والا

Persian

Etymology 1

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

Pronunciation

 

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 ġeyr-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

 

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 furūġ-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