Learn Arabic › B1 › والَى
والَى
to ally with, to support (someone) as a partisan or friend /waːˈlaː/
verbB1#2923 most common
Also: to be on good terms with, to do (something) one time after another without a break
Example sentences
هو يوالي صديقه دائماً.
He always stands by his friend.
والت مصر الدول العربية في هذا القرار.
Egypt sided with the Arab countries on this decision.
يجب أن نوالي الحق ولا نوالي الباطل.
We must support what is right and not support what is false.
والى الأمير القبائل المجاورة ليضمن ولاءها.
The prince allied with the neighboring tribes to secure their loyalty.
والى الخطيب كلامه ساعة كاملة دون توقف.
The speaker kept his speech going for a whole hour without stopping.
من والى وليّ الأمر في الحق فقد أدى واجبه.
Whoever supports the ruler in what is right has fulfilled his duty.
Conjugation
| Present Active | Simple Past Active | Simple Future Active | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1sg | أُوَالِي | وَالَيْتُ | سَأُوَالِي |
| 2sg | تُوَالِي | وَالَيْتَ | سَتُوَالِي |
| 3sg | يُوَالِي | وَالَى | سَيُوَالِي |
| 1pl | نُوَالِي | وَالَيْنَا | سَنُوَالِي |
| 2pl | تُوَالُونَ | وَالَيْتُمْ | سَتُوَالُونَ |
| 3pl | يُوَالُونَ | وَالَوْا | سَيُوَالُونَ |
Word family
وَلِيّ (walī)guardian, saint, close friend
وَالٍ (wāli)governor, ruler of a province
تَوَلَّى (tawallā)to take charge of; also, to turn away
مُوَالاة (muwālāh)alliance, allegiance, loyalty
مَوْلَى (mawlā)master, patron, client
Etymology
والَى comes from the triliteral Arabic root و-ل-ي, which carries a core sense of nearness, succession, and charge over something. The base verb وَلِيَ means to be next to or in charge of someone or something. Form III والَى adds a reciprocal, two-party sense, giving the meanings to ally with someone and, in older usage, to do one thing after another without a break. The same root gives وَلِيّ (guardian, saint) and وَالٍ (governor).
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