Wallah - Wiktionary

English

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Etymology 1

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Either from Hindi -वाला (-vālā, “pertaining to”) or from Hindi वाला (vālā, “person in charge”).

Alternative forms

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• waala, waalah, walah, wala, vaala, vaalah, valah, walla

Pronunciation

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• IPA(key): /ˈwɑːlə/, /ˈwɒlə/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɑːlə, -ɒlə

Noun

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wallah (plural wallahs)

1. (North India) A servant or other person responsible for something, often specified before it, for example kitchen wallah.
   • 1931, George Orwell, A Hanging:Kindly take one of my cigarettes, sir. Do you not admire my new silver case, sir? From the boxwallah, two rupees eight annas.
2. (North India, historical) Ellipsis of competition wallah.
3. (British, slang) A guy or bloke.

Derived terms

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• base wallah
• boxwallah, boxwalla
• compass wallah
• competition wallah
• dudhwallah
• ground wallah
• puncture-wallah
• punkahwallah

Etymology 2

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From Arabic وَٱللّٰه (wal-lāh, literally “by God”).

Alternative forms

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• wallahee, wallahi, wellah, wullah

Pronunciation

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• IPA(key): /ˈwɑːlɑː/, /wəˈlɑː/, /wəllə/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɑː

Adverb

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wallah (not comparable)

1. (Islam) by God (Allah); may God be my witness. Used in making a solemn oath

Etymology 3

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A corruption of voilà.

Interjection

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wallah

1. (nonstandard) Alternative form of voilà.

References

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• “wallah” in Webster’s Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary: Based on Webster’s Third New International Dictionary, 7th edition, Springfield, Mass.: G[eorge] & C[harles] Merriam, 1963 (1967 printing), →OCLC.

Danish

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Etymology

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Borrowed from Arabic وَٱللّٰه (wal-lāh).

Interjection

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wallah

1. (slang) Generic intensifier.

French

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Etymology

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Borrowed from Arabic وَٱللّٰه (wal-lāh, “I swear by God”).

Pronunciation

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• IPA(key): /wa.la/

• Audio (France (Lyon)):

  (file)

Interjection

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wallah

1. (slang) wow (an expression of surprise)
2. (slang, Tunisia) I'm serious

German

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Etymology

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Borrowed from Arabic وَٱللّٰه (wal-lāh, “I swear by God”), likely via Turkish valla.

Pronunciation

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• IPA(key): [ˈwala], [ˈvala], [waˈlːah]

Interjection

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wallah

1. (slang) Generic intensifier.

Adverb

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wallah

1. (slang) (tag question) right? Synonyms: wa, gell, ne, nicht, nicht wahr, oder

Further reading

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• “wallah” in Duden online
• “wallah” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• “wallah” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon

Swedish

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Alternative forms

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• walla

Etymology

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Borrowed from Arabic وَٱللّٰه (wal-lāh).

Interjection

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wallah

1. (Islam) wallah (when making an oath) Synonym: mammas död – Är det sant? – Wallah! Jag svär!– Is that true? – Wallah! I swear!
2. (slang) Generic intensifier.

Related terms

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• wallahi

See also

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• jalla
• no cap

References

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• Fula Ordboken
• Slangopedia