This Aramaic adverb indicates spatial position—being above or over something or someone. In Daniel 6:3, it describes the high position of authority that certain officials held over others in the Persian administrative system. The word is formed with the directional ending '-a,' a characteristic Aramaic feature. It parallels the Hebrew 'al' but appears specifically in the Aramaic portions of Daniel and Ezra. The term naturally extends from physical height to hierarchical superiority, reflecting how ancient Near Eastern cultures conceptualized authority in spatial terms.