al

Everyday

1. Al is a short form of boys' names like Albert, Alan, Alfred or Alexander. tree →
2. In «et al.» (Latin for «and others») it is a short form used in science writing for a list of authors. tree →
3. In «al dente» (Italian) it means pasta cooked so it is still a little firm. tree →
4. Al is also the chemical symbol for aluminium, written with a capital A. tree →
5. In some Arabic names, al means 'the', as in Haroun-al-Raschid. tree →

In the lessons

In stories and maths problems Al is a person's name (a capital letter). In science, «Al» is the symbol for aluminium on the periodic table, and «et al.» appears when a book names a group of scientists. Phrases: «et al.», «al dente».

Examples

• Al has 8 marbles and gives 3 to Sue. tree →
• Uncle Al fixed our bike. tree →
• The study was written by Smith et al. tree →
• Cook the spaghetti until it is al dente. tree →
• The symbol Al stands for aluminium. tree →
• «Call me Al,» said the new boy. tree →

Note

As a name, always write Al with a capital letter. «Et al.» has a full stop after al. The symbol Al: capital A, small l. Do not confuse with «all» (every one).

In Jewish tradition

Al (El) is a Hebrew name for God, meaning "God" or "the Mighty One."

Interpretation. Sefer Yetzirah commentators say this short divine name appears in a phrase read as "the only God." Kabbalists link such names to divine qualities.

Examples

• In this case the name is AL, El. (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893) tree →
• In this case we have the simple form AL, EL. (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893) tree →
• The words are ADUN IChID AL, or " Adonai (as commonly written) the only EL" (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893) tree →

Note

As a name, always write Al with a capital letter. «Et al.» has a full stop after al. The symbol Al: capital A, small l. Do not confuse with «all» (every one).