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

Conjunction

وا • (vā) (Gurmukhi spelling ਵਾ)

1. and

Synonyms

• ار (ar)

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.