والا

Persian

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Arabic وَإِلَّا (wa-ʾillā). By surface analysis, و (va) +‎ الا (ellâ).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Persian) IPA^(key): [wa.ʔil.ˈlɑː]

 

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [wä.ʔɪl.lɑ́ː]

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [wä.ʔɪl.lɑ́ː]
  • (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [wä.ʔɪl.lɑ́ː]
  • (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [wä.ʔil.lɔ́ː]

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [we.ʔel.lɒ́ː]

• (Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [vä.ʔil.lɔ́]

Readings
Classical reading?	wa-illā
Dari reading?	wa-illā
Iranian reading?	ve-ellâ
Tajik reading?	va-illo

Adverb

Dari	والا
Iranian Persian
Tajik	ваилло

والا • (vâ-ellâ)

1. otherwise, or else

   Synonyms: در غیر این صورت (dar ğeyr-e in surat), وگرنه (vagarna)

Etymology 2

Derived from Middle Persian [Book Pahlavi needed] (wʾl-ytn' /⁠wāl-īdan⁠/, “to grow, to prosper”), whence modern بالیدن (bâlidan, “to grow, to brag”). Doublet of بالا (bâlâ), derived with the same suffix from a different form of the same verb.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Persian) IPA^(key): [wɑː.lɑː]

 

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [wɑː.lɑː]

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [wɑː.lɑː]
  • (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [wɑː.lɑː]
  • (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [wɔː.lɔː]

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [vɒː.lɒː]

• (Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [vɔ.lɔ]

Readings
Classical reading?	wālā
Dari reading?	wālā
Iranian reading?	vâlâ
Tajik reading?	volo

Adjective

Dari	والا
Iranian Persian
Tajik	воло

والا • (vâlâ)

1. high, exalted, great, eminent
   • c. 1520, Selim I of the Ottoman Empire, edited by Benedek Péri, The Persian Dīvān of Yavuz Sulṭān Selīm, Budapest, Hungary: Research Centre for the Humanities, Eötvös Loránd Research Network, →ISBN, page 70:

     بنگر بچرخ و کوکبه لشکر نجوم
     کانها فروغ گوهر والای مسطفا

     bingar ba-čarx u kawkaba-yi laškar-i nujūm
     k-ānhā furūğ-i gawhar-i wālā-yi mustafā

     Look at the firmament and the pomp of the astral host,
     For they are a light from Muhammad's lofty essence.

     (Classical Persian transliteration)

Further reading

• Hayyim, Sulayman (1934) “والا”, in New Persian–English dictionary, Teheran: Librairie-imprimerie Béroukhim