the first of the three syllables that make the sacred compound-syllable 'ಓಂ'.

an indeclinable used as an end termination to show report or tradition - 'as they say', 'as reported', 'is it not'.

an indeclinable termination to verbs to add politeness in addressing (ನೋಡು>ನೋಡ, ನೋಡಾ) the second person in singular number.

an indeclinable to verbs to make it interrogative.

a termination to nouns or pronouns to express them in possessive case (the sixth case in Kannaḍa grammar).

a particle, used at the end, to form personal nouns while compounding (as ಅಯ್ಸರಳು >ಅಯ್ಸರಳ, ಕಾರೊಡಲ).

a prefix, corresponding to 'in' or 'un' of English, used as a negative particle to mean (a) 'negation', 'absence', (b) distinction, difference, (c) 'bad', 'unfit', (d) 'opposition'.

a termination of the infinitive (as in ಎಸಗು+ಅ=ಎಸಗ for ಎಸಗಲು).

a termination of the third person in the neuter of the negative (as in ಸಲ್ಲ=ಸಲ್ಲದು).

the first letter and the first vowel of the Kannaḍa alphabet;

ಅ ಆ ಬಾರದಿದ್ದರೂ ಅಮರವಾದರೂ ಹೇಳು aā bāradiddarū amaravādarū heḷu (prov.) even the illiterate must know the lexicon.