Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteAlma is a Spanish feminine noun commonly translated as “soul.” But the title Alma alone does not identify one subject: it may also refer to a person, place, work, organization, or—in uppercase—an astronomical array. Without more context, the Spanish word is the clearest interpretation supported here.
What does alma mean in Spanish?
The Diccionario del español de México defines alma as the immaterial part of a human being associated with feelings, moral values, and thought. English translations commonly use “soul,” though the dictionary definition describes the concept rather than prescribing one English equivalent. Diccionario del español de México: alma
Other dictionary meanings
The word is not limited to a spiritual or psychological sense. The Diccionario del español de México also records these uses:
- A person or inhabitant: a sense referring to a person.
- An animating center: the person or thing that gives energy or life to something.
- An inner core: the central part of certain objects that gives them strength.
Common expressions with alma
Spanish idioms use alma in figurative ways. The dictionary records, for example:
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- Con el alma en un hilo: to feel anxious or distressed.
- Ser un alma de Dios: to be very good.
- Partirse el alma: to make a great effort.
Why Spanish says el alma
Alma is grammatically feminine, even though it takes el in the singular: el alma. Spanish commonly uses el or un before a feminine singular noun beginning with a stressed “a” or “ha” sound. The article choice does not change the noun’s gender. SpanishDictionary.com: Spanish nouns that begin with a or ha
Could “Alma” mean something else?
Yes. In astronomy, ALMA is the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, a facility in Chile identified by the European Southern Observatory. The ESO page describes it as having 66 antennas distributed across distances of up to 16 kilometres. Those facts apply to the astronomical array, not to the Spanish noun. European Southern Observatory: ALMA
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Searches for the bare title also surface unrelated people, places, works, and organizations. Capitalization can offer a clue—ALMA is the array’s acronym—but it is not enough by itself to establish what a title refers to. A subtitle, creator’s name, or subject area is needed to identify a particular work or entity.
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