ἀλλὰ
allá
but
Primary meaning: but, rather, on the contrary. ἀλλά primarily functions as a strong adversative conjunction introducing contrast, correction, or qualification within a statement or between clauses. It can be used to negate an expectation, introduce a counterpoint, or shift the focus, often with the sense of 'but (instead)' or 'but (on the contrary)'. In some contexts, it can have a concessive nuance ('nevertheless') or mildly emphatic force ('indeed', 'yea'). It never simply means 'and' in a coordinative sense; its function is always contrastive.
Romans 9:10 · Word #4
Lexicon G235
| Lemma | ἀλλά |
| Transliteration | allá |
| Strong's | G235 |
| Definition | Primary meaning: but, rather, on the contrary. ἀλλά primarily functions as a strong adversative conjunction introducing contrast, correction, or qualification within a statement or between clauses. It can be used to negate an expectation, introduce a counterpoint, or shift the focus, often with the sense of 'but (instead)' or 'but (on the contrary)'. In some contexts, it can have a concessive nuance ('nevertheless') or mildly emphatic force ('indeed', 'yea'). It never simply means 'and' in a coordinative sense; its function is always contrastive. |
Morphology CONJ.C
All morphology codes
| Part of Speech | CONJ.C — Correlative Conjunction — Paired conjunctions |
Common Translation
| Phrase | but |
| Literal | but |
Lexical Info
| Lemma | ἀλλά |
| Strong's | G235 |
SIBI-P1 Translation G235-02
but rather
| Morphological Notes | Correlative/coordinating conjunction; strong adversative particle with no inflection for case, gender, or number. |
| Rendering Rationale | This rendering reflects ἀλλά as a strong adversative conjunction introducing contrast or correction, rooted in the idea of "other" or "alternative." "But rather" preserves its force of replacing or overturning a prior idea rather than merely coordinating. |
View full lexicon entry for G235 →
SILEX v2
SIBI-P2 (Context-Aware)
rather
| Same as P1 | No — adjusted for context |
| Rationale | P1 'but rather' is based on combining both adversative particles, but since δέ is already rendered as 'but', ἀλλὰ should be 'rather' to distinguish it and avoid duplication. This retains the strong corrective nuance without redundancy. |