Anglo-Indian. Also wal(l)a, wollah. [a. Hindī -wālā, a suffix, forming adjs. with the sense ‘pertaining to or connected with’ what is denoted by the sb.; hence forming sbs., as in nāo-wālā boatman, Dillī-wālā inhabitant of Delhi. The suffix in this function may be compared to -ER1; Europeans have commonly apprehended it as a sb. equivalent to ‘man,’ ‘fellow.’]
a. In certain Hindī or Hindustānī words adopted in Anglo-Indian use or cited in popular Anglo-Indian spelling, as Agra wallah, native of Agra, banghy-wallah, a porter who carries loads with a banghy or shoulder-yoke, howdah-wallah, an elephant accustomed to carry a howdah, jungle-wallah, man of the jungle. See also LOOTIE-WALLAH, PUNKAH-wallah, TOPI-WALLAH.
Mrs. Sherwood’s purdah-walla (see PURDAH 3), applied to a woman, is a misuse.
1776. Trial of Nundocomar, 25/1. They were both Agra Walla’s … by Agra, I mean the place he came from.
1810. T. Williamson, E. Ind. Vade-mecum, I. 325. The bangy-wollah, that is, the bearer who carries the bangy, supports the bamboo on his shoulder, so as to equipoise the baskets suspended at each end.
1826. Galt, Last of Lairds, xvi. 146. The murderous old decoit and his Junglewallah of a servant.
1863. Trevelyan, Compet. Wallah, v. (1864), 113. My suite comprised sixteen bearers,… and four banghy-wallahs. Ibid., vi. 176. Strange stories these old howdah-wallahs could tell us, if they had the gift of speech!
b. Used as sb. with Eng. word prefixed attrib., in imitation of native derivatives with the suffix, as in box-wallah (BOX sb.2 24), competition wallah (COMPETITION 3).
1785. in Seton-Karr, Sel. Calcutta Gaz. (1864), I. 93. A band of good Patriot-wallabs.
1834. [A. Prinsep], Baboo, II. iii. 55 (Stanf.). These chits of 90, 50, and 200 rupees to box-walas from Mrs. Title.
1853. W. D. Arnold, Oakfield, I. 66. ‘Were you ever in the Lakes?’ ‘No, I’m a Suffolk walla.’
1894. Mrs. Dyan, Man’s Keeping (1899), 195. ‘The Inseparables’ … came in to superintend his toilet, accompanied by a ready-made clothes wallah and a barber.
1917. ‘Bartimeus,’ in Blackw. Mag., Sept., 299/1. Now, those fellows … those big-ship wallahs—they’re only just beginning to take Us seriously.
c. Short for competition-wallah.
1863. Trevelyan, Compet. Wallah, i. (1864), 9. Stories against the Competition Wallahs,… are told…. For instance: Story showing the Pride of Wallahs.—A Wallah being invited to dinner by a Member of Council, went out before the whole company.
1872. ‘Aliph Cheem’ (Yeldham), Lays of Ind (1876), 142. Each unemployed wallah so surely applies To be kindly allowed in that Station to stay, Doing his nothing, and drawing his pay.
1911. Sir W. F. Butler, Autob., iii. 45. M. sleeps. Enter the wallahs and servants.
