English

Noun

wallah ‎(plural wallahs)

1. (India) A servant or other person responsible for something, often specified before it, for example kitchen wallah.
   • 1931, George Orwell, A Hanging

     Kindly take one of my cigarettes, sir. Do you not admire my new silver case, sir? From the boxwallah, two rupees eight annas.

2. (Britain, slang) A guy or bloke.

Derived terms

• boxwallah, boxwalla
• punkahwallah

Etymology 2

From Arabic وَٱللّٰه ‎(wal-lāh).

Alternative forms

• wallahee
• wellah
• wullah

Adverb

wallah ‎(not comparable)

1. (Islam) by God; used in making a solemn oath

Etymology 3

Interjection

wallah

1. Misspelling of voilà.

References

• Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary, Springfield, Massachusetts, G.&C. Merriam Co., 1967

French

Etymology

From Arabic وَٱللّٰه ‎(wa-llāh), I swear by God.

Interjection

wallah

1. (slang) wow (an expression of surprise)
2. (slang, Tunisian) I'm serious