wallah
adv/ˈwɑːlɑː/ · /wəˈlɑː/
Etymology From Arabic وَٱللّٰه (wal-lāh, literally “by God”).
wallah
noun/ˈwɑːlə/ · /ˈwɒlə/
Etymology Either from Hindi -वाला (-vālā, “pertaining to”) or from Hindi वाला (vālā, “person in charge”).
1
India, North A servant or other person responsible for something, often specified before it, for example kitchen wallah.
- Kindly take one of my cigarettes, sir. Do you not admire my new silver case, sir? From the boxwallah, two rupees eight annas.1931, George Orwell, A Hanging:
2
India, North, Abbreviation, Ellipsis, Historical Ellipsis of competition wallah.
- Derived terms
- base wallah, boxwallah, boxwalla, compass wallah, competition wallah, dabbawalla, dudhwallah, ground wallah, puncture-wallah, punkahwallah
- Related terms
- topeewala