ولا

Arabic

Etymology

Morphologically وَ (wa, “and”) +‎ لَا (lā, “not”).

Conjunction

وَلَا • (wa-lā)

1. For non-idiomatic uses, see وَ (wa) and لَا (lā).

   أَقْرَأُ ٱلْكِتَابَ وَلَا أَفْهَمُ شَيْئًا مِنْهُ

   ʔaqraʔu l-kitāba wa-lā ʔafhamu šayʔan minhu

   I’m reading the book, and I do not understand anything in it.

2. nor; (with a preceding negative) or

   لَمْ أَشْعُرْ بِٱلْحُزْنِ وَلَا بِٱلْفَرَحِ

   lam ʔašʕur bi-l-ḥuzni wa-lā bi-l-faraḥi

   I did not feel sadness nor joy.

3. (idiomatic, used to emphasize a negative) (not) even; (not) at all

   لَنْ تَجِدَ خَيْرًا مِن هٰذَا وَلَا فِي أَمْرِيكَا

   lan tajida ḵayran min hāḏā wa-lā fī ʔamrīkā

   You won’t even find anything better than this in America.

   (literally, “You won’t find anything better than this, and not in America.”)

Chadian Arabic

Etymology

From Arabic وَ (wa, “and”) + أَلَّا (ʔallā, “except”).

Conjunction

ولا • (walla)

1. or

Particle

ولا • (walla)

1. introduces a yes-no question

   هو كبير ولا؟ ― hu kabīr walla? ― is he big?

References

• Heath, Judith, Mahadi, Mahamat Zene (2021) Lexique Arabe Tchadien-Français‎ (in French), 11th edition, N'Djamena, Chad: SIL Chad, page 150
• Alan S. Kaye (1976) Chadian and Sudanese Arabic in the light of comparative Arabic dialectology, Mouton, →ISBN

Hijazi Arabic

Etymology 1

From Arabic وَ (wa, “and”) + أَلَّا (ʔallā, “except”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /wal.la/

Conjunction

ولا • (walla)

1. or

   Synonym: أو (ʔaw)

   تبغى هذا؟ وَلَّا هذا؟ ― tibḡa hāda? walla hāda? ― do you want this? or that?

Etymology 2

From Arabic وَلَا (walā).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /wa.la/

Conjunction

ولا • (wala)

1. nor, neither

   لا هدا ,ولا هداك ― lā hāda, wala hadāk ― not this, nor that

Moroccan Arabic

Etymology 1

From Arabic وَ (wa, “and”) + أَلَّا (ʔallā, “except”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /wal.la/

Conjunction

ولا • (walla)

1. or

   Synonyms: أو (ʔaw), أولا (ʔawla)

   شنو باغي تشري فالقمايص للعرس؟ هدا اللي مخطط بالاصفر ولا هداك اللي بلون موحد ومطرز بالصقلي زرق؟

   šnu bāḡi tašri f-le-qmāyiṣ l-el-ʕurs? hāda lli mḵaṭṭaṭ b-l-aṣfar walla hadāk elli b-lūn mwaḥḥad u mṭarraz b-eṣ-ṣqalli zraq?

   What do you want to buy for a wedding qmīṣ (Moroccan male dress) for the wedding? This yellow-stripped one or that one with one colour and embroidered with blue ṣqalli (Moroccan golden motif)?

Etymology 2

From Arabic وَلَا (walā).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /wa.la/

Conjunction

ولا • (wala)

1. nor, neither

   ما خاصني لا هادا ولا هداك. ― ma ḵāṣṣni lā hāda wala hadāk ― I don't want this nor that.

South Levantine Arabic

Etymology 1

From Arabic وَ (wa, “and”) + لَا (lā, “not”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /wa.la/, [ˈwa.la]

• Audio (Ramallah):

  (file)

Conjunction

ولا • (wala)

1. nor

   ما بدي هادا ولا هادا. ― mā biddi hāda wala hāda. ― I neither want this nor that.

Adverb

ولا • (wala)

1. not even

Derived terms

• ولا حدا (wala ḥada, “no one”)
• ولا مرة (wala marra, “never”)
• ولا شي (wala shi, “nothing”)

Etymology 2

From Arabic وَ (wa, “and”) + إِلَّا (ʔillā, “except”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /wil.la/, [ˈwɪl.la]

• Audio (Ramallah):

  (file)

Conjunction

ولّا • (willa)

1. or (mutually exclusive alternatives)

   Synonyms: أو (aw), يا ... يا (ya ... ya)

   بدك هادا ولا هادا؟ ― biddak hāda willa hāda? ― Do you want this or that?