وا

Arabic

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /waː/

Particle

وَا • (wā)

1. (usually with following noun ending in āhu or ā) oh, woe

   وَا أَسَفَاهُ! ― wā ʔasafāhu! ― wellaway, woe, alas, what grief!

   وَا حُزْنَاهُ عَلَيْكَ يَا أَبَتَاهُ! ― wā ḥuznāhu ʕalayka yā ʔabatāhu! ― Oh my sadness for you father!

   وَا فَرْحَتَاهُ! ― wā farḥatāhu! ― what joy!

   وَا حَرَّ قَلْبَاهُ! ― wā ḥarra qalbāhu! ― what pain, how heartburning!

   • Al-Mutanabbi

     وَا حَرَّ قَلْبَاهُ مِن مَنْ قَلْبُهُ شَبِمُ / وَمَنْ بِجِسْمِي وَحَالِي عِنْدَهُ سَقَمُ

     wā ḥarra qalbāhu min man qalbuhu šabimu / waman bijismī waḥālī ʕindahu saqamu

     Alas for a heart feverish on account of one whose heart is cold, and with whom there is a sickness in my body and estate.

See also

• يَا (yā)

Bakhtiari

Etymology 1

From Middle Persian abāy-. Cognate with Persian باید.

Verb

وا (vā)

1. must

   وا بری ― vā berī ― you must go

Etymology 2

From Middle Persian abāg. Cognate with Persian با.

Preposition

وا (vā)

1. with

   وا علی بی ― vā alī bī ― he was with Ali

Mazanderani

Etymology 1

From Proto-Indo-Iranian *HwaHyúš. Akin to Sanskrit वायु (vāyu), Middle Persian 𐭥‎𐭠‎𐭩 (way) and Avestan 𐬬𐬀𐬌𐬌𐬎 (vaiiu) .

Noun

وا (vâ)

1. air

   جوش وا ― juš-e vâ ― very hot weather

   وا بزوئن ― vâ bazoen ― to lie, to say nonsense (literally, “to hit air”)

   وا بییتن ― vâ bayiten ― to rot (literally, “to get air”)

2. weather

   وا دپیتن ― vâ dapiten ― start of a storm, sudden change of weather

3. pride, vanity

   وا بییتن ― vâ bayiten ― to get arrogant (literally, “to get air”)

Etymology 2

From Proto-Iranian *HwáHatah. Akin to Persian باد (bâd).

Noun

وا (vâ)

1. wind

   کنار وا ― kenâr vâ ― winds from the beach

2. swell

   وا هاکردن ― vâ hakerden ― to swell

3. a disease that affects sheep’s livers and other body parts

Etymology 3

Compare Persian وا (vâ, “open”), Persian باز (bâz).

Noun

وا (vâ)

1. open

   وا هاکردن ― vâ hakerden ― to open

   وا بویین ― vâ baviyen ― to be opened

Pattani Malay

Etymology

From Thai ว่าว (wâao). Cognate with Malay wau.

Noun

وا (wa) (Thai spelling วา)

1. kite (toy)

Synonyms

• لايٍي / ลาแย

Persian

Adverb

وا • (vâ)

1. (colloquial) open

Related terms

• وا کردن (vâ kardan)

See also

• باز (bâz)

Interjection

وا • (vâ)

1. (informal) indicates the speaker is surprised or confused.

Usage notes

Normally used by female speakers.

See also

• وای (vây)

Punjabi

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ʋäː]

Etymology 1

Inherited from Sanskrit वायु (vāyu). First attested as Old Punjabi واءِ (vā'i). Cognate with Sindhi واء.

Alternative forms

• با (bā) — dialectal, rare
• واءُ (vāu)

Noun

وا • (vā) m (Gurmukhi spelling ਵਾ)

1. (colloquial) air
2. (colloquial) wind

Declension

Declension of وا
dir. sg.	وا (vā)
dir. pl.	وا (vā)
	singular	plural
direct	وا (vā)	وا (vā)
oblique	وا (vā)	واواں (vāvāṉ)
vocative	واوا (vāvā)	واوو (vāvo)

Synonyms

• ہوا (havā)
• پوݨ (pauṇ)

Etymology 2

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Conjunction

وا • (vā) (Gurmukhi spelling ਵਾ)

1. and

Synonyms

• ار (ar)
• تتھا (tathā)

References

• “وا”, in Punjabi-English Dictionary, Patiala: Punjabi University, 2024
• “ਵਾ”, in Sri Guru Granth Sahib Dictionary, SriGranth.org, 2024

Urdu

Etymology 1

Adjective

وا • (vā)

1. open, open wide

   Synonyms: باز (bāz), واز (vāz)

Derived terms

• وا کرنا (vā karnā, “to open”)
• وا ہونا (vā honā, “to be open, opened”)

Etymology 2

Learned borrowing from Sanskrit वा (vā).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Urdu) IPA^(key): /ʋɑː/

Conjunction

وا • (vā) (Hindi spelling वा) (rare)

1. or

References

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