# 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 مِنْهُʔaqraʔu l-kitāba wa-lā ʔafhamu šayʔan minhuI’m reading the book, and I do not understand anything in it.
* nor; (with a preceding negative) or
    لَمْ أَشْعُرْ بِٱلْحُزْنِ وَلَا بِٱلْفَرَحِlam ʔašʕur bi-l-ḥuzni wa-lā bi-l-faraḥiI did not feel sadness nor joy.
* (idiomatic, used to emphasize a negative) (not) even; (not) at all
    لَنْ تَجِدَ خَيْرًا مِن هٰذَا وَلَا فِي أَمْرِيكَاlan tajida ḵayran min hāḏā wa-lā fī ʔamrīkāYou won’t even find anything better than this in America.(literally, “You won’t find anything better than this, and not in America.”)

## Chadian Arabic
### Etymology

From Arabic وَ (wa, “and”) + أَلَّا (ʔallā, “except”).

### Conjunction

Template:shu-conjunction
* or

### Particle

Template:shu-particle
* introduces a yes-no question
    هو كبير ولا؟ ― hu kabīr walla? ― is he big?

### References

* Heath, Judith, Mahadi, Mahamat Zene (2021) Lexique Arabe Tchadien-Français‎ (in French), 11th edition, N'Djamena, Chad: SIL Chad, page 150
* Alan S. Kaye (1976) Chadian and Sudanese Arabic in the light of comparative Arabic dialectology, Mouton, →ISBN

## Hijazi Arabic
### Etymology 1

From Arabic وَ (wa, “and”) + أَلَّا (ʔallā, “except”).

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: /wal.la/

#### Conjunction

ولا • (walla)
* or
    Synonym: أو (ʔaw)
    تبغى هذا؟ وَلَّا هذا؟ ― tibḡa hāda? walla hāda? ― do you want this? or that?

### Etymology 2

From Arabic وَلَا (walā).

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: /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 (ʔallā, “except”).

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: /wal.la/

#### Conjunction

ولا • (walla)
* or
    Synonyms: أو (ʔaw), أولا (ʔawla)
    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)?

### Etymology 2

From Arabic وَلَا (walā).

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: /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: /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”)
* ولا شي (wala shi, “nothing”)

### Etymology 2

From Arabic وَ (wa, “and”) + إِلَّا (ʔillā, “except”).

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: /wil.la/, [ˈwɪl.la]
* Audio (Ramallah):(file)

#### Conjunction

ولّا • (willa)
* or (mutually exclusive alternatives)
    Synonyms: أو (aw), يا ... يا (ya ... ya)
    بدك هادا ولا هادا؟ ― biddak hāda willa hāda? ― Do you want this or that?