OriginallyNingbonese. Due to an influx of migrants from Ningbo to Shanghai, this has supplanted the originalShanghainese我伲 or伲.

阿 is from我 (MC ngaX, “I; me”).拉 is a plural marker, also seen in伊拉 (“they; them”).

阿拉(chieflyWu, includingNingbonese andShanghainese)

1. we;us

   阿拉上海人是吃咖啡長大個。[Shanghainese,trad.]
   阿拉上海人是吃咖啡长大个。[Shanghainese,simp.]

   ⁷aq-la⁶zaon-he-gnin⁶zy⁷chiq¹kha-fi⁵tsan⁶du⁰gheq[Wugniu]

   We Shanghainese grew up drinking coffee.

   阿拉兩個人是好朋友。[Shanghainese,trad.]
   阿拉两个人是好朋友。[Shanghainese,simp.]

   ⁷aq-la⁶lian-gheq⁶gnin⁶zy⁵hau-ban-yeu[Wugniu]

   The two ofus are good friends.

2. I;me

   儂勿講道理，阿拉勿睬儂！[Shanghainese,trad.]
   侬勿讲道理，阿拉勿睬侬！[Shanghainese,simp.]

   ⁶non⁶veq₈-kaon⁶dau-li⁷aq-la⁶veq₈-tshe⁶non[Wugniu]

   You are being unreasonable;I’m not talking to you anymore.[cute-sounding]

   • 1976, “追求三部曲”, in半斤八兩(“The Private Eyes”), performed by許冠傑 [Sam Hui]:

     實在阿拉面懵兼心精[Cantonese,trad.]
     实在阿拉面懵兼心精[Cantonese,simp.]

     sat⁶ zoi⁶aa³ laa¹ min⁶ mung² gim¹ sam¹ zeng¹[Jyutping]

     FranklyI was playing the fool

   • 2022 April 25, ““阿拉是上海女儿！”来自邵阿姨的守护”, in人民网 [People's Daily]‎^[1]:

     「阿拉是上海女兒！我要展示真實的上海」[MSC,trad.]
     「阿拉是上海女儿！我要展示真实的上海」[MSC,simp.]

     “Ālā shì Shànghǎi nǚ'ér! Wǒ yào zhǎnshì zhēnshí de Shànghǎi”[Pinyin]

     "I'm a Shanghainese woman!I want to display the true Shanghai"

     「阿拉從小生在上海，後來移居澳門，在外住了四十年。[…]」[MSC,trad.]
     「阿拉从小生在上海，后来移居澳门，在外住了四十年。[…]」[MSC,simp.]

     “Ālā cóngxiǎo shēng zài Shànghǎi, hòulái yíjū Àomén, zàiwài zhù le sìshí nián. [... ]”[Pinyin]

     "From youthI was born in Shanghai. Later I moved to Macau, and lived there for 40 years.[…]"

Borrowed fromArabicاللّٰه(allāh).

阿拉

1. Allah