-a

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
-a1

▶suffix forming.

• 1 ancient or Latinized modern names of animals and plants: primula.

• 2 names of oxides: baryta.

• 3 geographical names: Africa.

• 4 ancient or Latinized modern feminine forenames: Lydia.

• 5 nouns from Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish: stanza.

– origin representing a Gk, L., or Romance fem. sing.

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
-a2

▶suffix forming plural nouns.

• 1 from Greek or Latin neuter plurals corresponding to a singular in -um or -on (such as addenda, phenomena).

• 2 in names (often from modern Latin) of zoological groups: Insectivora.

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
-a3

▶suffix informal

• 1 of: coupla.

• 2 have: mighta.

• 3 to: oughta.