ولا
Arabic
Etymology
Morphologically وَ (wa, “and”) + لَا (lā, “not”).
Conjunction
وَلَا • (wa-lā)
- For non-idiomatic uses, see وَ (wa) and لَا (lā).
- أَقْرَأُ ٱلْكِتَابَ وَلَا أَفْهَمُ شَيْئًا مِنْهُ
- ʾaqraʾu l-kitāba wa-lā ʾafhamu šayʾan minhu
- I’m reading the book, and I do not understand anything in it.
- nor; (with a preceding negative) or
- لَمْ أَشْعُرْ بِٱلْحُزْنِ وَلَا بِٱلْفَرَحِ
- lam ʾašʿur bi-l-ḥuzni wa-lā bi-l-faraḥi
- I did not feel sadness nor joy.
- (idiomatic, used to emphasize a negative) (not) even; (not) at all
- لَنْ تَجِدَ خَيْرًا مِن هٰذَا وَلَا فِي أَمْرِيكَا
- lan tajida ḵayran min hāḏā wa-lā fī ʾamrīkā
- You won’t even find anything better than this in America.
- (literally, “You won’t find anything better than this, and not in America.”)
Hijazi Arabic
Etymology 1
From Arabic وَ (wa, “and”) + أَلَّا (ʾallā, “except”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /wal.la/
Conjunction
ولا • (walla)
- or
- تبغى هذا؟ وَلَّا هذا؟
- tibḡa hāda? walla hāda?
- do you want this? or that?
- Synonym: أو (ʾaw)
Etymology 2
From Arabic وَلَا (walā).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /wa.la/
Conjunction
ولا • (wala)
- nor, neither
- لا هدا ,ولا هداك
- lā hāda, wala hadāk
- not this, nor that
Moroccan Arabic
Etymology 1
From Arabic وَ (wa, “and”) + أَلَّا (ʾallā, “except”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /wal.la/
Conjunction
ولا • (walla)
- or
- شنو باغي تشري فالقمايص للعرس؟ هدا اللي مخطط بالاصفر ولا هداك اللي بلون موحد ومطرز بالصقلي زرق؟
- šnu bāḡi tašri f-le-qmāyiṣ l-el-ʕurs? hāda lli mḵaṭṭaṭ b-l-aṣfar walla hadāk elli b-lūn mwaḥḥad u mṭarraz b-eṣ-ṣqalli zraq?
- What do you want to buy for a wedding qmīṣ (Moroccan male dress) for the wedding? This yellow-stripped one or that one with one colour and embroidered with blue ṣqalli (Moroccan golden motif)?
- Synonyms: أو (ʔaw), أولا (ʔawla)
Etymology 2
From Arabic وَلَا (walā).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /wa.la/
Conjunction
ولا • (wala)
- nor, neither
- ما خاصني لا هادا ولا هداك.
- ma ḵāṣṣni lā hāda wala hadāk
- I don't want this nor that.
South Levantine Arabic
Etymology 1
From Arabic وَ (wa, “and”) + لَا (lā, “not”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /wa.la/, [ˈwa.la]
Audio (Ramallah) (file)
Conjunction
ولا • (wala)
- nor
- ما بدي هادا ولا هادا. ― mā biddi hāda wala hāda. ― I neither want this nor that.
Adverb
ولا • (wala)
- not even
Derived terms
- ولا حدا (wala ḥada, “no-one”)
- ولا مرة (wala marra, “never”)
Etymology 2
From Arabic وَ (wa, “and”) + إِلَّا (ʾillā, “except”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /wil.la/, [ˈwɪl.la]
Audio (Ramallah) (file)
Conjunction
ولّا • (willa)
- or (mutually exclusive alternatives)
- بدك هادا ولا هادا؟ ― biddak hāda willa hāda? ― Do you want this or that?
- Synonyms: أو (aw), يا ... يا (ya ... ya)