"wallah" meaning in English

See wallah in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Adverb

IPA: /ˈwɑ(l.)lɑː/, /wəˈlɑː/ Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-wallah2.wav
Rhymes: -ɑː, -ɑːh Etymology: From Arabic وَٱللّٰه (wal-lāh, literally “by God”). Etymology templates: {{der|en|ar|وَٱللّٰه|lit=by God}} Arabic وَٱللّٰه (wal-lāh, literally “by God”), {{root|en|ar|ء ل ه}} Head templates: {{en-adv|-}} wallah (not comparable)
  1. (Islam) by God (Allah); may God be my witness. Used in making a solemn oath Tags: not-comparable Categories (topical): Islam, People Synonyms: wallahee, wallahi, wellah, wullah
    Sense id: en-wallah-en-adv-p-DEH~Bo Disambiguation of People: 45 0 28 24 2 Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English heteronyms, Pages with 5 entries, Pages with entries Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 42 10 6 37 4 Disambiguation of English heteronyms: 43 12 8 31 5 Disambiguation of Pages with 5 entries: 20 28 7 2 19 1 1 1 17 0 2 0 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 16 29 8 1 22 1 1 1 20 0 1 0 Topics: Islam, lifestyle, religion
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Etymology number: 2

Interjection

Etymology: A corruption of voilà. Head templates: {{head|en|interjection}} wallah
  1. Voilà.
    Sense id: en-wallah-en-intj-U9aRJyup Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 42 10 6 37 4
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Etymology number: 3

Noun

IPA: /ˈwɑːlə/, /ˈwɒlə/ Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-wallah.wav Forms: wallahs [plural]
Rhymes: -ɑːlə, -ɒlə Etymology: Either from Hindi -वाला (-vālā, “pertaining to”) or from Hindi वाला (vālā, “person in charge”). Etymology templates: {{root|en|ine-pro|*peh₂-}}, {{der|en|hi|-वाला||pertaining to}} Hindi -वाला (-vālā, “pertaining to”), {{bor|en|hi|वाला||person in charge}} Hindi वाला (vālā, “person in charge”) Head templates: {{en-noun}} wallah (plural wallahs)
  1. (India) A servant or other person responsible for something, often specified before it, for example kitchen wallah. Tags: India
    Sense id: en-wallah-en-noun-RAI7jQrN Categories (other): Indian English
  2. (India, historical) Short for competition wallah. Tags: India, abbreviation, alt-of, historical Alternative form of: competition wallah
    Sense id: en-wallah-en-noun-qtAdd0Z5 Categories (other): Indian English, English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 42 10 6 37 4
  3. (British, slang) A guy or bloke. Tags: British, slang
    Sense id: en-wallah-en-noun-vEpvGBVN Categories (other): British English
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: waala, waalah, walah, wala, vaala, vaalah, valah, walla Derived forms: base wallah, boxwallah, boxwalla, compass wallah, competition wallah, dudhwallah, ground wallah, puncture-wallah, punkahwallah
Etymology number: 1

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

{
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "base wallah"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "boxwallah"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "boxwalla"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "compass wallah"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "competition wallah"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "dudhwallah"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "ground wallah"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "puncture-wallah"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "punkahwallah"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_number": 1,
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*peh₂-"
      },
      "expansion": "",
      "name": "root"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "hi",
        "3": "-वाला",
        "4": "",
        "5": "pertaining to"
      },
      "expansion": "Hindi -वाला (-vālā, “pertaining to”)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "hi",
        "3": "वाला",
        "4": "",
        "5": "person in charge"
      },
      "expansion": "Hindi वाला (vālā, “person in charge”)",
      "name": "bor"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Either from Hindi -वाला (-vālā, “pertaining to”) or from Hindi वाला (vālā, “person in charge”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "wallahs",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "wallah (plural wallahs)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Indian English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1931, George Orwell, A Hanging:",
          "text": "Kindly take one of my cigarettes, sir. Do you not admire my new silver case, sir? From the boxwallah, two rupees eight annas.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A servant or other person responsible for something, often specified before it, for example kitchen wallah."
      ],
      "id": "en-wallah-en-noun-RAI7jQrN",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(India) A servant or other person responsible for something, often specified before it, for example kitchen wallah."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "India"
      ]
    },
    {
      "alt_of": [
        {
          "word": "competition wallah"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Indian English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "42 10 6 37 4",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Short for competition wallah."
      ],
      "id": "en-wallah-en-noun-qtAdd0Z5",
      "links": [
        [
          "competition wallah",
          "competition wallah#English"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(India, historical) Short for competition wallah."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "India",
        "abbreviation",
        "alt-of",
        "historical"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "British English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A guy or bloke."
      ],
      "id": "en-wallah-en-noun-vEpvGBVN",
      "links": [
        [
          "guy",
          "guy"
        ],
        [
          "bloke",
          "bloke"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(British, slang) A guy or bloke."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "British",
        "slang"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈwɑːlə/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈwɒlə/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-wallah.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/a/a2/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-wallah.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-wallah.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/a/a2/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-wallah.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-wallah.wav.ogg"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɑːlə"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɒlə"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "waala"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "waalah"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "walah"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "wala"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "vaala"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "vaalah"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "valah"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "walla"
    }
  ],
  "word": "wallah"
}

{
  "etymology_number": 2,
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ar",
        "3": "وَٱللّٰه",
        "lit": "by God"
      },
      "expansion": "Arabic وَٱللّٰه (wal-lāh, literally “by God”)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ar",
        "3": "ء ل ه"
      },
      "expansion": "",
      "name": "root"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Arabic وَٱللّٰه (wal-lāh, literally “by God”).",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "wallah (not comparable)",
      "name": "en-adv"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adv",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Islam",
          "orig": "en:Islam",
          "parents": [
            "Abrahamism",
            "Religion",
            "Culture",
            "Society",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "42 10 6 37 4",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "43 12 8 31 5",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English heteronyms",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "20 28 7 2 19 1 1 1 17 0 2 0",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 5 entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "16 29 8 1 22 1 1 1 20 0 1 0",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "45 0 28 24 2",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "People",
          "orig": "en:People",
          "parents": [
            "Human",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "by God (Allah); may God be my witness. Used in making a solemn oath"
      ],
      "id": "en-wallah-en-adv-p-DEH~Bo",
      "links": [
        [
          "by God",
          "by God"
        ],
        [
          "Allah",
          "Allah"
        ],
        [
          "may God be my witness",
          "may God be my witness"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(Islam) by God (Allah); may God be my witness. Used in making a solemn oath"
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "wallahee"
        },
        {
          "word": "wallahi"
        },
        {
          "word": "wellah"
        },
        {
          "word": "wullah"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "not-comparable"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "Islam",
        "lifestyle",
        "religion"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈwɑ(l.)lɑː/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/wəˈlɑː/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-wallah2.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/2/2e/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-wallah2.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-wallah2.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/2/2e/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-wallah2.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-wallah2.wav.ogg"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɑː"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɑːh"
    }
  ],
  "word": "wallah"
}

{
  "etymology_number": 3,
  "etymology_text": "A corruption of voilà.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "interjection"
      },
      "expansion": "wallah",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "intj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "42 10 6 37 4",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Voilà."
      ],
      "id": "en-wallah-en-intj-U9aRJyup"
    }
  ],
  "word": "wallah"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English heteronyms",
    "English interjections",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms borrowed from Hindi",
    "English terms derived from Hindi",
    "English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European",
    "English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *peh₂-",
    "Pages with 5 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Rhymes:English/ɑːlə",
    "Rhymes:English/ɑːlə/2 syllables",
    "Rhymes:English/ɒlə",
    "Rhymes:English/ɒlə/2 syllables",
    "en:People"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "base wallah"
    },
    {
      "word": "boxwallah"
    },
    {
      "word": "boxwalla"
    },
    {
      "word": "compass wallah"
    },
    {
      "word": "competition wallah"
    },
    {
      "word": "dudhwallah"
    },
    {
      "word": "ground wallah"
    },
    {
      "word": "puncture-wallah"
    },
    {
      "word": "punkahwallah"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_number": 1,
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*peh₂-"
      },
      "expansion": "",
      "name": "root"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "hi",
        "3": "-वाला",
        "4": "",
        "5": "pertaining to"
      },
      "expansion": "Hindi -वाला (-vālā, “pertaining to”)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "hi",
        "3": "वाला",
        "4": "",
        "5": "person in charge"
      },
      "expansion": "Hindi वाला (vālā, “person in charge”)",
      "name": "bor"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Either from Hindi -वाला (-vālā, “pertaining to”) or from Hindi वाला (vālā, “person in charge”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "wallahs",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "wallah (plural wallahs)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "Indian English"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1931, George Orwell, A Hanging:",
          "text": "Kindly take one of my cigarettes, sir. Do you not admire my new silver case, sir? From the boxwallah, two rupees eight annas.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A servant or other person responsible for something, often specified before it, for example kitchen wallah."
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(India) A servant or other person responsible for something, often specified before it, for example kitchen wallah."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "India"
      ]
    },
    {
      "alt_of": [
        {
          "word": "competition wallah"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        "English short forms",
        "English terms with historical senses",
        "Indian English"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Short for competition wallah."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "competition wallah",
          "competition wallah#English"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(India, historical) Short for competition wallah."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "India",
        "abbreviation",
        "alt-of",
        "historical"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "British English",
        "English slang"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A guy or bloke."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "guy",
          "guy"
        ],
        [
          "bloke",
          "bloke"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(British, slang) A guy or bloke."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "British",
        "slang"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈwɑːlə/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈwɒlə/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-wallah.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/a/a2/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-wallah.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-wallah.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/a/a2/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-wallah.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-wallah.wav.ogg"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɑːlə"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɒlə"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "waala"
    },
    {
      "word": "waalah"
    },
    {
      "word": "walah"
    },
    {
      "word": "wala"
    },
    {
      "word": "vaala"
    },
    {
      "word": "vaalah"
    },
    {
      "word": "valah"
    },
    {
      "word": "walla"
    }
  ],
  "word": "wallah"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English adverbs",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English heteronyms",
    "English interjections",
    "English lemmas",
    "English terms derived from Arabic",
    "English terms derived from the Arabic root ء ل ه",
    "English uncomparable adverbs",
    "Pages with 5 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Rhymes:English/ɑː",
    "Rhymes:English/ɑː/2 syllables",
    "Rhymes:English/ɑːh",
    "Rhymes:English/ɑːh/2 syllables",
    "en:People"
  ],
  "etymology_number": 2,
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ar",
        "3": "وَٱللّٰه",
        "lit": "by God"
      },
      "expansion": "Arabic وَٱللّٰه (wal-lāh, literally “by God”)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ar",
        "3": "ء ل ه"
      },
      "expansion": "",
      "name": "root"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Arabic وَٱللّٰه (wal-lāh, literally “by God”).",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "wallah (not comparable)",
      "name": "en-adv"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adv",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "en:Islam"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "by God (Allah); may God be my witness. Used in making a solemn oath"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "by God",
          "by God"
        ],
        [
          "Allah",
          "Allah"
        ],
        [
          "may God be my witness",
          "may God be my witness"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(Islam) by God (Allah); may God be my witness. Used in making a solemn oath"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "not-comparable"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "Islam",
        "lifestyle",
        "religion"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈwɑ(l.)lɑː/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/wəˈlɑː/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-wallah2.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/2/2e/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-wallah2.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-wallah2.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/2/2e/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-wallah2.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-wallah2.wav.ogg"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɑː"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɑːh"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "wallahee"
    },
    {
      "word": "wallahi"
    },
    {
      "word": "wellah"
    },
    {
      "word": "wullah"
    }
  ],
  "word": "wallah"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English heteronyms",
    "English interjections",
    "English lemmas",
    "Pages with 5 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "en:People"
  ],
  "etymology_number": 3,
  "etymology_text": "A corruption of voilà.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "interjection"
      },
      "expansion": "wallah",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "intj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "Voilà."
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "wallah"
}

Download raw JSONL data for wallah meaning in English (5.8kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-11-06 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-10-02 using wiktextract (fbeafe8 and 7f03c9b). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.