pela

Pela is a common contraction in Portuguese formed from por plus a, used before feminine singular nouns or noun phrases that take the definite article a. It functions as a preposition that can mean through, by means of, or in the context of time, and it also marks the agent in passive constructions when the agent is feminine.

Typical uses include indicating movement or means: pela porta (through the door), pela janela (through the window); indicating time or duration: pela manhã (in the morning), pelas semanas seguintes (in the following weeks); and phrases signifying first occurrences or sequences: pela primeira vez (for the first time). In passive voice, it introduces a feminine agent: o relatório foi escrito pela autora (the report was written by the author).

Pela has several closely related contractions that share the same underlying mechanism: pelo (por + o) for masculine singular nouns, pelos (por + os) for masculine plural, and pelas (por + as) for feminine plural. These forms are used similarly to indicate through/along with a definite feminine or masculine noun and to denote agency in passive constructions.

Origin and usage: pela originates from the combination of the preposition por with the feminine definite article a. It is widely used in both European and Brazilian Portuguese and is a standard feature of everyday style. While its primary function is grammatical, its exact interpretation can vary with context, spanning spatial, temporal, and agentive meanings.