لولا

Arabic

Etymology

لَوْ (law) +‎ لَا (lā).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /law.laː/

Conjunction

لَوْلَا • (lawlā)

1. if not for
   • 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 34:31:

     لَوۡلَاۤ أَنتُمۡ لَكُنَّا مُؤۡمِنِينَ

     lawlā ʔantum lakunnā muʔminīna

     If it weren't for you, we would have been believers

Usage notes

It is followed by a noun in the nominative case or a verb in the past tense. Pronouns can be either in nominative or genitive case:

• لَوْلَا ٱلنِّيلُ لَأَصْبَحَتْ مِصْرُ صَحْرَاءَ

  lawlā n-nīlu laʔaṣbaḥat miṣru ṣaḥrāʔa

  If it weren't for Nile, Egypt would be a desert.

• لَوْلَا أَنَا / لَوْلَايَ

  lawlā ʔanā / lawlāya

  if not for me

South Levantine Arabic

Etymology

لو (law, “if”) +‎ لا (la, “not”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /loː.la/, [ˈloː.la]

• Audio (Ramallah)

  (file)

Conjunction

لولا • (lōla)

1. if ... not (hypothetical condition)

Usage notes

• Although لولا (lōla) implies the negation, it can be optionally followed by the negation particle ما (ma) without changing the meaning.