ولو

Arabic

Etymology

وَ (wa, “and”) +‎ لَوْ (law, “if”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /wa.law/

Conjunction

وَلَوْ • (wa-law)

1. even if, albeit
   • 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 5:100:

     قُل لَّا يَسْتَوِي ٱلْخَبِيثُ وَٱلطَّيِّبُ وَلَوْ أَعْجَبَكَ كَثْرَةُ ٱلْخَبِيثِ ۚ فَٱتَّقُوا اللّٰهَ يَا أُولِي ٱلْأَلْبَابِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ

     qul lā yastawī l-ḵabīṯu waṭ-ṭayyibu walaw ʔaʕjabaka kaṯratu l-ḵabīṯi fa-ttaqū llāha yā ʔulī l-ʔalbābi laʕallakum tufliḥūna

     Say, "Not equal are the evil and the good, although the abundance of evil might impress you." So fear Allah, O you of understanding, that you may be successful.

   • 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 10:82:

     وَيُحِقُّ اللهُ الْحَقَّ بِكَلِمَاتِهِ وَلَوْ كَرِهَ الْمُجْرِمُونَ

     wayuḥiqqu llāhu l-ḥaqqa bikalimātihi walaw kariha l-mujrimūna

     And Allah will establish the truth by His words, even if the criminals dislike it.

Descendants

• → Malay: walau
  • → Indonesian: walau
• → Ottoman Turkish: ولو
  • → Turkish: velev

Ottoman Turkish

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic وَلَوْ (walaw).

Conjunction

ولو • (velev)

1. even if
2. even though

Descendants

• Turkish: velev

References

• Redhouse, James W. (1890), “ولو”, in A Turkish and English Lexicon‎^[1], Constantinople: A. H. Boyajian, page 2149

South Levantine Arabic

South Levantine Arabic phrasebook

This entry is part of the phrasebook project, which presents criteria for inclusion based on utility, simplicity and commonness.

Etymology

و (wa-, “and”) +‎ لو (law, “if”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /wa.law/, [waˈlaw]

• Audio (Ramallah):

  (file)

Conjunction

ولو • (wa-law)

1. even if

Interjection

ولو • (walaw, walaww)

1. you're welcome, don't mention it (as a reply to شكرا (šukran, “thank you”))

   Synonyms: عفوًا (ʕafwan), أهلا وسهلا (ʔahla w-sahla)

2. come on!, forget it!
3. oh really?, wow!