-वाला

Hindi

Etymology

    Inherited from Sanskrit पाल (pāla) + Middle Indo-Aryan -𑀓- (-ka-). Cognate with Bengali -ওয়ালা (-ōẇala).

    Pronunciation

    • (Delhi) IPA(key): /ʋɑː.lɑː/, [ʋäː.läː]

    Suffix

    -वाला • (-vālām

    1. (highly productive) one who does
      चाय (cāy, tea) + ‎-वाला (-vālā) → ‎चायवाला (cāyvālā, tea seller)
      डब्बा (ḍabbā, box) + ‎-वाला (-vālā) → ‎डब्बावाला (ḍabbāvālā, lunch deliverer, dabbawallah)

    Descendants

    • English: wallah

    Suffix

    -वाला • (-vālām

    1. denotes agentive verb forms
      लिखना (likhnā, to write) + ‎-वाला (-vālā) → ‎लिखनेवाला (likhnevālā, one who writes)
      छींकना (chī̃knā, to sneeze) + ‎-वाला (-vālā) → ‎छींकनेवाला (chī̃knevālā, one who sneezes)
    2. denotes prospective verb forms; going to, about to [when used with exclusive emphatic particle ही (hī)]
      मैं वहाँ जानेवाला था।ma͠i vahā̃ jānevālā thā.I was going to go there.वो यहाँ आनेवाली है।vo yahā̃ ānevālī hai.She is going to come here.वो यहाँ आने ही वाली है।vo yahā̃ āne hī vālī hai.She is about to come here.

    Adjective

    -वाला • (-vālā)

    1. doer (of a verb)
      वह झूठ बोलने-वाला आदमी नहीं है।
      vah jhūṭh bolne-vālā ādmī nahī̃ hai.
      He is not a man who lies.
    2. possess a feature (of a noun)
      नीली आँखों-वाली लड़कियां।nīlī ā̃khõ-vālī laṛkiyā̃.Blue eyed girls.

    Declension

    Declension of -वाला (ā-stem)
    masculine feminine
    singular plural singular plural
    direct -वाला
    -vālā
    -वाले
    -vāle
    -वाली
    -vālī
    -वाली
    -vālī
    oblique -वाले
    -vāle
    -वाले
    -vāle
    -वाली
    -vālī
    -वाली
    -vālī
    vocative -वाले
    -vāle
    -वाले
    -vāle
    -वाली
    -vālī
    -वाली
    -vālī

    References