# وا
## Arabic
### Etymology 1
#### Pronunciation

* IPA: /uː/

#### Suffix

ـُوا • (-ū)
* Forms past-tense third-person plural masculine conjugations of verbs.
    ‎كَتَبَ (kataba, “he wrote”) + ‎ـُوا (-ū) → ‎كَتَبُوا (katabū, “they m wrote”)
* subjunctive/jussive of ـُونَ (-ūna, present-tense verb pluralizing suffix)

### Etymology 2
#### Pronunciation

* IPA: /waː/

#### Particle

وَا • (wā)
* (usually with following noun ending in āhu or ā) oh, woe
    وَا أَسَفَاهُ! ― wā ʔasafāhu! ― wellaway, woe, alas, what grief!
    وَا حُزْنَاهُ عَلَيْكَ يَا أَبَتَاهُ!wā ḥuznāhu ʕalayka yā ʔabatāhu!Oh my sadness for you father!
    وَا فَرْحَتَاهُ! ― wā farḥatāhu! ― what joy!
    وَا حَرَّ قَلْبَاهُ! ― wā ḥarra qalbāhu! ― what pain, how heartburning!
** Al-Mutanabbi
    وَا حَرَّ قَلْبَاهُ مِن مَنْ قَلْبُهُ شَبِمُ / وَمَنْ بِجِسْمِي وَحَالِي عِنْدَهُ سَقَمُwā ḥarra qalbāhu min man qalbuhu šabimu / waman bijismī waḥālī ʕindahu saqamuAlas for a heart feverish on account of one whose heart is cold, and with whom there is a sickness in my body and estate.

#### See also

* يَا (yā)

## Bakhtiari
### Etymology 1

From Middle Persian abāy-. Cognate with Persian باید.

#### Verb

وا (vā)
* must
    وا بری ― vā berī ― you must go

### Etymology 2

From Middle Persian abāg. Cognate with Persian با.

#### Preposition

وا (vā)
* with
    وا علی بی ― vā alī bī ― he was with Ali

### References

* ↑ Mackenzie, D.N. (1986). A Concise Pahlavi Dictionary.
* ↑ Mackenzie, D.N. (1986). A Concise Pahlavi Dictionary.

## Mazanderani
### Etymology 1

From Proto-Indo-Iranian *HwaHyúš. Akin to Sanskrit वायु (vāyu), Middle Persian 𐭥‎𐭠‎𐭩 (way) and Avestan 𐬬𐬀𐬌𐬌𐬎 (vaiiu) .

#### Noun

وا (vâ)
* air
    جوش وا ― juš-e vâ ― very hot weather
    وا بزوئن ― vâ bazoen ― to lie, to say nonsense (literally, “to hit air”)
    وا بییتن ― vâ bayiten ― to rot (literally, “to get air”)
* weather
    وا دپیتن ― vâ dapiten ― start of a storm, sudden change of weather
* pride, vanity
    وا بییتن ― vâ bayiten ― to get arrogant (literally, “to get air”)

### Etymology 2

From Proto-Iranian *HwáHatah. Akin to Persian باد (bâd).

#### Noun

وا (vâ)
* wind
    کنار وا ― kenâr vâ ― winds from the beach
* swell
    وا هاکردن ― vâ hakerden ― to swell
* a disease that affects sheep’s livers and other body parts

### Etymology 3

Compare Persian وا (vâ, “open”), Persian باز (bâz).

#### Noun

وا (vâ)
* open
    وا هاکردن ― vâ hakerden ― to open
    وا بویین ― vâ baviyen ― to be opened

## Pattani Malay
### Etymology

From Thai ว่าว (wâao). Cognate with Malay wau.

### Noun

وا (wa) (Thai spelling วา)
* kite (toy)

#### Synonyms

* لايٍي / ลาแย

## Persian
### Adverb

وا • (vâ)
* (colloquial) open

#### Related terms

* وا کردن (vâ kardan)

#### See also

* باز (bâz)

### Interjection

وا • (vâ)
* (informal) indicates the speaker is surprised or confused.

#### Usage notes

Normally used by female speakers.

#### See also

* وای (vây)

## Punjabi
### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ʋäː]

### Etymology 1

Inherited from Sanskrit वायु (vāyu). First attested as Old Punjabi واء (vā'u). Cognate with Sindhi واء (vā'u).

#### Alternative forms

* با (bā) — dialectal, rare
* واءُ (vāu)

#### Noun

وا • (vā) m (Gurmukhi spelling ਵਾ)
* air
* wind

##### Synonyms

* ہوا (havā)
* پوݨ (pauṇ)

### Etymology 2

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

#### Conjunction

وا • (vā) (Gurmukhi spelling ਵਾ)
* and
    Synonyms: اتے (ate), ار (ar), تتھا (tathā)

### References

* “وا”, in Punjabi-English Dictionary, Patiala: Punjabi University, 2025
* “ਵਾ”, in Sri Guru Granth Sahib Dictionary, SriGranth.org, 2025

## Urdu
### Etymology 1
#### Adjective

وا • (vā)
* open, open wide
    Synonyms: باز (bāz), واز (vāz)

##### Derived terms

* وا کرنا (vā karnā, “to open”)
* وا ہونا (vā honā, “to be open, opened”)

### Etymology 2

Learned borrowing from Sanskrit वा (vā).

#### Pronunciation

* (Standard Urdu) IPA: /ʋɑː/

#### Conjunction

وا • (vā) (Hindi spelling वा) (rare)
* or

### References

* Platts, John T. (1884) “وا”, in A dictionary of Urdu, classical Hindi, and English, London: W. H. Allen & Co.