wa

English Online Dictionary. What means wa‎? What does wa mean?

Translingual

Symbol

wa

1. (international standards) ISO 639-1 language code for Walloon.

See also

• Wiktionary’s coverage of Walloon terms

English

Etymology 1

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

Noun

wa

1. A traditional proa-style outrigger canoe of the Caroline Islands.

Etymology 2

From Thai วา (waa).

Noun

wa (plural wa)

1. A Thai unit of length, traditionally comparable to a fathom, and now officially equal to two metres.

Etymology 3

From Japanese 和 (wa).

Noun

wa (uncountable)

1. In Japanese society, the favouring of a harmonious community over one's personal interests.

Etymology 4

wa

1. (Stenoscript) Abbreviation of where.

Anagrams

• aw

Afrikaans

Etymology

From Dutch wagen.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /vɑː/

Noun

wa (plural waens, diminutive waentjie)

1. wagon
2. cart
3. automobile, car

Synonyms

• (car): kar

Derived terms

Amele

Noun

wa

1. water

References

• John R. Roberts, Amele Organised Phonology Data (1998)

Anguthimri

Noun

wa

1. (Mpakwithi) grey hair

References

• Terry Crowley, The Mpakwithi dialect of Anguthimri (1981), page 189

Antillean Creole

Etymology

From French roi.

Noun

wa

1. king

Atong (India)

Etymology

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s/p-wa. Cognate with Garo wa (“tooth, tusk”), Jingpho wa (“tooth”), Burmese သွား (swa:), and Tibetan སོ (so).

Noun

wa

1. tooth, tusk

References

• van Breugel, Seino. 2015. Atong-English dictionary, second edition. Available online: https://www.academia.edu/487044/Atong_English_Dictionary.

Bambara

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [wà]

Particle

wa

1. final interrogative particle on a yes/no question

Baoule

Adverb

wa

1. here

Bassa

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [wā]

Pronoun

wa

1. they, them

Verb

wa

1. to break

References

• Bassa-English Dictionary
• 2007. The UCLA Phonetics Lab Archive. Los Angeles, CA: UCLA Department of Linguistics.

Bau

Noun

wa

1. water

Further reading

• Hans van der Meer, Bau Organized Phonology Data

Butmas-Tur

Noun

wa

1. water

References

• Greenhill, S.J., Blust. R, & Gray, R.D. (2008). The Austronesian Basic Vocabulary Database: From Bioinformatics to Lexomics. Evolutionary Bioinformatics, 4:271-283.

Canela

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʋa/

Noun

wa

1. third-person of xwa

Egyptian

Romanization

wa

1. Manuel de Codage transliteration of wꜥ.

Etulo

Verb

wā

1. drink

   ḿ wēnî — I drink water

   ḿ wēnī — I drank water

References

• Rose-Juliet Anyanwu, Fundamentals of Phonetics, Phonology and Tonology (2008)

Garo

Alternative forms

• wagam

Etymology

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s/p-wa. Cognate with Jingpho wa (“tooth”), Burmese သွား (swa:), and Tibetan སོ (so).

Noun

wa

1. tooth

Gele'

Noun

wa

1. water

German

Etymology 1

Clipping of nicht wahr? (“(is it) not true?”).

Pronunciation 1

• IPA^(key): /va/
  • (Berlin) IPA^(key): [vɐ̠]

Particle

wa

1. (colloquial, regional, parts of northern and central Germany) right?; is it?; is it not?

   Synonyms: ne, oder, gell; see also Thesaurus:nicht wahr

Pronunciation 2

• IPA^(key): /vah/, /vhah/
  • IPA^(key): [ʋæh], [ʋhæh] (parts of northern Germany)

Particle

wa

1. (colloquial, potentially rude) what, huh (expresses that something was extremely hard to understand acoustically or outlandish in content)

   Synonyms: hä, hüä; was

Usage notes

• Also spelled wat. Especially common in Hamburg and western Holstein, where dialects traditionally drop final /t/ (especially after fricatives).

Etymology 2

Pronoun

wa

1. (colloquial) Pronunciation spelling of wir.

Gilbertese

Noun

wa

1. pirogue

Gun

Etymology

Stemming from the possible Proto-Gbe *bá, Proto-Gbe *vá, Proto-Gbe *wá, or Proto-Gbe *ɓá. Cognates include Fon wá, Saxwe Gbe va, Adja va, Ewe va. Possibly also cognates with Yoruba wá, Itsekiri wá, Olukumi wá

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /wá/

Verb

wá

1. to come

Haitian Creole

Alternative forms

• rwa

Etymology

From French roi (“king”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /wa/

Noun

wa

1. king

See also

• rèn

Ifè

Alternative forms

• وَ

Etymology

cognate with Yoruba wá

Pronunciation

Verb

wa (wá)

1. come

Jamaican Creole

Etymology

Derived from English what.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /wa/

Determiner

wa

1. what

Further reading

• wa at majstro.com

Japanese

Romanization

wa

1. The hiragana syllable わ (wa) or the katakana syllable ワ (wa) in Hepburn romanization.
2. The hiragana syllable は (wa) or the katakana syllable ハ (wa) in Hepburn romanization. (as particle)
3. The katakana syllable ウァ (wa) in Hepburn-like romanization.

Kapampangan

Interjection

wa

1. yes

   Antonym: ali

Kashubian

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *va.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈva/
• Rhymes: -a
• Syllabification: wa

Pronoun

wa

1. second-person plural pronoun; you

Declension

Further reading

• Eùgeniusz Gòłąbk (2011) “wy”, in Słownik Polsko-Kaszubski / Słowôrz Pòlskò-Kaszëbsczi‎^[1]
• “wa”, in Internetowi Słowôrz Kaszëbsczégò Jãzëka [Internet Dictionary of the Kashubian Language], Fundacja Kaszuby, 2022

Kituba

Verb

wa

1. to hear

Kumeyaay

Noun

wa

1. house

Ladino

Etymology

Probably from Moroccan Arabic ايوه (iwa).

Interjection

wa

1. (Haketia) so (used to introduce a new conversation or topic)

Lingala

Verb

wa

1. to die

Lorediakarkar

Noun

wa

1. water

Mandarin

Romanization

wa (wa⁵ / wa⁰, Zhuyin ˙ㄨㄚ)

1. Hanyu Pinyin reading of 哇

wa

1. Nonstandard spelling of wā.
2. Nonstandard spelling of wá.
3. Nonstandard spelling of wǎ.
4. Nonstandard spelling of wà.

Usage notes

• Transcriptions of Mandarin into the Latin script often do not distinguish between the critical tonal differences employed in the Mandarin language, using words such as this one without indication of tone.

Marshallese

Etymology

From Proto-Micronesian *waxa, from Proto-Oceanic *waga, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waŋka, from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waŋka. Cognate with Maori waka, Tongan vaka, Hawaiian waʻa.

Pronunciation

• (phonetic) IPA^(key): [wɑ]
• (phonemic) IPA^(key): /wæɰ/
• Bender phonemes:

Noun

wa

1. canoe, ship, boat
2. vehicle

References

• Marshallese–English Online Dictionary

Mokilese

Verb

wa

1. to carry

Derived terms

• wahdo
• wahla

Muong

Etymology

From Chinese 花 (MC xwae). Cognate with Vietnamese hoa.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /waː¹/, [waː¹ ~ βaː¹]

Noun

wa

1. (Mường Bi) flower

   Synonym: pông

Northern Ndebele

Etymology

From Proto-Bantu *-gʊ̀a.

Verb

-wa

1. to fall

Inflection

This entry needs an inflection-table template.

Northern Sotho

Etymology

From Proto-Bantu *-gʊ̀a.

Verb

wa

1. to fall

Oirata

Noun

wa

1. pea, bean

Old English

Alternative forms

• wei, wǣ

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *wai, from Proto-Germanic *wai, from Proto-Indo-European *wai.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /wɑː/

Interjection

wā

1. woe! alas! (expression of grief or anguish)

Derived terms

• wā lā wā

Adverb

wā

1. woe, ill

Related terms

• wāwa
• wēa

Descendants

• Middle English: wa, wo, woo
  • English: woe
  • Scots: wa, wae

Old Javanese

Etymology

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *baʀah.

Noun

wa

1. ember, glowing coal

Ottawa

Pronoun

wa anim sg (plural niwi, obviative giwi)

1. that

References

• Jerry Randolph Valentine (2001) Nishnaabemwin Reference Grammar, University of Toronto, page 123

Panim

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /wæ/

Noun

wa

1. water

Further reading

• Panim Talking Dictionary

Peranakan Indonesian

Etymology

Borrowed from Chinese Hokkien 我 (óa, “I, me, my”).

Pronoun

wa

1. I; me; my (first person pronoun)

Phuthi

Etymology

From Proto-Bantu *-gʊ̀a.

Verb

-wa

1. to fall

Inflection

This entry needs an inflection-table template.

Polish

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *va.

Pronunciation

• (Masovia):
  • (Near Masovian) IPA^(key): /ˈva/

Pronoun

wa

1. first-person dual pronoun; we

Further reading

• Zygmunt Wasilewski (1889) “wa”, in Jagodne: wieś w powiecie łukowskim, gminie Dąbie: zarys etnograficzny (in Polish), Warsaw: M. Arct, page 248

Polonombauk

Noun

wa

1. water

Sa

Noun

wa

1. water

Scots

Alternative forms

• waa, waw

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English wal, from Old English weall, from Proto-West Germanic *wall, from Latin vallum.

Noun

wa (plural was)

1. wall

References

• “wa, n., v.”, in The Dictionary of the Scots Language, Edinburgh: Scottish Language Dictionaries, 2004–present, →OCLC, retrieved 24 May 2024, reproduced from W[illiam] Grant and D[avid] D. Murison, editors, The Scottish National Dictionary, Edinburgh: Scottish National Dictionary Association, 1931–1976, →OCLC.

Shark Bay

Noun

wa

1. water

Slovincian

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *va.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈva/
• Rhymes: -a
• Syllabification: wa

Pronoun

wa

1. second person dual pronoun you two

Further reading

• Lorentz, Friedrich (1912) “vã”, in Slovinzisches Wörterbuch‎^[2] (in German), volume 2, Saint Petersburg: ОРЯС ИАН, page 1253

Sotho

Etymology

From Proto-Bantu *-gʊ̀a.

Verb

wa

1. to fall

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from English wow.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈwa/ [ˈwa]
• Rhymes: -a
• Syllabification: wa

Interjection

wa

1. (Panama, Venezuela) wow

   Synonyms: wow, guao

Further reading

• “¡wa!”, in Diccionario de americanismos [Dictionary of Americanisms] (in Spanish), Association of Academies of the Spanish Language [Spanish: Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española], 2010

Sumerian

Romanization

wa

1. Romanization of 𒉿 (wa)

Swahili

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

From Proto-Bantu *-báa (“to become”). The original copula was -li, which survives in relative forms. The form ni was a focus marker, while si appears to have been a general negative marker. In modern standard Swahili, these all came together into one paradigm.

Verb

-wa (infinitive kuwa)

1. to be

   Wewe ni nani? ― Who are you?
2. (in positive present) to become

   Inakuwa baridi. ― It is getting cold.

3. (auxiliary) dummy verb that takes tense marking while the main verb takes aspect marking

   nilikuwa ninaandika ― I was writing

4. (with specified location) stem of -wapo, -wako, or -wamo
5. (with na or a form thereof) stem of -wa na

Usage notes

The copula is often omitted in colloquial speech in the present tense, for example:

Conjugation

Etymology 2

Particle

wa

1. m-wa class_(I/II)/m class_(III)/u class_(XI) inflected form of -a

References

Tagalog

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /wa/ [wɐ]
• Rhymes: -a
• Syllabification: wa

Interjection

wa (Baybayin spelling ᜏ)

1. shoo; used to drive away pigs and other animals
2. used to express surprise, dismay, or sometimes a joke

See also

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /ˈwaʔ/ [ˈwaʔ]
• Rhymes: -aʔ
• Syllabification: wa

Interjection

wâ (Baybayin spelling ᜏ)

1. said to make small children and babies laugh (usually said when playing peekaboo)

Etymology 3

Influenced by Baybayin character ᜏ (wa).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /wa/ [wɐ]
• Rhymes: -a
• Syllabification: wa

Noun

wa (Baybayin spelling ᜏ)

1. the name of the Latin-script letter W/w, in the Abakada alphabet

   Synonym: (in the Filipino alphabet) dobolyu

See also

Further reading

• “wa”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, Manila, 2018

Anagrams

• aw

Tapayuna

Etymology 1

From Proto-Northern Jê *ba (“I”) < Proto-Cerrado *waj’ (“I”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈwa]

Pronoun

wa

1. I (nominative case)

Etymology 2

From Proto-Northern Jê *mba (“liver”) < Proto-Cerrado *mba (“liver”) < Proto-Jê *mba (“liver”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈw̃a]

Noun

wa

1. liver

Ternate

Etymology

Shortening of the negation particle ua.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈwa]

Particle

wa

1. sentence-final confirmation particle; isn't it?

   Bira moi rai, wa? ― The rice is already finished, right?

2. sentence-final that indicates the speaker knows or should know what is being said

   Ngori tonyodi kolano ua, wa. ― I did not see the king, as you know.

References

• Rika Hayami-Allen (2001) A descriptive study of the language of Ternate, the northern Moluccas, Indonesia, University of Pittsburgh

Torres Strait Creole

Adverb

wa

1. yes

Tsonga

Etymology

From Proto-Bantu *-gʊ̀a.

Verb

wa

1. to fall

Tswana

Etymology

From Proto-Bantu *-gʊ̀a.

Verb

wa

1. to fall

Unami

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [wa]

Pronoun

wa

1. this (animate)

See also

Venda

Etymology

From Proto-Bantu *-gʊ̀a.

Verb

wa

1. to fall

West Flemish

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *hwat, from Proto-Indo-European *kʷod.

Pronoun

wa

1. (interrogative) what

West Frisian

Etymology

From Old Frisian hwā, from Proto-West Germanic *hwaʀ.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /vaː/

Pronoun

wa

1. who (interrogative)

Derived terms

• wa't

Further reading

• “wa (I)”, in Wurdboek fan de Fryske taal (in Dutch), 2011

West Makian

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /wa/

Verb

wa

1. (intransitive) to stay

Conjugation

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /wa/

Adverb

wa

1. also

References

• Clemens Voorhoeve (1982) The Makian languages and their neighbours‎^[4], Pacific linguistics

Woleaian

Etymology

Cognate with Mokilese war (“canoe”)

Noun

wa

1. canoe

Xhosa

Etymology

From Proto-Bantu *-gʊ̀a.

Verb

-wa

1. (intransitive) to fall

Inflection

This verb needs an inflection-table template.

Yoruba

Alternative forms

• وَ

Etymology 1

Cognate with Igala wa

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /wā/

Determiner

wa

1. our (first-person plural possessive pronoun)

See also

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /wà/

Verb

wà

1. to be (have a location in space)

Derived terms

Etymology 3

From Proto-Edekiri *wá compare with the Proto-Gbe *bá, Proto-Gbe *vá, Proto-Gbe *wá, or Proto-Gbe *ɓá. Cognates include Fon wá, Gun wá, Adja vá, Saxwe Gbe va, Ewe va from the Gbe languages, in addition to Akan bra, Akan ba, Nkonya ba

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /wá/

Verb

wá

1. come

   Synonym: bọ̀

Synonyms

Etymology 4

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /wá/

Verb

wá

1. to look for

Derived terms

Etymology 5

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /wà/

Verb

wà

1. to drive

Derived terms

Zacatepec Chatino

Pronoun

wa

1. we (exclusive)

Zarma

Noun

wa

1. milk

Zay

Etymology

Cognate to Silt'e [script needed] (-wa:).

Conjunction

wa

1. and

References

• Initial SLLE Survey of the Zway Area by Klaus Wedekind and Charlotte Wedekind

Zia

Noun

wa

1. rain

Zulu

Etymology

From Proto-Bantu *-gʊ̀a.

Verb

-wa

1. (intransitive) to fall, to drop

Inflection

Derived terms

• iwa

References

• C. M. Doke, B. W. Vilakazi (1972) “wa”, in Zulu-English Dictionary, →ISBN: “wa”