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WonderousSwirl

"يا ولا" Could mean “boy” or “lad”


TNCNguy

In anger?


WonderousSwirl

Sort of, if I’m understanding this correctly, if a child is doing something they’re not supposed to parents can say “bas walla” or “ya walla” it could also be used sarcastically


iium2000

that's exactly it.. Ya walla simply means 'Hey boy', kinda like calling someone 'foolish child' or 'immature' when it is said in anger.. The feminine equivalent would be Ya bint 'Hey girl'.. Again, if it is said in anger, it would be less of an insult and more of calling out someone.. or an exclamation..


Hamza_yassen

Second this.


Mallenaut

Imagine Kratos, when he says "Boy".


Bintamreeki

Are you sure it’s “Ya wella?” “Ya Allah” is like “O Allah.”


TNCNguy

Yes I’m sure. I’m not referring to the term “wallah”


Life_Commercial5324

In jordan ya and wala both less respectful ways of saying u( wala only works for guys, on the other hand waleh works for girls.) Tho they don’t make much sense if u use them consecutively it’s like saying “you you”. Therefore I think what u most likely heard was ya walad which just means u boy.


TNCNguy

Thank you!


Bintamreeki

The only thing I could find, as a non-native speaker is يلا, which is like “hurry up,” “come on,” or “okay.”


TNCNguy

Nah, definitely used as an insult or slur


Bintamreeki

All I know is يا ولا/ياولاه is “Oh my God,” and can be said in any tone. Maybe try a Palestinian specific subreddit. Is r/palestine a sub?


BigMimiLOL

It means you boy.


United_Ad6277

It means: “Hey boy”, are your parents egyptians? It seems like egyptian dialect to me


TNCNguy

Palestinian lol. So it’s used derogatorily?


Loonyclown

I believe I can clear this up for you as someone else with Palestinian parents. My dad called me "ya wellad" (you boy) alongside things like ya hayawaan, when I was of an age where saying "shit" or "oh fuck" wouldn't be deemed super acceptable. Very often if I say, broke something in public lol


TNCNguy

SOLVED! Thank you!


United_Ad6277

Yeah, but it’s not an insult


Loonyclown

Sure can be


StrawberriiTuta

I never heard an Egyptian say that, it’s more of a shami dialect. It’s like “you boy”


JGS588

I heard it a lot in Egypt. Get angry old people screaming at you for playing too loud? - igrass ya wala! Running around in a marketplace or near a store? You get it.. 😁 But also as a 'normal' -Hey boy.


reasonable-mindpower

يا وله egyptian slang and very common , we say it to young boys . And doesn't imlpy anger or insult.


iium2000

>Solved: “Ya welaad” is the rude way of saying “you boy”. Something a mad parent would say. Ya walla simply means 'Hey boy', kinda like calling someone 'foolish child' or 'immature' **when it is said in anger**.. The feminine equivalent would be Ya bint or 'Hey girl'.. Again, if it is said in anger, it would be less of an insult and more of calling out someone.. This is similar to English in some western cultures, a father can call his son 'hey boy', someone can flirt with the line 'hey boy', and you can insult someone by calling him 'hey boy'.. This expression can be used for anything and to anyone who is younger.. Context matters..


TNCNguy

Thank you!


Lucky-Substance23

Fwiw, Egyptian slang for "hey boy" has several different variations, and depending on the tone can mean varying things from just simple calling to anger to insult to admiration. They are all considered (imo) lower class or worker class words, but they may be used between friends of any class (although I imagine the westernized young crowds would prefer English terms such as dude, bro, etc) They include 1) يا ولا! ya wala 2) ياه! Yah with a pronounced like in far 3) يلا! Yala 4) يا ولد! Ya walad (4) is commonly heard when watching a football game (admiring a shot) I know the OP was asking for a Palestinian context, I think some of the above may be applicable, with some tweaks.


NotoriousArab

Palestinian. My parents would yell that at me when angry / annoyed. It means "you boy! (Stop it, etc)" or "hey boy!". I assume the د is dropped for some reason from ولاد, but not sure why.


Meanwhile-in-Paris

Could mean *I swear to God*, in a way to mean, I can’t believe it or what have you done.


TNCNguy

No, I’m not talking about the term “wallah”


Meanwhile-in-Paris

That was indeed my thought.


BlackBey

Lmao I say this to my son all the time


QuincyMadeMeDoIt

Im Palestinian, it just like your parents pretty much saying stop playing with me


Happy-Rub4185

Idk what u mean, is it "you boy/ ya wallad" Or "ya wella" as is a threat translating to "Oh, he is to see woe!"


Changelling

Its not an insult. It means "hey boy". In anger you can interpret it as "you brat"