wallah

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English

Etymology 1

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

Alternative forms

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈwɑːlə/, /ˈwɒlə/
  • Audio (Southern England)(file)
  • Rhymes: -ɑːlə, -ɒlə

Noun

wallah (plural wallahs)

  1. (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. (India, historical) Short for competition wallah.
  3. (British, slang) A guy or bloke.
Derived terms

Etymology 2

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

Alternative forms

Pronunciation

Adverb

wallah (not comparable)

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

Etymology 3

A corruption of voilà.

Interjection

wallah

  1. Voilà.

References

  • Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary, Springfield, Massachusetts, G.&C. Merriam Co., 1967

Danish

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic وَٱللّٰه (wal-lāh).

Interjection

wallah

  1. (slang) Generic intensifier.

French

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

Interjection

wallah

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

German

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

Interjection

wallah

  1. (slang) Generic intensifier.

Adverb

wallah

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

Further reading

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

Swedish

Alternative forms

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic وَٱللّٰه (wal-lāh).

Interjection

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

See also

References

Wikious
Boobota
Sagapedia