ca

Everyday

1. ca. or c. (from Latin «circa») means «about» or «around», used with dates and numbers: ca. 1500. tree →
2. Ca (science) the chemical symbol for calcium. tree →
3. CA (USA) short for California; also for Canada in internet addresses (.ca). tree →
4. (French) «ça» means «that» or «it», as in «Ça va?» (How are you?); English speakers hear it as «sa». Not an English word. tree →

In the lessons

In history lessons, «ca. 1066» means about that year. In science, Ca is calcium, found in bones, milk and chalk. On addresses, CA means California. Canadian websites end in .ca. In French lessons, «Ça va?» means «How are you?».

Examples

• The vase was made ca. 300 BC. tree →
• Ca is the symbol for calcium on the periodic table. tree →
• Her address was Los Angeles, CA. tree →
• Canadian websites end with .ca. tree →
• "Ça va?" "Ça va bien, merci!" tree →
• The castle was built ca. 1200. tree →

Note

Not a word but short forms. «ca.» with dates means approximately: «ca. 1500» could be a few years either side. In chemistry the symbol is Ca (capital C, small a). French ça has a little hook (cedilla) under the c.