wallah

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”).

• IPA^(key): /ˈwɑːlə/, /ˈwɒlə/

• Audio (Hampshire, England)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɑːlə, -ɒlə

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. (Britain, slang) A guy or bloke.

From Arabic وَٱللّٰه‎ (wa-llāh, literally “by God”).

• wallahee, wallahi, wellah, wullah

• IPA^(key): /wəˈlɑː(h)/

• Audio (Hampshire, England)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɑː, -ɑːh

wallah (not comparable)

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

A corruption of voilà.

wallah

1. Voilà.

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

Borrowed from Arabic وَٱللّٰه‎ (wal-lāh).

wallah

1. (slang) Generic intensifier.

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

• IPA^(key): /wa.la/

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  (file)

wallah

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

• walla

Borrowed from Arabic وَٱللّٰه‎ (wal-lāh).

wallah

1. (Islam) wallah (when making an oath)

   – Är det sant? – Wallah! Jag svär!

   – Is that true? – Wallah! I swear!

   Synonym: mammas död

2. (slang) Generic intensifier.

• jalla