Father.
Yes; an affirmative response.
Yes.
A meaningless syllable used when singing a tune or indicating a rhythm.
father
The vowel designated by this mark.
In Arabic script, the vowel point for a, appearing as a diagonal line placed above a letter ( ـَ ) and designating a short a /a/. If the Arabic letters ا (أَلِف (ʔalif)) or ى (أَلِف مَقْصُورَة (ʔalif maqṣūra)) immediately follow, it indicates a long ā /aː/.