wallah

English

Etymology 1

Either from Hindi -वाला (-vālā, “pertaining to”) or from Hindi वाला (-vālā, “person in charge”), from Sanskrit पाल (pāla, “protector”), from Proto-Indo-European *peh₂- (“protect”).

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. (Britain, slang) A guy or bloke.
Derived terms

Etymology 2

From Arabic وَٱللّٰه‎ (wal-lāh).

Alternative forms

Adverb

wallah (not comparable)

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

Etymology 3

Interjection

wallah

  1. Misspelling of 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

From Arabic وَٱللّٰه‎ (wal-lāh), I swear by God.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /wa.la/

Interjection

wallah

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