بلاش

Has the form of a compound بَلَا (bala, “without”) +‎ شي (šī, “anything”), with the شي (šī, “anything”) clipped to result in ـش (-š) in the same way as in ـش (-š, negative particle). The word would have formed when final vowels had not yet become short and بَلَا (bala) was still pronounced بَلَا (balā).

• IPA^(key): /ba.ˈlaːʃ/
• (Lebanon) IPA^(key): /ba.ˈleːʃ/

بلاش • (balāš) m

1. No charge; no money; a price of zero; (in context) for free; gratis.

   ما في شي ببلاش غير العمى والطراش.

   Ma fi ši bi-balāš ḡayr il-ʿama wi-ṭ-ṭarāš.

   Nothing is for free except blindness and deafness. (A saying.)

2. (rare outside of set phrases) nothing

   Synonym: وَلَا شي (wala šī)

   أحسن من بلاش ― ʔaḥsan min balāš ― better than nothing

Probably from Arabic بِلَا شَيْء (bi-lā šayʔ, “for nothing”). Eventually the b- was considered part of the word, and the preposition ب (b(i)-) is now added before it again.

• IPA^(key): /ba.laːʃ/, [baˈlæːʃ]

• Audio (Jerusalem):

  (file)

بلاش • (balāš)

1. nothing

   Synonym: ولا إشي (wala ʔiši)

   Antonyms: كل إشي (kull ʔiši), كل شي (kull ši)

2. for free (without payment)

   أخدته ببلاش. ― ʔaḵadto bi-balāš ― I got it for free.

• بلا (bala, “without”)

بلاش • (balāš)

1. never mind!

   Synonym: ما عليش (ma ʕalēš, literally “there is nothing on it”)