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Wallah Noun Hindi Combination Munro Wah Luh Suffix Vālā

Wallah, a Hindi suffix meaning 'one in charge', is used in English to denote a person associated with a specific job or duty, often as part of a compound term.

Wallah is a Hindi suffix meaning 'one in charge', used in English to denote a person associated with a particular job or duty, often in combination with another word.

Word wallah
Date May 26, 2007
Type noun
Syllables WAH-luh
Etymology "Wallah" comes from the Hindi suffix "-vālā," meaning "one in charge." Like its Hindi counterpart, "wallah" is commonly used in combination with other nouns. The first use of "wallah" appeared as "lootywallah" in a narrative penned by Officer Innes Munro describing his time deployed on the Coromandel Coast of India in the 1780s. "Looty," or "lootie," was a noun sometimes applied to a member of a band of marauders or robbers. In the narrative, Munro used the term to describe looting cavalrymen. In current writing, "wallah" is typically accompanied by words like "office" or "marketing."
Examples "Location, location and location. That's what it's all about, trumpet the real-estate wallahs." (Tony Baker, The Advertiser, August 3, 2005)
Definition : a person who is associated with a particular work or who performs a specific duty or service -- usually used in combination

Tags: wordoftheday::noun

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