awa

See also: Appendix:Variations of "awa"

Languages (44)

Translingual • English

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Angolar • Atong (India) • Bangi • Barapasi • Bole • Cebuano • Chickasaw • Chungli Ao • Chuukese • Guajajára • Gun • Hausa • Hawaiian • Hiligaynon • Jamamadí • Japanese • Javanese • Kapampangan • Kavalan • Lingala • Māori • Marshallese • Media Lengua • Nheengatu • Nigerian Pidgin • Old English • Old Polish • Papiamentu • Plains Cree • Pohnpeian • Polish • Rade • Scots • Spanish • Tagalog • Ternate • Tewa • Waigeo • Yami • Ye'kwana • Yoruba • Zazaki

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Page categories

Translingual

Symbol

awa

1. (international standards) ISO 639-2 & ISO 639-3 language code for Awadhi.

English

Alternative forms

• ava

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Oceanic *kawaʀ

Proto-Polynesian *kawa

Hawaiian ʻawabor.

English awa

Borrowed from Hawaiian ʻawa. Doublet of ava, kava, kawa, and yava.

Noun

awa (uncountable)

1. Kava, specifically Piper methysticum.
   • 1874, Charles Nordhoff, Northern California, Oregon, and the Sandwich Islands‎^[4], New York: Harper & Brothers, page 92:

     The manner of preparing awa is peculiarly disgusting. The root is chewed by women, and the spit out well-chewed mouthfuls into a calabash.

   • 1900, Oliver P. Emerson, “The Awa Habit of the Hawaiians”, in All about Hawaii: The Recognized Book of Authentic Information on Hawaii, Combined with Thrum's Hawaiian Annual and Standard Guide‎^[5], Honolulu: Honolulu Gazette Co., page 131:

     The awa plant is a species of pepper, the piper methysticum of the botanist, and is described as having fleshy stems from two to three feet high.

   • 1911 October 26, Daniel Logan, editor, The Hawaiian Forester and Agriculturist‎^[6], volume 8, Honolulu, Hawaii, page 356:

     The majority say that there is little awa growing wild on Government lands, the bulk of that at present in the market being obtained from cultivated patches.

2. An intoxicating drink made from the kava plant, typically the root.
   • 1900, Oliver P. Emerson, “The Awa Habit of the Hawaiians”, in All about Hawaii: The Recognized Book of Authentic Information on Hawaii, Combined with Thrum's Hawaiian Annual and Standard Guide‎^[7], Honolulu: Honolulu Gazette Co., page 134:

     The Hawaiian gods were supposed to be particularly addicted to the use of awa. Songs were sung in praise of the drink.

   • 1910, S. M. Kanakau, “Ancient Hawaiian Religious Beliefs and Ceremonies”, in Thros. G. Thrum, editor, The Hawaiian Annual for 1911‎^[8], Honolulu: Thros. G. Thrum, page 150:

     When the prayer had finished, the awa was drunk and the sacred feast then began.

Angolar

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *h₂ékʷeh₂

Proto-Italic *akʷā

Latin aqua

Old Galician-Portuguese agua

Portuguese água

Angolar awa

Inherited from Portuguese água.

Noun

awa

1. water

References

• Philippe Maurer (1995), L'angolar : un créole afro-portugais parlé à São Tomé : notes de grammaire, textes, vocabulaires (Kreolische Bibliothek; 16) (in French), Hamburg: H. Buske, →ISBN, →OCLC: “awa [HH] eau (ptg. agua). awa boka bave. awa ngairu ruisseau, fleuve. awa ȏngȇ n'na ome sperme. awa rago ~ rogo eau de noix de coco. awa wȇ larme.”

Atong (India)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /awa/

Noun

awa (Bengali script আৱা)

1. father

Synonyms

• baba
• wa•

References

• van Breugel, Seino. 2015. Atong-English dictionary, second edition. Available online: https://www.academia.edu/487044/Atong_English_Dictionary.

Bangi

Adverb

awa

1. here

Barapasi

Noun

awa

1. fire

References

• Bill Palmer, editor (2018), The Languages and Linguistics of the New Guinea Area, Berlin: de Gruyter, →ISBN, page 516

Bole

Verb

àwā

1. open
2. show

References

• Gimba, Alhaji M.; Ali, Malam B.; Bah, Madu (2009), Schuh, Russell G., editor, Bole-English-Hausa Dictionary‎^[9], 2nd edition, Potiskum: Ajami Press, page 9

Cebuano

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: a‧wa

Etymology 1

Unknown

Noun

awa

1. a wild sea dwelling milkfish (Chanos chanos); as opposed to milkfish raised in aquaculture (see usage notes)
2. the Hawaiian ladyfish (Elops hawaiensis)

Usage notes

• Awa, alternatively named inahan sa bangus, mainly refers to the wild milkfish while bangus refer mostly to the cultivated milkfish.

Etymology 2

Short for tan-awa

Interjection

awa

1. look!

Chickasaw

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /a.wa/

Conjunction

awa

1. and (used only in numerical expressions such as awa chaffa)

Derived terms

• pokkóꞌli awa chaffa
• pokkóꞌli awa chakkáꞌli
• pokkóꞌli awa hannáꞌli
• pokkóꞌli awa ontochchóꞌna
• pokkóꞌli awa ontoklo
• pokkóꞌli awa oshta
• pokkóꞌli awa talhlháꞌpi
• pokkóꞌli awa tochchíꞌna
• pokkóꞌli awa toklo

Descendants

• Mobilian: awa

Chungli Ao

Etymology

From Proto-Central Naga *ɣaʔ.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /a˥.waʔ˩/, [a˥.waʔ˩]

Verb

awa

1. to swim

Inflection

Inflection of awa (Chungli)

		Affirmative	Negative
Past	Simple	awa	mawa
	Perfect	waogo	mewaogo
Present	Simple	awar	mawar
	Progressive	wadar wadagi	mewadar mewadagi
Future/infinitive		awatsü	mawatsü
Imperative		wang	tawa
Present participle		wa-a	mewai
Conditional		wara warabang	mewara mewarabang

Further reading

• Bruhn, Daniel Wayne (2014), A Phonological Reconstruction of Proto-Central Naga‎^[10], Berkeley: University of California, pages 63, 181
• Gowda, K. S. Gurubasave (1985), Ao-English-Hindi Dictionary, Mysore: Central Institute of Indian Languages, page 13
• Clark, Mary M. (1893), Ao Naga grammar with illustrative phrases and vocabulary, Molung: Assam Secretariat Printing Office, page 168

Chuukese

Etymology

Borrowed from English hour.

Noun

awa

1. hour

References

• Goodenough, Ward H.; Sugita, Hiroshi (1980), “awa”, in Trukese–English Dictionary‎^[11], Philadelphia, PA: American Philosophical Society, →ISBN, page 21

Guajajára

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Tupi-Guarani *aβa.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aˈwa/, [aˈʷa]
• Rhymes: -a
• Hyphenation: a‧wa

Noun

awa

1. man

Derived terms

• awakwer
• awanem
• awapihun
• awate

References

• Carl Harrison, Carole Harrison (2013), “awa”, in Dicionário Guajajára-Português (overall work in Portuguese), Anápolis: SIL Brasil, page 16, column 1

Gun

Etymology

From Proto-Gbe *-bá, *-bɔ́, from the older Proto-Volta-Niger *ɔ́-bɔ́. Cognate with Fon awà (“arm”), Fon abǎ (“arm”), Saxwe Gbe abɔ́ (“arm”), Aja (West Africa) abɔ (“arm”), Aja (West Africa) aba (“arm”), Ayizo awa (“forearm”), Ayizo aba (“arm”), Ewe abɔ (“arm”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ā.wà/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

awà (plural awà lɛ́ or awà lẹ́)

1. wing
2. arm

Hausa

Etymology

Borrowed from English hour.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʔá.wàː/
  • (Standard Kano Hausa) IPA^(key): [ʔá.wàː]
• Hyphenation: a‧wa

Noun

awā̀ f (plural awōyī, possessed form awàr̃)

1. hour

   Synonym: sa'a

Hawaiian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈa.wa/, [ˈɐ.ʋə]

Etymology 1

From Proto-Polynesian *awa (“channel, opening in a reef”), from Proto-Central Pacific *awa, from Proto-Oceanic *sawaŋ, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *sawaŋ, from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *sawaŋ, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *sawaŋ. Cognates include Māori awa, Tahitian ava, Tongan ava and Samoan ava.

Noun

awa

1. channel, passage
2. port, harbor, cove

   Synonyms: hono, hana

Related terms

• awāwa

References

• Pukui, Mary Kawena; Elbert, Samuel H. (1986), “awa”, in Hawaiian Dictionary, Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, →ISBN, page 33

Etymology 2

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

Noun

awa

1. milkfish

Hiligaynon

Noun

áwà

1. compassion, mercy, pity

Jamamadí

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Arawan *aga.

Noun

awa

1. (Banawá) wood

References

• 2007. The UCLA Phonetics Lab Archive. Los Angeles, CA: UCLA Department of Linguistics.

Japanese

Romanization

awa

1. Rōmaji transcription of あわ

Javanese

Romanization

awa

1. romanization of ꦲꦮ

Kapampangan

Etymology

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *quhaw (compare Tagalog uhaw, Cebuano uhaw, Hiligaynon uhaw, Tausug uhaw, Waray-Waray uhaw), from Proto-Austronesian *quSaw.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /əˈwa/ [əˈwa]
• Hyphenation: á‧wa

Noun

awa

1. thirst
2. (figurative) craving; strong desire (for something)

   Synonyms: bisa, maibug, kasabikan

Adjective

awa

1. thirsty

   Synonyms: mawa, kawa

2. lacking moisture; dry (as of soil)

   Synonyms: tigang, langi

3. (figurative) having a craving or strong desire (for something)

   Synonyms: bisa, maibug, kasabikan

Derived terms

• kakawa
• kumawa
• mikawa

Interjection

awa

1. alternative spelling of wa
2. alternative spelling of ua
3. alternative spelling of uwa

Kavalan

Etymology

From Japanese [Term?].

Noun

awa

1. drinkware; cup; glass

Lingala

Adverb

awa

1. here

Māori

Etymology

From Proto-Polynesian *awa (“channel, opening in a reef”), from Proto-Central Pacific *awa, from Proto-Oceanic *sawaŋ, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *sawaŋ, from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *sawaŋ, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *sawaŋ. Cognates include Rarotongan ava, Tahitian ava and Samoan ava.

Other Polynesian languages generally retain the Proto-Polynesian meaning (e.g. Samoan and Hawaiian awa); the Māori cognate gains the additional meaning of “river”, as the large rivers encountered in newly explored New Zealand were perceived as more similar to channels than the small streams known to Māori ancestors. The Proto-Polynesian term for “flowing waters” was *waitafe, corresponding to wai tahe — see also Hawaiian waikahe, Tongan vaitafe and Samoan vaitafe.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈawa/ [ˈɐwɐ]

Noun

awa

1. river, creek, stream

   Synonym: wai

2. groove, fluting
3. (archaic) channel

   Synonym: hongere

4. (archaic) landing for canoes

Derived terms

• awa kōpaka (“glacier”)
• awaawa (“gully”)
• ngutuawa (“river mouth”)

Further reading

• Williams, Herbert William (1917), “awa”, in A Dictionary of the Maori Language, 5th edition, Wellington, N.Z.: Marcus F. Marks, page 28
• John C. Moorfield (2011), “awa”, in Te Aka: Māori–English, English–Māori Dictionary and Index, 3rd edition, Longman/Pearson Education New Zealand, →ISBN

Marshallese

Etymology

Borrowed from English hour.

Pronunciation

• (phonetics) IPA^(key): [ɑwɑ]
• (phonemic) IPA^(key): /ɰæwæɰ/
• Bender phonemes: {hawah}

Noun

awa (inalienable awaō, construct awaan) (alienable)

1. hour (time period of sixty minutes)

   Awaan waj ko adjeel kein.

   Here are the watch hours for the three of us.

2. timepiece, such as a clock, watch etc.

   Joļo̧k bōd ak ej jab jerbal awa e.

   I'm sorry but that clock doesn't work.

3. time (as indicated by a clock), o'clock

   Jete awa ilo awa n̄e i lowa?

   What time does the clock inside say?

Verb

awa (transitive awaik, causative kaawawa) (intransitive, predicative)

1. to be the time (for something)

   Eawa.

   It's time [to go].

2. to be late, to run late

   Ij etal kiiō bwe eawaūk eō.

   I'm going now because I'm late.

Derived terms

• awa in... (“... time”)
• awaik (“to run late”)

Usage notes

awa specifically refers to clock time or hours. For time in general, iien is used.

See also

• alen (“time (instance)”)
• kattōn (“time (instance)”)
• tōre (“time (era, period, events)”)

References

• Abo, Takaji; Bender Byron W.; Capelle, Alfred; DeBrum, Tony (2009–), “awa”, in Marshallese–English Online Dictionary‎^[12]
• Nik Willson (2014), Naan‎^[13], Majuro, Marshall Islands, pages 913–4

Media Lengua

Noun

awa

1. water

References

• Pidgins and Creoles: An Introduction (1995, →ISBN)

Nheengatu

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈawa/, [ˈa.wɐ]
• Rhymes: -awa
• Homophone: -awa

Etymology 1

Inherited from Old Tupi aba.

Noun

awa (IIf class pluriform, plural awa-itá, absolute awa, R1 rawa, R2 sawa)

1. contour feather; plumage

   Coordinate term: pepú (“flight feather”)

2. (loosely) any feather
3. fur
4. body hair
5. (rare) headhair

Derived terms

• esá-pirera-rawa
• esá-rawa
• pirandira-wakará-rawa

Verb

awa (2nd class)

1. to be feathery
2. to be hairy

Etymology 2

Inherited from Old Tupi 'aba.

Noun

awa (plural awa-itá)

1. head of hair

Derived terms

• awaíma

Etymology 3

Inherited from Old Tupi oba, from Proto-Tupi-Guarani *oβ.

Noun

awa (IIf class pluriform, plural awa-itá, absolute awa, R1 rawa, R2 sawa)

1. leaf

Derived terms

• uka-rawa
• wasaí-rawa

Nigerian Pidgin

Etymology

From English our.

Adjective

awá

1. our

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *aiw.

Adverb

āwa

1. always, ever, forever

Old Polish

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *ā

Proto-Balto-Slavic *ā

Proto-Slavic *a

Old Polish a

Old Polish wa

univ.

Old Polish awa

Univerbation of a + wa. First attested in the 14th century.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (10^th–15^th CE) /a(ː)va/
• IPA^(key): (15^th CE) /ava/, /ɒva/

Particle

awa

1. (attested in Lesser Poland) here!
   • c. 1301-1350, Kazania świętokrzyskie‎^{scan transliteration, transcription}, Miechów, page dv 4:

     Aua tih slov [wykład z języ]ka lacinskego v polsky iesc taky

     [Awa tych słow [wykład z języ]ka łacińskiego w polski jeść taki]

Descendants

• Middle Polish: awa

References

• Bożena Sieradzka-Baziur, et al., editors (2011–2015), “awa”, in Słownik pojęciowy języka staropolskiego [Conceptual Dictionary of Old Polish] (in Polish), Kraków: IJP PAN, →ISBN

Papiamentu

Etymology

From Portuguese água and Spanish agua and Kabuverdianu agu.

All three forms come from Latin aqua, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ekʷeh₂.

Noun

awa

1. water

   awa den tera ― groundwater

   awa dushi ― fresh water

   awa salu ― salt water

References

• Pidgins and Creoles: An Introduction (1995, →ISBN)

Plains Cree

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ʌˈwʌ]
• Hyphenation: a‧wa

Pronoun

awa anim sg (animate plural ôki, inanimate singular ôma, inanimate plural ôhi, Syllabics ᐊᐊᐧ)

1. (preceding a noun) this

   nipâw awa atim ― this dog is sleeping

2. (following a noun) this is

   atim awa ― this is a dog

Related terms

• ana (“that”)
• nâha (“that (over there)”)

References

• awa in Plains Cree Online Dictionary

Pohnpeian

Etymology

Borrowed from English hour.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɐwɐ/

Noun

awa

1. hour

References

• “awa”, in New Pohnpeian-English Online Dictionary‎^[14], Honolulu, HI: University of Hawaiʻi

Polish

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *ā

Proto-Balto-Slavic *ā

Proto-Slavic *a

Old Polish a

Old Polish wa

univ.

Old Polish awa

Polish awa

Inherited from Old Polish awa. By surface analysis, univerbation of a + wa.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /ˈa.va/

• (Middle Polish) IPA^(key): /ˈa.va/, /ˈɒ.va/

• Rhymes: -ava
• Syllabification: a‧wa

Particle

awa

1. (Middle Polish) expresses uncertainty; maybe, perhaps [16th c]
2. (Middle Polish) interrogative particle: introduces a yes-no question [17th–18th c.]

Rade

Noun

awa

1. uncle

   Awa kâo dôk mă bruă.

   My uncle goes to work.

References

• H Za Wut Buôn Yă (2025) Từ vựng tiếng Êđê. Nhà xuất bản Lao Động.

Scots

Etymology

From Middle English awey, from Old English onweġ.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /əˈwɑː/

Adverb

awa (not comparable)

1. away

Adjective

awa (comparative mair awa, superlative maist awa)

1. absent, gone, distant

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈawa/ [ˈa.wa]
• Rhymes: -awa
• Syllabification: a‧wa

Noun

awa f (plural awas)

1. eye dialect spelling of agua (“water”)

Tagalog

Alternative forms

• aua — obsolete, Spanish-based spelling

Etymology

Said to be from Sanskrit आवह् (āvah, “favor”).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /ˈʔawaʔ/ [ˈʔaː.wɐʔ]
• Rhymes: -awaʔ
• Syllabification: a‧wa

Noun

awà (Baybayin spelling ᜀᜏ)

1. compassion; mercy; pity

   Synonyms: habag, pagkahabag, hambal, lunos, miserikordiya

Derived terms

• awang-awa
• ipagmakaawa
• kaawa-awa
• kaawaan
• kawanggawa
• kawawa
• kung may awa ang Diyos
• maawa
• maawain
• magmakaawa
• mapagkawanggawa
• naaawa
• nakaaawa
• nasa Diyos ang awa, nasa tao ang gawa
• pagkaawa
• pagkakawanggawa
• pagkamaawain
• pagmamakaawa
• pasang-awa
• sa awa ng Diyos
• walang-awa

Related terms

• Madlang-awa

Further reading

• “awa”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, 2018
• Noceda, Fr. Juan José de; Sanlucar, Fr. Pedro de (1860), Vocabulario de la lengua tagala, compuesto por varios religiosos doctos y graves, y coordinado por…, ultimamente aumentado y corregido por varios religiosos de la Orden de Agustinos calzados.‎^[15] (overall work in Spanish and Classical Tagalog), Manila: Ramírez y Giraudier.

Ternate

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈa.wa]

Noun

awa

1. rainbow

Etymology 2

Possibly the same as the previous etymology, as a semantic extension.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈa.wa]

Noun

awa

1. sign, mark

References

• Rika Hayami-Allen (2001), A descriptive study of the language of Ternate, the northern Moluccas, Indonesia, University of Pittsburgh

Tewa

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʔɑ̀wɑ̀/ [ʔɑ̀.wɑ̀]

Noun

awa

1. cattail

References

• Martinez, Esther (1982), San Juan Pueblo Téwa Dictionary, San Juan Pueblo Bilingual Program, San Juan Pueblo, New Mexico: Bishop Publishing Co., →OCLC, page 44

Waigeo

Pronoun

awa

1. second person singular pronoun: you

See also

Waigeo personal pronouns

			singular	dual	paucal	plural
1st person	inclusive		ine	tutne	tútne	isne
	exclusive			umne	atúmne	ámne
2nd person			awa	mowá	matúa	mewá
3rd person	animate	subject	ia	ua		sia
		object	i			si
	inanimate	subject	ana	sia
		object		asi

References

• Arnold, Laura (2018), Grammar of Ambel, an Austronesian language of Raja Ampat, west New Guinea (PhD thesis)‎^[16]

Yami

Noun

awa

1. sea

Ye'kwana

Variant orthographies

ALIV	awa
Brazilian standard	awa
New Tribes	awa

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [awa]

Noun

awa (possessed awadü or ewadü)

1. (Brazil) alternative form of öwa (“cemetery”)

Yoruba

Alternative forms

• ìn-a (Ekiti)

Etymology

Cognate with Igala àwa

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /à.wā/

Pronoun

àwa

1. we (emphatic first-person plural personal pronoun)

See also

Yoruba personal pronouns

		subject		object1	emphatic
		affirmative	negative
singular	1st person	mo	n̄ / mi	mi	èmi
	2nd person	o		ọ / ẹ	ìwọ
	3rd person	ó	[pronoun dropped]	[preceding vowel repeated for mono­syllabic verbs] / ẹ̀	òun
plural	1st person	a		wa	àwa
	2nd person	ẹ		yín	ẹ̀yin
	3rd person	wọ́n	wọn	wọn	àwọn

¹ Except for yín, object pronouns have a high tone following a low or mid tone monosyllabic verb, and a mid tone following a high tone. For complex verbs, the tone does not change.

Ijebu personal pronouns

		subject		object1	emphatic
		affirmative	negative
singular	1st person	mo	mèé	mi	èmi
	2nd person	wo	wé	ẹ	ìwọ
	3rd person	ó, é	[pronoun dropped]	[preceding vowel repeated for mono­syllabic verbs] / ẹ̀	òwun, òun
plural	1st person	a	á	ẹni	àwa
	2nd person	wẹn	wẹ́n	wẹn	ẹ̀wẹn
	3rd person	wọ́n	wọn	wọn	ọ̀wọn

¹ Object pronouns have a high tone following a low or mid tone monosyllabic verb, and a mid tone following a high tone. For complex verbs, the tone does not change.

Zazaki

Noun

awa

1. accusative singular of aw