62; Demetr.: 722 Fgm. 1, 16 Jac.; Lucian, Dial. Mar. 15, 1; Ex 5:23 GrBar 3:6) Lk 13:25; 24:21; Rv 16:18 (cp. Da 12:1; 1 Macc 9:29; 16:24; 2 Macc 1:7; TestAbr B 13 p. 117, 23; GrBar; Jos., Ant. 4, 78). τρία ἔτη ἀφʼ οὗ (cp. Tob 5:35 S) Lk 13:7. ἀφότε s. ὅτε 1aγ end.

ⓒ the beg. of a series from … (on).

α. ἀρξάμενος ἀ. Μωϋσέως καὶ ἀ. πάντων τ. προφητῶν beginning w. Moses and all the prophets Lk 24:27. ἕβδομος ἀ. Ἀδάμ Jd 14 (Diod S 1, 50, 3 ὄγδοος ὁ ἀπὸ τοῦ πατρός [ancestor]; Appian, Mithrid. 9 §29 τὸν ἕκτον ἀπὸ τοῦ πρώτου Μιθριδάτην; Arrian, Anab. 7, 12, 4; Diog. L. 3, 1: Plato in the line of descent was ἕκτος ἀπὸ Σόλωνος; Biogr. p. 31: Homer δέκατος ἀπὸ Μουσαίου). ἀ. διετοῦς καὶ κατωτέρω Mt 2:16 (cp. Num 1:20; 2 Esdr 3:8).

β. w. both beg. and end given ἀπὸ … ἕως (Sir 18:26; 1 Macc 9:13) Mt 1:17; 23:35; Ac 8:10. Sim., ἀ. δόξης εἰς δόξαν fr. glory to glory 2 Cor 3:18.

③ to indicate origin or source, from

ⓐ lit., with verbs of motion

α. down from πίπτειν ἀ. τραπέζης Mt 15:27. καθεῖλεν δυνάστας ἀ. θρόνων God has dethroned rulers Lk 1:52.

β. from ἔρχεσθαι ἀ. θεοῦ J 3:2; cp. 13:3; 16:30. παραγίνεται ἀ. τῆς Γαλιλαίας Mt 3:13; ἀ. ἀνατολῶν ἥξουσιν 8:11 (Is 49:12; 59:19); ἀ. τοῦ ἱεροῦ ἐπορεύετο 24:1; ἀ. Παμφυλίας Ac 15:38. ἐγείρεσθαι ἀ. τ. νεκρῶν be raised from the dead Mt 14:2.

ⓑ lit., to indicate someone’s local origin from (Hom. et al.; Soph., El. 701; Hdt. 8, 114; ins [RevArch 4 sér. IV 1904 p. 9 ἀπὸ Θεσσαλονίκης]; pap [HBraunert, Binnenwanderung ’64, 384, s.v.; PFlor 14, 2; 15, 5; 17, 4; 22, 13 al.]; Judg 12:8; 13:2; 17:1 [all three acc. to B]; 2 Km 23:20 al.; Jos., Bell. 3, 422, Vi. 217; Just., A I, 1 τῶν ἀπὸ Φλαουί̈ας Νέας πόλεως; s. B-D-F §209, 3; Rob. 578) ἦν ἀ. Βηθσαϊδά he was from B. J 1:44; cp. 12:21. ὄχλοι ἀ. τῆς Γαλιλαίας crowds fr. Galilee Mt 4:25. ἄνδρες ἀ. παντὸς ἔθνους Ac 2:5. ἀνὴρ ἀ. τοῦ ὄχλου a man fr. the crowd Lk 9:38. ὁ προφήτης ὁ ἀ. Ναζαρέθ Mt 21:11. οἱ ἀ. Κιλικίας the Cilicians Ac 6:9. οἱ ἀδελφοὶ οἱ ἀ. Ἰόππης 10:23 (Musaeus 153 παρθένος ἀπʼ Ἀρκαδίας; Just., A I, 58, 1 Μακρίωνα … τὸν ἀπὸ Πόντου). οἱ ἀ. Θεσσαλονίκης Ἰουδαῖοι 17:13. οἱ ἀ. τῆς Ἰταλίας the Italians Hb 13:24, who could be inside as well as outside Italy (cp. Dssm., Her. 33, 1898, 344, LO 167, 1 [LAE 200, 3]; Mlt. 237; B-D-F §437).—Rather denoting close association οἱ ἀ. τῆς ἐκκλησίας members of the church Ac 12:1; likew. 15:5 (cp. Plut., Cato Min. 4, 2 οἱ ἀπὸ τ. στοᾶς φιλόσοφοι; Ps.-Demetr. c. 68 οἱ ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ=his [Isocrates’] pupils; Synes., Ep. 4 p. 162b; 66 p. 206c; PTebt 33, 3 [112 B.C.], Ῥωμαῖος τῶν ἀπὸ συγκλήτου; Ar. 15, 1 Χριστιανοὶ γενεαλογοῦνται ἀπὸ … Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ; Ath.).—To indicate origin in the sense of material fr. which someth. is made (Hdt. 7, 65; Theocr. 15, 117; IPriene 117, 72 ἀπὸ χρυσοῦ; 1 Esdr 8:56; Sir 43:20 v.l.) ἔνδυμα ἀ. τριχῶν καμήλου clothing made of camel’s hair Mt 3:4.

ⓒ fig., w. verbs of asking, desiring, to denote the pers. of or from whom a thing is asked (Ar. 11, 3): δανίσασθαι ἀπό τινος borrow fr. someone Mt 5:42. ἐκζητεῖν ἀ. τῆς γενεᾶς ταύτης Lk 11:51. ἀπαιτεῖν τι ἀπό τινος Lk 12:20. ζητεῖν τι ἀπό τινος 1 Th 2:6. λαμβάνειν τι ἀπό τινος Mt 17:25f; 3J 7.

ⓓ fig., w. verbs of perceiving, to indicate source of the perception (Lysias, Andoc. 6; Ps.-Aristot., De Mundo 6, 399b ἀπʼ αὐτῶν τῶν ἔργων θεωρεῖται ὁ θεός; Appian, Liby. 104 §493 ἀπὸ τῆς σφραγῖδος=[recognize a corpse] by the seal-ring; Demetr.: 722 Fgm. 2, 1 στοχάζεσθαι ἀπὸ τῶν ὀνομάτων; Just., D. 60, 1 τοῦτο νοοῦμεν ἀπὸ τῶν λόγων τῶν προλελεγμένων; 100, 2 ἀπὸ τῶν γραφῶν): ἀ. τῶν καρπῶν αὐτῶν ἐπιγνώσεσθε αὐτούς by their fruits you will know them Mt 7:16, 20. μανθάνειν παραβολὴν ἀ. τῆς συκῆς learn a lesson from the fig tree 24:32; Mk 13:28. ἀπὸ τῶν σπερμάτων μὴ ποιεῖσθαι τὴν παραβολήν if we are not to derive our parable solely from reference to seeds (cp. 1 Cor 15:37) AcPlCor 2:28.—Also μανθάνειν τι ἀπό τινος learn someth. fr. someone Gal 3:2; Col 1:7.

ⓔ γράψαι ἀφʼ ὧν ἠδυνήθην, lit., write from what I was able, i.e. as well as I could B 21:9 (cp. Tat. 12, 5 οὐκ ἀπὸ γλώττης οὐδὲ ἀπὸ τῶν εἰκότων οὐδὲ ἀπʼ ἐννοιῶν etc.).

④ to indicate distance fr. a point, away from, for μακρὰν ἀ. τινος far fr. someone, ἀπὸ μακρόθεν fr. a great distance s. μακράν, μακρόθεν. ἀπέχειν ἀπό τινος s. ἀπέχω 4. W. detailed measurements (corresp. to Lat. ‘a’, s. B-D-F §161, 1; Rob. 575; WSchulze, Graeca Latina 1901, 15ff; Hdb. on J 11:18; Appian, Bell. Civ. 3, 12 §42; CB I/2, 390 no. 248) ἦν Βηθανία ἐγγὺς τῶν Ἱεροσολύμων ὡς ἀπὸ σταδίων δεκατέντε Bethany was near Jerusalem, about 15 stades (less than 3 km.) away J 11:18. ὡς ἀπὸ πηχῶν διακοσίων about 200 cubits (c. 90 meters) 21:8. ἀπὸ σταδίων χιλίων ἑξακοσίων about 1600 stades (c. 320 km.) Rv 14:20; cp. Hv 4, 1, 5 (for other examples of this usage, s. Rydbeck 68).—Hebraistically ἀπὸ προσώπου τινός (Gen 16:6; Jer 4:26; Jdth 2:14; Sir 21:2; 1 Macc 5:34; En 103:4; Just., A I, 37, 1 ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ πατρὸς ἐλέχθησαν διὰ Ἠσαίου … οἵδε οἱ λόγοι ‘in the name of the father … through Isaiah’; 38, 1 al.)=מִפְּנֵי פ׳ ( away) from the presence of someone 2 Th 1:9 (Is 2:10, 19, 21); Rv 12:14 (B-D-F §140; 217, 1; Mlt-H. 466).

⑤ to indicate cause, means, or outcome

ⓐ gener., to show the reason for someth. because of, as a result of, for (numerous ref. in FBleek on Hb 5:7; PFay 111, 4; POxy 3314, 7 [from falling off a horse]; Jdth 2:20; 4 [6] Esdr [POxy 1010]; AscIs 3:13; Jos., Ant. 9, 56) οὐκ ἠδύνατο ἀ. τοῦ ὄχλου he could not because of the crowd Lk 19:3; cp. Mk 2:4 D. οὐκ ἐνέβλεπον ἀπὸ τῆς δόξης τοῦ φωτός I could not see because of the brilliance of the light Ac 22:11. ἀ. τοῦ πλήθους τ. ἰχθύων J 21:6 (M-EBoismard, ad loc.: s. 1f end). ἀ. τοῦ ὕδατος for the water Hs 8, 2, 8. ἀ. τῆς θλίψεως because of the persecution Ac 11:19. οὐαὶ τῷ κόσμῳ ἀ. τ. σκανδάλων Mt 18:7 (s. B-D-F §176, 1; Mlt. 246). εἰσακουσθεὶς ἀ. τῆς εὐλαβείας heard because of his piety Hb 5:7 (but the text may be corrupt; at any rate it is obscure and variously interpr.; besides the comm. s. KRomaniuk, Die Gottesfürchtigen im NT: Aegyptus 44, ’64, 84; B-D-F §211; Rob. 580; s. on εὐλάβεια).

ⓑ to indicate means with the help of, with (Hdt. et al.; Ael. Aristid. 37, 23 K.=2 p. 25 D.; PGM 4, 2128f σφράγιζε ἀπὸ ῥύπου=seal with dirt; En 97:8) γεμίσαι τὴν κοιλίαν ἀ. τ. κερατίων fill one’s stomach w. the husks Lk 15:16 v.l. (s. ἐκ 4aζ; cp. Pr 18:20). οἱ πλουτήσαντες ἀπʼ αὐτῆς Rv 18:15 (cp. Sir 11:18).

ⓒ to indicate motive or reason for, from, with (Appian, Bell. Civ. 5, 13 §52 ἀπʼ εὐνοίας=with goodwill; 1 Macc 6:10; pap exx. in Kuhring 35) κοιμᾶσθαι ἀ. τῆς λύπης sleep from sorrow Lk 22:45. ἀ. τῆς χαρᾶς αὐτοῦ Mt 13:44; cp. Lk 24:41; Ac 12:14. ἀ. τοῦ φόβου κράζειν Mt 14:26, ἀ. φόβου καὶ προσδοκίας with fear and expectation Lk 21:26. Hence verbs of fearing, etc., take ἀ. to show the cause of the fear (s. above 1c) μὴ φοβεῖσθαι ἀ. τ. ἀποκτεννόντων τὸ σῶμα not be afraid of those who kill only the body Mt 10:28; Lk 12:4 (cp. Jdth 5:23; 1 Macc 2:62; 3:22; 8:12; En 106:4).

ⓓ to indicate the originator of the action denoted by the verb from (Trag., Hdt. et al.) ἀ. σοῦ σημεῖον ἰδεῖν Mt 12:38. γινώσκειν ἀπό τινος learn fr. someone Mk 15:45. ἀκούειν ἀ. τοῦ στόματός τινος hear fr. someone’s mouth, i.e. fr. him personally Lk 22:71 (Dionys. Hal. 3, 8 ἀ. στόματος ἤκουσεν); cp. Ac 9:13; 1J 1:5. τὴν ἀ. σοῦ ἐπαγγελίαν a promise given by you Ac 23:21 (cp. Ath. 2, 3 ταῖς ἀπὸ τῶν κατηγόρων αἰτίαις ‘the charges made by the accusers’). ἀφʼ ἑνὸς ἐγενήθησαν Hb 11:12. Prob. παραλαμβάνειν ἀ. τοῦ κυρίου 1 Cor 11:23 is to be understood in the same way: Paul is convinced that he is taught by the Lord himself (for direct teaching s. EBröse, Die Präp. ἀπό 1 Cor 11:23: StKr 71, 1898, 351–60; Dssm.; BWeiss; Ltzm.; H-DWendland. But for indirect communication: Zahn et al.). παραλαβὼν ἀπὸ τῶν θυγατέρων Φιλίππου, ὅτι Papias (11:2); opp. παρειληφέναι ὑπὸ τῶν θ. Φ. (2:9).—Of the more remote cause ἀπʼ ἀνθρώπων from human beings (as opposed to transcendent revelation; w. διʼ ἀνθρώπου; cp. Artem. 1, 73 p. 66, 11 ἀπὸ γυναικῶν ἢ διὰ γυναικῶν; 2, 36 p. 135, 26) Gal 1:1. ἀ. κυρίου πνεύματος fr. the Lord, who is the Spirit 2 Cor 3:18. ἔχειν τι ἀπό τινος have (received) someth. fr. someone 1 Cor 6:19; 1 Ti 3:7; 1J 2:20; 4:21.—In salutation formulas εἰρήνη ἀ. θεοῦ πατρός ἡμῶν peace that comes from God, our father Ro 1:7; 1 Cor 1:3; 2 Cor 1:2; Gal 1:3; Eph 1:2; cp. 6:23; Phil 1:2; Col 1:2; 1 Th 1:1 v.l.; 2 Th 1:2; 1 Ti 1:2; 2 Ti 1:2; Tit 1:4; Phlm 3. σοφία ἀ. θεοῦ wisdom that comes fr. God 1 Cor 1:30. ἔπαινος ἀ. θεοῦ praise fr. God 4:5. καὶ τοῦτο ἀ. θεοῦ and that brought about by God Phil 1:28. The expr. εἰρήνη ἀπὸ ‘ὁ ὢν καὶ ὁ ἦν καὶ ὁ ἐρχόμενος’ Rv 1:4 is quite extraordinary. It may be an interpretation of the name Yahweh already current, or an attempt to show reverence for the divine name by preserving it unchanged, or simply one more of the grammatical peculiarities so frequent in Rv (Meyer⁶-Bousset 1906, 159ff; Mlt. 9, note 1; cp. PParis 51, 33 ἀπὸ ἀπηλιότης; Mussies 93f, 328).

ⓔ to indicate responsible agents for someth., from, of

α. the self, st. Gk. usage (Thu. 5, 60, 1; X., Mem. 2, 10, 3; Andoc., Orat. 2, 4 οὗτοι οὐκ ἀφʼ αὑτῶν ταῦτα πράττουσιν; Diod S 17, 56; Num 16:28; 4 Macc 11:3; En 98:4; TestAbr A 15 p. 95, 26 [Stone p. 38]; 18 p. 101, 6 [Stone p. 50]; Just., A I, 43, 8) the expr. ἀφʼ ἑαυτοῦ (pl. ἀφʼ ἑαυτῶν) of himself and ἀπʼ ἐμαυτοῦ of myself are common Lk 12:57; 21:30; 2 Cor 3:5, esp. so in J: 5:19, 30; 8:28; 10:18; 15:4.—7:17f; 11:51; 14:10; 16:13; 18:34. So also ἀπʼ ἐμαυτοῦ οὐκ ἐλήλυθα I did not come of myself (opp. the Father sent me) 7:28; 8:42.

β. fr. others. W. verbs in the pass. voice or pass. mng. ὑπό is somet. replaced by ἀπό (in isolated cases in older Gk. e.g. Thu. 1, 17 et al. [Kühner-G. II/1 p. 457f]; freq. in later Gk.: Polyb. 1, 79, 14; Hero I 152, 6; 388, 11; Nicol. Dam.: 90 Fgm. 130, 130 Jac.; IG XII/5, 29, 1; SIG 820, 9; PLond III, 1173, 12 p. 208; BGU 1185, 26; PFlor 150, 6 ἀ. τῶν μυῶν κατεσθιόμενα; PGM 4, 256; Kuhring 36f; 1 Macc 15:17; Sir 16:4; ParJer 1:1 ᾐχμαλωτεύθησαν … ἀπὸ τοῦ βασιλέως; Philo, Leg. All. 3, 62; Just., A I, 68, 6 ἐπιστολὴν … γραφεῖσάν μοι ἀπὸ Σερήνου, D. 121, 3 ἀπὸ παντὸς [γένους] μετάνοιαν πεποιῆσθαι. See B-D-F §210; Rob. 820; GHatzidakis, Einl. in d. neugriech. Gramm. 1892, 211; AJannaris, An Histor. Gk. Grammar 1897, §1507). Yet just at this point the textual tradition varies considerably, and the choice of prep. is prob. at times influenced by the wish to express special nuances of mng. Lk 8:29b v.l. (ὑπό text); 43b (ὑπό v.l.); 10:22 D; ἀποδεδειγμένος ἀ. τ. θεοῦ attested by God Ac 2:22. ἐπικληθεὶς Βαρναβᾶς ἀ. (ὑπό v.l.) τ. ἀποστόλων named B. by the apostles 4:36. κατενεχθεὶς ἀ. τοῦ ὕπνου overcome by sleep 20:9. ἀθετούμενος ἀπὸ τῶν παραχαρασσόντων τὰ λόγια αὐτοῦ inasmuch as (Jesus) is being rejected by those who falsify his words AcPlCor 2:3. νεκροῦ βληθέντος ἀπὸ τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ ἐπʼ αὐτά when a corpse was cast upon them (the bones of Elisha) 2:32. In such cases ἀπό freq. denotes the one who indirectly originates an action, and can be transl. at the hands of, by command of: πολλὰ παθεῖν ἀ. τ. πρεσβυτέρων suffer much at the hands of the elders Mt 16:21; cp. Lk 9:22; 17:25, where the emphasis is to be placed on παθεῖν, not on ἀποδοκιμασθῆναι. In ἀ. θεοῦ πειράζομαι the thought is that the temptation is caused by God, though not actually carried out by God Js 1:13. ἡτοιμασμένος ἀ. τοῦ θεοῦ prepared by God’s command, not by God in person Rv 12:6.

⑥ In a few expr. ἀπό helps to take the place of an adverb. ἀπὸ μέρους, s. μέρος 1c.—ἡμέρᾳ ἀφʼ ἡμέρας day by day GJs 12:3.—ἀπὸ μιᾶς (acc. to Wlh., Einl.² 26, an Aramaism, min ḥădā˒=at once [s. MBlack, An Aramaic Approach³, ’67, 113]; but this does not explain the fem. gender, found also in the formulaic ἐπὶ μιᾶς Maxim. Tyr. 6, 3f En 99:9 [s. SAalen, NTS 13, ’67, 3] and in Mod. Gk. μὲ μιᾶς at once [Thumb §162 note 2]. PSI 286, 22 uses ἀπὸ μιᾶς of a payment made ‘at once’; on the phrase s. New Docs 2, 189. Orig. γνώμης might have been a part of the expr. [Philo, Spec. Leg. 3, 73], or ὁρμῆς [Thu. 7, 71, 6], or γλώσσης [Cass. Dio 44, 36, 2], or φωνῆς [Herodian 1, 4, 8]; cp. ἀπὸ μιᾶς φωνῆς Plut., Mor. 502d of an echo; s. B-D-F §241, 6) unanimously, alike, in concert Lk 14:18. Sim. ἀπὸ τ. καρδιῶν fr. (your) hearts, sincerely Mt 18:35.—Himerius, Or. 39 [=Or. 5], 6 has as a formula διὰ μιᾶς, probably = continuously, uninterruptedly, Or. 44 [=Or. 8], 2 fuller διὰ μιᾶς τῆς σπουδῆς=with one and the same, or with quite similar zeal.—M-M.

pas¹ [pα]

1. masculine noun

   a. step ; ( = bruit) footstep ; ( = trace) footprint

• faire un pas en arrière

• reculer d'un pas to step back

• faire un pas en avant

• avancer d'un pas to step forward

• revenir or retourner sur ses pas to retrace one's steps

• marcher à grands pas to stride along

• pas à pas step by step

• à chaque pas at every step

• ne le quittez pas d'un pas follow him wherever he goes

• faire ses premiers pas to start walking

• pas de danse dance step

   b. ( = distance) pace

• c'est à deux pas d'ici it's only a minute away

   c. ( = vitesse) pace ; (Military) step

• marcher d'un bon pas to walk at a brisk pace

• presser le pas to quicken one's pace

• ralentir le pas to slow down

• marcher au pas to march

• « roulez au pas » "dead slow"

• au pas de course at a run

   d. ( = démarche) tread

• d'un pas lourd with a heavy tread

   e. (locutions) la science avance à grands pas science is taking great steps forward

• faire le(s) premier(s) pas to take the initiative

• il n'y a que le premier pas qui coûte the first step is the hardest

• à pas de loup stealthily

• j'y vais de ce pas I'll go at once