वा

See also: वृ, वो, वे, व, वि, -वां, वि-, and -व

Hindi

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Sanskrit वा (vā).

Pronunciation

• (Delhi Hindi) IPA^(key): /ʋɑː/, [ʋäː]

Conjunction

वा • (vā) (Urdu spelling وا)

1. (formal, rare) or

   Synonyms: अथवा (athvā), (more common) या (yā)

References

• Platts, John T. (1884) “वा”, in A dictionary of Urdu, classical Hindi, and English, London: W. H. Allen & Co.

Konkani

Etymology

From Sanskrit वा (vā).

Conjunction

वा • (vā) (Latin script va, Kannada script ವಾ)

1. or

Newar

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [wa]

Etymology 1

Noun

वा • (wā) ? (Newa Spelling 𑐰𑐵)

1. rain

Etymology 2

Likely from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s/p-wa.

Noun

वा • (wā) ? (Newa Spelling 𑐰𑐵)

1. tooth

Pali

Alternative forms

Alternative forms

• vā (Latin script)
• 𑀯𑀸 (Brahmi script)
• ৰা (Bengali script)
• වා (Sinhalese script)
• ဝါ or ဝႃ (Burmese script)
• วา (Thai script)
• ᩅᩤ (Tai Tham script)
• ວາ (Lao script)
• វា (Khmer script)
• 𑅇𑄂 (Chakma script)

Conjunction

वा (vā)

1. Devanagari script form of vā
   • c. 500 AD, Kaccāyana, Pālivyākaraṇaṃ [Pali Grammar]‎^[1], page 6; republished as Satish Chandra Acharyya Vidyabhusana, editor, Kaccayana's Pali Grammar (edited in Devanagari character and translated into English), Calcutta, Bengal: Mahabodhi Society, 1901:

     या च पन सक्कतगन्थेसु समञ्ञा घोसाति वाघोसाति वा ता पयोगे सति एत्थापि पयुज्जते

     Yā ca pana sakkataganthesu samaññā ghosāti vāghosāti vā tā payoge sati etthāpi payujjate.

     And moreover that designation either 'voiced' or 'unvoiced' which is in Sanskrit texts is applied even here when there is occasion.

Sanskrit

Alternative scripts

Alternative scripts

• ৱা (Assamese script)
• ᬯᬵ (Balinese script)
• বা (Bengali script)
• 𑰪𑰯 (Bhaiksuki script)
• 𑀯𑀸 (Brahmi script)
• ဝါ (Burmese script)
• વા (Gujarati script)
• ਵਾ (Gurmukhi script)
• 𑌵𑌾 (Grantha script)
• ꦮꦴ (Javanese script)
• 𑂫𑂰 (Kaithi script)
• ವಾ (Kannada script)
• វា (Khmer script)
• ວາ (Lao script)
• വാ (Malayalam script)
• ᠸᠠᢇ (Manchu script)
• 𑘪𑘰 (Modi script)
• ᠸᠠ᠋᠎ᠠ (Mongolian script)
• 𑧊𑧑 (Nandinagari script)
• 𑐰𑐵 (Newa script)
• ଵା (Odia script)
• ꢮꢵ (Saurashtra script)
• 𑆮𑆳 (Sharada script)
• 𑖪𑖯 (Siddham script)
• වා (Sinhalese script)
• 𑩾𑩛 (Soyombo script)
• 𑚦𑚭 (Takri script)
• வா (Tamil script)
• వా (Telugu script)
• วา (Thai script)
• ཝཱ (Tibetan script)
• 𑒫𑒰 (Tirhuta script)
• 𑨭𑨊 (Zanabazar Square script)

Pronunciation

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /ʋɑː/
• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ʋɑː/

Etymology 1

From Proto-Indo-Iranian *-wā (“or”), from Proto-Indo-European *-wē (“or”). Cognate with Avestan 𐬬𐬁 (vā), Old Persian 𐎺𐎠 (v-a /⁠vā⁠/), Ancient Greek ἤ (ḗ) and Latin -ve.

Conjunction

वा • (vā)

1. or
2. or, preferably (marking the preferred of two alternatives) (Pāṇini)

Descendants

• Ashokan Prakrit: 𑀯 (va /⁠vā⁠/)
  • Maharastri Prakrit: 𑀯𑀸 (vā)
• → Assamese: বা (ba)
• → Bengali: বা (ba)
• Pali: vā
• → Hindustani:
  • Hindi: वा (vā)
  • Urdu: وا (vā)
• → Kannada: ವಾ (vā)
• Konkani: वा (vā)

Etymology 2

From Proto-Indo-European *h₂weh₁- (“to blow”).

Root

वा • (√vā)

1. to blow

Derived terms

• निर्वाण (nirvāṇa, “blown out, extinguished; nirvana”)
• वाति (vāti, “to blow”)

References

• Monier Williams (1899) “वा”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, […], new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 0934.

Yamphu

Etymology

Probably from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *bja ~ bra (“bird”).

Noun

वा (wa)

1. hen, chicken

References

• “वा”, in याम्फु - नेपाली - अङ्ग्रेजी शब्दकोश (Yamphu - Nepali - English Dictionary), Nepal: SIL International, 2019.