wah

See also: Wah and wAH

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /wɑː/
  • (interjection also) IPA^(key): [wa(ːː)], [wæ(ːː)], [wæ̃̂ːː]
  • (interjection, etymology 3) IPA^(key): [wä(ːː)˦˨]

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɑː

Etymology 1

From Nepali [script needed] (wah donka).

Noun

wah (plural wahs)

1. (archaic) The red panda.

Etymology 2

Imitative.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /wæː/

Interjection

wah

1. A cry of fright, distress, etc. (especially of an infant or young child)
2. A cry of amazement, delight, etc.
3. (gaming, Super Mario canon) A cry from Waluigi that constitutes his signature catchphrase; it signals any of a wide range of emotions including surprise, excitement, exhilaration, dismay, self-pity, and rivalry.

Usage notes

The word is often extended, for instance "wahhhhhhh", "waaaaaah", etc.

Alternative forms

• weh

Translations

cry of fright

• Vietnamese: oe oe (vi) (by an infant), oa oa (vi) (by an infant), oe óe (vi)

cry of amazement

• Russian: уа-уа (ru) (ua-ua) (light and moderate cry), уа-а-а (ua-a-a) (loudest cry)

Etymology 3

Imitative.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /wɑː/

Noun

wah (plural wahs)

1. (music) wah-wah.

Derived terms

• wah pedal

Etymology 4

From Mandarin 哇 or Cantonese 嘩／哗.

Interjection

wah

1. (Singlish, Manglish) Wow!; whoa! (expressing surprise or amazement)
   • 2005 October 30, Wong Kim Hoh, The Sunday Times, quoted in Jack Tsen-Ta Lee, A Dictionary of Singlish and Singapore English:

     Wah, you quite brave hor...

Anagrams

• Haw, Haw., WHA, haw, wha

Khasi

Wah Umngot, Dawki, Meghalaya

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /waːʔ/

Noun

wah f

1. river

   Kyrteng aiu kane ka wah? ― What is the name of this river?

Mokilese

Etymology

From Proto-Oceanic *puaq (“fruit”), from Proto-Austronesian *buaq (“fruit”)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /waː/

Noun

wah

1. (one's) fruit

Declension

Possessive forms of wah (loose inalienable possession, -ah stem)

singular possessor	first person		wehioa
	second person		wehmwen
	third person		weh
dual possessors	first person inclusive		wehsa
	first person exclusive		wehma
	second person		wehmwa
	third person		wehra
plural possessors	first person inclusive		wehsai
	first person exclusive		wehmai
	second person		wehmwai
	third person		wehrai
remote plural possessors	first person inclusive		wehs
	first person exclusive		wehmi
	second person		wehmwi
	third person		wehr
construct form			wehn

Navajo

Interjection

wah

1. oops! (referring to oneself)
2. clumsy! (referring to someone else)
3. whew! (as one sits down after a strenuous activity)

Related terms

• waháá

Old English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /wɑːx/

Verb

wāh

1. first/third-person singular past indicative of wīgan

Old Javanese

Etymology

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *bahaq, compare Malay bah.

Noun

wah

1. flood

Pnar

Etymology

From Proto-Khasian *waʔ (“river”). Cognate with Khasi wah.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /waʔ/

Noun

wah

1. river

Southern Kam

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /wa³³/

Noun

wah

1. to say

Tarifit

Etymology

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

Particle

wah

1. yes

   Synonym: yih

See also

• lla (“no”)

Yucatec Maya

Noun

wah

1. Alternative spelling of waaj