▪ I. la, n. Mus.
(lɑː)
[Orig. the first syllable of L. labii: see gamut.]
The name given by Guido d'Arezzo to the sixth note in his hexachords, and since retained in solmization as the sixth note of the octave; also (now rarely) used as in Fr. and It. as a name of the note A, the sixth note of the ‘natural’ scale of C major.
| c 1325 in Rel. Ant. I. 292 Sol and ut and la. 1597 Morley Introd. Mus. (1771) 4 There be in Musicke but vi. Notes, which are called vt, re, mi, fa, sol, la. 1605 Shakes. Lear i. ii. 149 O these Eclipses do portend these divisions. Fa, Sol, La, Me. c 1645 Howell Lett. (1650) II. lv. 77 The other..will drink often musically a health to every one of these 6 notes, Ut, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La; which, with his reason, are all comprehended in this exameter, Ut Relevet Miserum Fatum Solitosque Labores. 1811 Busby Dict. Mus. (ed. 3) s.v. Solmization, Of the seven notes in the French scale, only four were for a while used by us, as mi, fa, sol, la. |
▪ II. la, int.
(lɑː, la)
[Cf. lo (OE. lá and early ME. la).]
An exclamation formerly used to introduce or accompany a conventional phrase or an address, or to call attention to an emphatic statement; † also la you. In recent use, a mere expression of surprise. Now only dial., vulgar, and arch.
| 1598 Shakes. Merry W. i. i. 86, I thank you alwaies with my heart, la: with my heart. Ibid. 324 You doe your selfe wrong indeede—la. 1601 ― Twel. N. iii. iv. 111 La you, and you speake ill of the diuell, how he takes it at heart. 1694 Congreve Double Dealer iv. ii, O la now! I swear and declare, it shan't be so. 1749 Fielding Tom Jones iv. xii, La, ma'am, what doth your la'yship think. 1839 Dickens Nich. Nick. x, La, Miss La Creevy, how very smirking. 1844 Willis Lady Jane ii. 311 He'd a caressing way—but, la! you know it's A sort of manner natural to poets! 1881 Besant & Rice Chapl. Fleet III. 239 ‘La, sir,’ she asked, ‘Is it the voice of your sweetheart?’ |
† b. Repeated (a) as a refrain; (b) as an expression of derision. Obs. (Hence la-la adj., = ‘so-so’, poor.)
| 1578 Gude & Godl. B. (S.T.S.) 138 Christ..Quhilk meiklie for mankynde, Tholit to be pynde, On Croce Cruellie. La. La. Ibid. 83 La Lay La. 1607 Shakes. Timon iii. i. 22 [He] hath sent to your Lorship to furnish him: nothing doubting your present assistance therein. Luc. La, la, la, la: Nothing doubting sayes hee? |
▪ III. la
obs. form of law, lay v., lo int.1