# words that mean the same when the a is dropped at the beginning

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-mean-the-same-when-the-a-is-dropped-at-the-beginning/778986>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [February 4, 2017, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-mean-the-same-when-the-a-is-dropped-at-the-beginning/778986 "2017-02-04T15:57:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2017, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-mean-the-same-when-the-a-is-dropped-at-the-beginning/778986/21 "2017-02-10T17:18:50Z")

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> [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](#):
>
> Be careful with words that start with Al. A lot of them are Arabic and they reference Allah.

Man, what?

A lot of them are Arabic - and the reference the _definite article_. As in algebra from al-Jabr, or alchemy from al-kimiya. (And as possibly in the name “Allah” itself. maybe.)

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