ܘܠܐ

Assyrian Neo-Aramaic

Etymology 1

Root
ܘ ܠ ܐ (w l ˀ)
3 terms

Learned borrowing from Classical Syriac ܘܵܠܹܐ (wālē), from Aramaic וָלֵא (wālē, active participle of a defective verb, literally “it is fitting”).

Pronunciation

• (Standard) IPA^(key): [wɑːleː]

Adverb

ܘܵܠܹܐ • (wālē)

1. it is fitting, is it right; must, have to, should indicates obligation [with ܕ- (d-) ‘that’]

   Synonyms: ܙܵܕ݂ܹܩ (zāḏēq), ܓܵܪܲܓ (gārag), ܠܵܙܹܡ (lāzēm)

   ܫܵܥܲܬ݂ ܟܡܵܐ ܘܵܠܹܐ ܠܘܼܟ݂ ܕܗܵܘܹܝܬ ܬܲܡܵܐ؟ ― šāˁaṯ kmā wālē lūḵ d-hāwēt tammā? ― At what time do you have to be there?

   ܘܵܠܹܐ ܠܝܼ ܕܡܵܛܹܝܢ ܠܣܸܕ݂ܪܵܐ ܡ̣ܢ ܩܲܕ݇ܡ ܡܲܠܦܵܢܵܐ. ― wālē lī d-māṭēn l-siḏrā min qam malpānā. ― I must arrive in class before the teacher.

   ܠܵܐ ܘܵܠܹܐ ܠܹܗ ܕܦܵܠܹܫ ܥܲܡܵܗ̇. ― lā wālē lēh d-pālēš ˁammāh. ― He shouldn't fight with her.

Usage notes

• While ܘܵܠܹܐ (wālē) is an adverb, it is used in much the same way as a present-tense verb; followed by its suffixes agreeing with the subject in person, gender, and number. Its corresponding past tense is expressed by ܘܵܠܹܐ (wālē) + ܗ݇ܘܵܐ/ܗ݇ܘܵܬ݇/ܗ݇ܘܵܘ (wā).
• This adverb is considered to be of high modality; contrasted with ܫܘܼܕ (šūd) or ܝܵܐܹܐ (yāˀē, “should, ought to”) which is weaker and of medium to low modality.

Inflection

Inflection of ܘܵܠܹܐ (wālē)
Base Form			ܘܵܠܹܐ (wālē)
Personal-pronoun including forms	singular		plural
	m	f
1st person	ܘܵܠܹܐ ܠܝܼ (wālē lī)		ܘܵܠܹܐ ܠܲܢ (wālē lan)
2nd person	ܘܵܠܹܐ ܠܘܼܟ݂ (wālē lūḵ)	ܘܵܠܹܐ ܠܵܟ݂ܝ (wālē lāḵ)	ܘܵܠܹܐ ܠܵܘܟ݂ܘܿܢ (wālē lāwḵōn)
3rd person	ܘܵܠܹܐ ܠܹܗ (wālē lēh)	ܘܵܠܹܐ ܠܵܗ̇ (wālē lāh)	ܘܵܠܹܐ ܠܗܘܿܢ (wālē lhōn)

Derived terms

• ܘܵܠܝܼܬ݂ܵܐ (wālīṯā, “duty, obligation, honesty, that which is fitting”)
• ܘܵܠܝܵܝܵܐ (wālyāyā, “obligatory, adequate”)
• ܘܵܠܝܵܐܝܼܬ݂ (wālyāˀīṯ, “fittingly, decently”)

Etymology 2

From ܘ- (w-, “and”) +‎ ܠܵܐ (lā, “not”); compare Hebrew וָלֹא (való) and Arabic وَلَا (walā).

Pronunciation

• (Standard) IPA^(key): [wəlɑː]

Conjunction

ܘܠܵܐ • (w-lā)

1. nor, or else

   ܓܲܒ݂ܪܹ̈ܐ ܕܟܹܐ ܦܵܠܫܝܼ ܩܵܐ ܕܲܗܒ݂ܵܐ ܠܲܝܬ ܠܗܘܿܢ ܐܝܼܩܵܪܵܐ ܘܠܵܐ ܬܟ݂ܝܼܠܘܼܬ݂ܵܐ. ― gaḇrē d-kē pālšī qā dahḇā layt lhōn īqārā w-lā tḵīlūṯā. ― Men who fight for gold have neither honor nor loyalty.

   ܠܵܐ ܒܸܬ ܐܵܟ݂ܠܹܢ ܘܠܵܐ ܒܸܬ ܫܵܬ݂ܹܝܢ ܗܲܠ ܕܕܵܥܹܪ ܐܸܠܝܼ ― lā bit āḵlēn w-lā bit šāṯēn hal d-dāˁēr ilī ― I will not eat nor drink until he returns to me.

Classical Syriac

Etymology 1

Noun

ܘܠܐ • (wēlā(ʾ)) f (plural ܘܠܣ or ܘܠܐ)

1. Alternative spelling of ܘܝܠܐ

Etymology 2

Verb

ܘܠܐ • (wālē) m active participle

1. it is fitting, it is right

Etymology 3

From ܘ (w, “and”) and ܠܵܐ (lā, “not”).

Conjunction

ܘܠܐ • (w(ə)-lā)

1. nor