والله

Arabic

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Semitic *wa

Arabic وَـ (wa-)

Arabic ال (al-)

Proto-Semitic *ʔil-

Arabic ـَاه (-āh)

Arabic إلٰه (ʔilāh)

Arabic الٱِلٰه (al-ilāh)

Arabic الله (allāh)

Arabic والله

From وَـ (wa-, “by (in oaths)”) + الله (allāh, “God”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /wa‿lˤ.lˤaː.hi/

Interjection

وَٱللّٰهِ • (wal-lāhi)

1. by God!

   Synonyms: بِٱللّٰهِ (bi-l-lāhi), تَٱللّٰهِ (ta-llāhi)

2. really?, really!

Related terms

• يَاٱلله (ya-llāh)

Descendants

• Egyptian Arabic: والله (wallāhi)
• South Levantine Arabic: والله (waḷḷa, waḷḷāhi)
• → Azerbaijani: vallah
• → Pashto: والله (wallāh)
• → Classical Persian: وَٱللّٰه (wal-lāh)
  • Dari: وَٱللّٰه (wal-lāh)
  • Iranian Persian: وَٱللّٰه (val-lâh)
  • Tajik: валлоҳ (valloh)
  • → Hindustani:
    • Hindi: वल्लाह (vallāh)
    • Urdu: وَاللّٰہ (vāllāh)
• → Albanian: vallahi
• → Danish: wallah
• → Dutch: wollah
• → English: wallah
• → French: wallah
• → German: wallah
• → Hebrew: וַאלְלַהּ (wálla)
• → Ottoman Turkish: والله (vallâhi)
  • Turkish: vallahi
• → Swedish: wallah
• → Swahili: wallahi
• → Bambara: walayi

Egyptian Arabic

Etymology

From Arabic وَٱللّٰهِ (wal-lāhi). Equivalent to وـ (w-, “by (in oaths)”) +‎ الله (allāh, “God”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [wɑˈɫːɑhi]

Interjection

والله • (wallāhi)

1. by God, on God; I swear
2. really?, really!

   Synonym: بجدّ (bigadd)

Usage notes

Over-usage of, or using oaths in lies, is religiously frowned-upon.

See also

• والنبي (win-nabi, “please”)

Ottoman Turkish

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic وَٱللّٰهِ (wal-lāhi).

Adverb

والله • (vallâhi)

1. truthfully, honestly

Interjection

والله • (vallâhi)

1. by God, begad, egad, by golly

Descendants

• Turkish: vallahi

Persian

Alternative forms

• والا (wāllā / vâllâ)

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic وَٱللّٰهِ (wal-lāhi, “by God”). By surface analysis, و (wa / va, “and”) +‎ الله (allāh / allâh, “God”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Persian) IPA^(key): /wal.ˈlaːh/

 

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [wäl.lɑ́ːʱ]

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [wäl.lɑ́ːʱ]
  • (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [wäl.lɑ́ː]
  • (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [wäl.lɔ́ː]

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [væl.lɒ́ːʰ]

• (Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [väl.lɔ́ʱ]

Readings
Classical reading?	wallāh
Dari reading?	wallāh
Iranian reading?	vallâh
Tajik reading?	valloh

• Audio (Iran):

  (file)

Adverb

والله • (wal-lāh / val-lâh) (Tajik spelling валлоҳ)

1. truthfully, honestly

Interjection

والله • (wal-lāh / val-lâh) (Tajik spelling валлоҳ)

1. by God!
2. well

Descendants

• → Hindustani:
  • Hindi: वल्लाह (vallāh)
  • Urdu: وَاللّٰہ (vallāh)

South Levantine Arabic

Etymology

From Arabic وَٱللّٰهِ (wal-lāhi, literally “by God”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /walˤ.lˤa/, [ˈwɑlˤ.lˤɑ]
• IPA^(key): /walˤ.lˤaː.hi/, [wɑlˤˈlˤɑː.hi]

• Audio (Ramallah):

  (file)

Interjection

والله • (waḷḷa, waḷḷāhi)

1. really!, by God!

   Synonyms: عن جد (ʕan jadd), فعلا (fiʕlan)