Where does “ألا” come from?

ألا (Arabic) comes from Arabic لَا, from Proto-Semitic lā — not; no.

ألا (Arabic): "negate a verb if the following verb is in...

Definitions

  1. "negate a verb if the following verb is in...

Ancestry of “ألا”, step by step

ألا traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via Arabic لَا

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Arabicلَاnot; no, not
2Proto-Semiticlānot; no

via Arabic أَنْ

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Arabicأَنْto, that; that, that before us presently

via Arabic أَ

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Arabicأَ—
Every word from Proto-Semitic lā →Every word from Arabic لَا →