awa

See also: Appendix:Variations of "awa"

Languages (35)

Angolar • Atong (India) • Cebuano • Chickasaw • Chuukese • Guajajára • Gun • Hausa • Hawaiian • Hiligaynon • Jamamadí • Japanese • Javanese • Kavalan • Maori • Marshallese • Media Lengua • Nheengatu • Nigerian Pidgin • Old English • Old Polish • Papiamentu • Plains Cree • Pohnpeian • Polish • Scots • Spanish • Tagalog • Ternate • Yami • Ye'kwana • Yoruba • Zazaki

Page categories

Translingual

Symbol

awa

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

English

Etymology

From Hawaiian ʻawa.

Noun

awa (uncountable)

Kava, specifically Piper methysticum.
- 1874, Charles Nordhoff, Northern California, Oregon, and the Sandwich Islands‎^[2], 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^[3], 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^[4], 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.
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^[5], 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^[6], Honolulu: Thros. G. Thrum, page 150:
  When the prayer had finished, the awa was drunk and the sacred feast then began.

Angolar

Etymology

From Portuguese água.

Noun

awa

water

References

Philippe Maurer, L'angolar: un créole afro-portugais parlé à São Tomé (1995, →ISBN: "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)

father

Synonyms

baba
wa•

References

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

Cebuano

Pronunciation

Hyphenation: a‧wa

Etymology 1

Unknown

Noun

awa

a wild sea dwelling milkfish (Chanos chanos); as opposed to milkfish raised in aquaculture (see usage notes)
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

look!

Chickasaw

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /a.wa/

Conjunction

awa

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

Derived terms

Descendants

Mobilian: awa

Chuukese

Etymology

Borrowed from English hour.

Noun

awa

hour

Guajajára

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Tupi-Guarani *aβa.

Pronunciation

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

Noun

awa

man

Derived terms

References

Carl Harrison, Carole Harrison (2013) “awa”, in Dicionário Guajajára-Português‎^[7] (overall work in Portuguese), Anápolis: SIL Brasil, page 16, column 1

Gun

Etymology

From Proto-Gbe *-bá or Proto-Gbe *-bɔ́, from the older Proto-Volta-Niger *ɔ́-bɔ́. Cognate with Fon awà (“arm”), Fon abǎ (“arm”), Saxwe Gbe abɔ́ (“arm”), Adja abɔ (“arm”), Adja 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)

wing
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)

hour
Synonym: sa'a

Hawaiian

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈa.wa/, [ˈɐ.ʋə]

Etymology 1

From Proto-Polynesian *awa (“channel, opening in a reef” – compare with Maori awa, Tahitian ava, Tongan ava and Samoan ava)^[1] from Proto-Oceanic *sawaŋ from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *sawaŋ (compare with Malay sawang “expanse”, Iban sawang “gap”, Tagalog sáwang “depth”).^[2]^[3]

Noun

awa

channel, passage
port, harbor, cove
Synonyms: hono, hana

Related terms

awāwa

References

^ Pukui, Mary Kawena, Elbert, Samuel H. (1986) “awa”, in Hawaiian Dictionary, revised & enlarged edition, Honolulu, HI: University of Hawai'i Press, →ISBN, page 33
^ Ross Clark and Simon J. Greenhill, editors (2011), “awa”, in POLLEX-Online: The Polynesian Lexicon Project Online
^ Ross, Malcolm D., Pawley, Andrew, Osmond, Meredith (2008) The lexicon of Proto-Oceanic, volume 2: The Physical Environment, Canberra: Australian National University, →ISBN, pages 116-7

Etymology 2

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

Noun

awa

milkfish

Hiligaynon

Noun

áwà

compassion, mercy, pity

Jamamadí

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Arawa *aga.

Noun

awa

(Banawá) wood

References

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

Japanese

Romanization

awa

Rōmaji transcription of あわ

Javanese

Romanization

awa

Romanization of ꦲꦮ

Kavalan

Etymology

From Japanese [Term?].

Noun

awa

drinkware; cup; glass

Maori

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Polynesian *awa (“channel, opening in a reef” – compare with Tahitian ava, Samoan ava) from Proto-Oceanic *sawaŋ from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *sawaŋ (compare with Malay sawang “expanse”, Iban sawang “gap”, Tagalog sáwang “depth”).^[1]

Other Polynesian languages generally retain the Proto-Polynesian meaning (e.g. Samoan and Hawaiian awa); the Māori cognate gains an additional new meaning of "river" as the large rivers observed in newly explored New Zealand were perceived more similar to channels than the small streams (Proto-Polynesian *waitafe “flowing waters” corresponding to wai tahe – see also Hawaiian waikahe, Tongan vaitafe, Samoan vaitafe)^[2] known by the Māori's prior ancestors.^[3]

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /a.wa/, [ɐ.wɐ]

Noun

awa

river, creek, stream
Synonym: wai
groove, fluting
(archaic) channel
Synonym: hongere
(archaic) landing for canoes

References

^ Ross, Malcolm D., Pawley, Andrew, Osmond, Meredith (2008) The lexicon of Proto-Oceanic, volume 2: The Physical Environment, Canberra: Australian National University, →ISBN, pages 116-7
^ Ross Clark and Simon J. Greenhill, editors (2011), “wai-tafe”, in POLLEX-Online: The Polynesian Lexicon Project Online
^ Bruce Biggs (1994) “New Words for a New World”, in A. K. Pawley, M. D. Ross, editors, Austronesian Terminologies: Continuity and Change (Pacific Linguistics Series C; 127), Australian National University, →DOI, page 25

Marshallese

Etymology

From English hour, from Middle English houre, hour, oure, from Anglo-Norman houre, from Old French houre, (h)ore, from Latin hōra (“hour”), from Ancient Greek ὥρα (hṓra, “any time or period, whether of the year, month, or day”), from Proto-Indo-European *yeh₁- (“year, season”).

Pronunciation

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

Noun

awa (construct form awaan)

(alienable) an hour
(alienable) a clock
(alienable) time

References

Marshallese–English Online Dictionary

Media Lengua

Noun

awa

water

References

Pidgins and Creoles: An Introduction (1995, →ISBN

Nheengatu

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈa.wa/
Rhymes: -awa
Hyphenation: a‧wa

Etymology 1

Inherited from Old Tupi aba.^[1]

Noun

awa (absolute tawa, R1 rawa, R2 sawa)

contour feather; plumage
Coordinate term: pepú (“flight feather”)
(broadly) any feather
fur
body hair
(rare) headhair

Derived terms

Verb

awa (2nd class)

to be feathery
to be hairy

Etymology 2

Inherited from Old Tupi 'aba.^[1]

Noun

awa (plural awa-itá)

headhair

Derived terms

awaíma

Etymology 3

Inherited from Old Tupi oba.^[1]

Noun

awa (absolute awa, R1 rawa, R2 sawa)

leaf

Derived terms

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 Marcel Twardowsky Avila (2021) “awa”, in Proposta de dicionário nheengatu-português [Nheengatu–Portuguese dictionary proposal] (in Portuguese), São Paulo: USP, →DOI, pages 280–281

Nigerian Pidgin

Etymology

From English our.

Adjective

awá

our

Old English

Adverb

āwa

always, ever, forever

Old Polish

Etymology

Univerbation of a ‎ wa.^[1] 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

(attested in Lesser Poland) here!
- c. 1301-1350, Kazania świętokrzyskie‎^[8], 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

^ J. Karłowicz, A. Kryński, W. Niedźwiedzki, editors (1900), “awa”, in Słownik języka polskiego (in Polish), volume 1, Warsaw, page 73

B. Sieradzka-Baziur, Ewa Deptuchowa, Joanna Duska, Mariusz Frodyma, Beata Hejmo, Dorota Janeczko, Katarzyna Jasińska, Krystyna Kajtoch, Joanna Kozioł, Marian Kucała, Dorota Mika, Gabriela Niemiec, Urszula Poprawska, Elżbieta Supranowicz, Ludwika Szelachowska-Winiarzowa, Zofia Wanicowa, Piotr Szpor, Bartłomiej Borek, 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.

The Portuguese word comes from Latin aqua, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ekʷeh₂.

Noun

awa

water

References

Pidgins and Creoles: An Introduction (1995, →ISBN

Plains Cree

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /aˈwa/

Pronoun

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

(preceding a noun) this
nipâw awa atim ― this dog is sleeping
(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, from Middle English houre, oure, from Anglo-Norman houre, from Old French houre, (h)ore, from Latin hōra (“hour”), from Ancient Greek ὥρα (hṓra), from Proto-Indo-European *yeh₁- (“year, season”).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ɐwɐ/

Noun

awa

hour

Polish

Etymology

Inherited from Old Polish awa. By surface analysis, univerbation of a ‎ wa.^[1]

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈa.va/

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

Rhymes: -ava
Syllabification: a‧wa

Particle

awa

(Middle Polish) expresses uncertainty; maybe, perhaps [16th c]^[2]
(Middle Polish) interrogative particle: introduces a yes-no question [17th–18th c.]^[3]^[4]

References

^ J. Karłowicz, A. Kryński, W. Niedźwiedzki, editors (1900), “awa”, in Słownik języka polskiego (in Polish), volume 1, Warsaw, page 73
^ Maria Renata Mayenowa, Stanisław Rospond, Witold Taszycki, Stefan Hrabec, Władysław Kuraszkiewicz (2010-2023) “awa”, in Słownik Polszczyzny XVI Wieku [A Dictionary of 16th Century Polish]
^ Samuel Bogumił Linde (1807–1814) “awa”, in Słownik języka polskiego
^ Aleksander Zdanowicz (1861) “awa”, in Słownik języka polskiego, Wilno 1861

Scots

Etymology

From Middle English awey, from Old English onweġ.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /əˈwɑː/

Adverb

awa (not comparable)

away

Adjective

awa (comparative mair awa, superlative maist awa)

absent, gone, distant

Spanish

Noun

awa f (plural awas)

Eye dialect spelling of agua (“water”).

Tagalog

Alternative forms

aua — obsolete, Spanish-based orthography

Etymology

Said to be from Sanskrit आवह् (āvah, “favor”).^[1]

Pronunciation

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

Noun

awà (Baybayin spelling ᜀᜏ)

compassion; mercy; pity
Synonyms: habag, pagkahabag, hambal, lunos

Derived terms

Related terms

Madlang-awa

References

^ Trinidad Hermenegildo Pardo de Tavera (1887) El sanscrito en la lengua tagalog‎^[1] (in Spanish), Paris: Imprimerie de la Faculté de Médecine, A. Davy, page 18

Ternate

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ˈa.wa]

Noun

awa

rainbow

Etymology 2

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

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ˈa.wa]

Noun

awa

sign, mark

References

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

Yami

Noun

awa

sea

Ye'kwana

Variant orthographies
ALIV	awa
Brazilian standard	awa
New Tribes	awa

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [awa]

Noun

awa (possessed awadü or ewadü)

(Brazil) Alternative form of öwa (“cemetery”)

Yoruba

Alternative forms

ìn-a (Ekiti)

Etymology

Cognate with Igala àwa

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /à.wā/

Pronoun

àwa

we (emphatic first-person plural personal pronoun)

Zazaki

Noun

awa

accusative singular of aw

[1] Pukui, Mary Kawena, Elbert, Samuel H. (1986) “awa”, in Hawaiian Dictionary, revised & enlarged edition, Honolulu, HI: University of Hawai'i Press, →ISBN, page 33

[2] Ross Clark and Simon J. Greenhill, editors (2011), “awa”, in POLLEX-Online: The Polynesian Lexicon Project Online

[3] Ross, Malcolm D., Pawley, Andrew, Osmond, Meredith (2008) The lexicon of Proto-Oceanic, volume 2: The Physical Environment, Canberra: Australian National University, →ISBN, pages 116-7

[4] Ross, Malcolm D., Pawley, Andrew, Osmond, Meredith (2008) The lexicon of Proto-Oceanic, volume 2: The Physical Environment, Canberra: Australian National University, →ISBN, pages 116-7

[5] Ross Clark and Simon J. Greenhill, editors (2011), “wai-tafe”, in POLLEX-Online: The Polynesian Lexicon Project Online

[6] Bruce Biggs (1994) “New Words for a New World”, in A. K. Pawley, M. D. Ross, editors, Austronesian Terminologies: Continuity and Change (Pacific Linguistics Series C; 127), Australian National University, →DOI, page 25

[dicio-7] 1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 Marcel Twardowsky Avila (2021) “awa”, in Proposta de dicionário nheengatu-português [Nheengatu–Portuguese dictionary proposal] (in Portuguese), São Paulo: USP, →DOI, pages 280–281

[8] J. Karłowicz, A. Kryński, W. Niedźwiedzki, editors (1900), “awa”, in Słownik języka polskiego (in Polish), volume 1, Warsaw, page 73

[9] J. Karłowicz, A. Kryński, W. Niedźwiedzki, editors (1900), “awa”, in Słownik języka polskiego (in Polish), volume 1, Warsaw, page 73

[10] Maria Renata Mayenowa, Stanisław Rospond, Witold Taszycki, Stefan Hrabec, Władysław Kuraszkiewicz (2010-2023) “awa”, in Słownik Polszczyzny XVI Wieku [A Dictionary of 16th Century Polish]

[11] Samuel Bogumił Linde (1807–1814) “awa”, in Słownik języka polskiego

[12] Aleksander Zdanowicz (1861) “awa”, in Słownik języka polskiego, Wilno 1861

[13] Trinidad Hermenegildo Pardo de Tavera (1887) El sanscrito en la lengua tagalog‎^[1] (in Spanish), Paris: Imprimerie de la Faculté de Médecine, A. Davy, page 18

[1]

[2]

[3]

[1]

[2]

[3]

[1]

[1]

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[1]

	singular	plural or honorific
1st person	mo	a
2nd person	o	ẹ
3rd person	ó	wọ́n

	singular	plural or honorific
1st person	mi / n	a
2nd person	o	ẹ
3rd person	[pronoun dropped]	wọn

	singular	plural or honorific
1st person	mi	wa
2nd person	ọ / ẹ	yín
3rd person	[preceding vowel repeated for monosyllabic verbs] / ẹ̀	wọn

	singular	plural or honorific
1st person	èmi	àwa
2nd person	ìwọ	ẹ̀yin
3rd person	òun	àwọn

Number	Person	Affirmative Subject Pronoun	Negative Subject Pronoun	Emphatic Pronoun	Possessive Pronoun	Object Pronoun	Reflexive Pronoun
Singular	First	mo	mí	èmi	tèmi	mi	ara mi
	Second	wo	wé	ùwọ	tiẹ	ẹ	ara ẹ
	Third	ó, é	[pronoun dropped]	òwun, òun	tiẹ̀	ẹ̀	ara ẹ̀
Plural and Honorific	First	a	á	àwa	tẹni	ẹni	ara ẹni
	Second	wẹn	wẹ́n	ẹ̀wẹn	tiwẹn	wẹn	ara wẹn
	Third	wọ́n		ọ̀wọn	tiwọn	wọn	ara wọn

awa

Translingual

Symbol

English

Etymology

Noun

Angolar

Etymology

Noun

References

Atong (India)

Pronunciation

Noun

Synonyms

References

Cebuano

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

Noun

Usage notes

Etymology 2

Interjection

Chickasaw

Pronunciation

Conjunction

Derived terms

Descendants

Chuukese

Etymology

Noun

Guajajára

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

Derived terms

References

Gun

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

Hausa

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

Hawaiian

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

Noun

Related terms

References

Etymology 2

Noun

Hiligaynon

Noun

Jamamadí

Etymology

Noun

References

Japanese

Romanization

Javanese

Romanization

Kavalan

Etymology

Noun

Maori

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

References

Further reading

Marshallese

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

References

Media Lengua

Noun

References

Nheengatu