Learn Arabic › B2 › وَلَّى
وَلَّى
to turn away, flee /ˈwal.laː/
verbB2#4271 most common
Also: to turn one's back and leave, to appoint someone to a position of authority, to turn (one's face) toward or away from something
Example sentences
وَلَّى الرَّجُلُ هارِبًا.
The man turned and fled.
لَمَّا رَأَى الأَسَدَ، وَلَّى خائِفًا.
When he saw the lion, he turned and fled in fear.
وَلَّى الجَيْشُ الأَدْبارَ بَعْدَ الهَزيمَةِ.
The army turned its back and fled after the defeat.
وَلَّاهُ المَلِكُ مَنْصِبَ الوَزيرِ.
The king appointed him to the position of minister.
بَعْدَ أَنْ فَشِلَتِ المُفاوَضاتُ، وَلَّى الوَفْدُ مُسْرِعًا دونَ أَنْ يُلْقِيَ التَّحِيَّةَ.
After the negotiations failed, the delegation turned and left in haste without saying goodbye.
ما إِنِ اشْتَدَّ القِتالُ حَتَّى وَلَّى المُقاتِلونَ الأَدْبارَ تارِكينَ أَسْلِحَتَهُمْ خَلْفَهُمْ.
As soon as the fighting intensified, the fighters turned and fled, leaving their weapons behind.
Conjugation
| Present Active | Simple Past Active | Simple Future Active | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1sg | أُوَلِّي | وَلَّيْتُ | سَأُوَلِّي |
| 2sg | تُوَلِّي | وَلَّيْتَ | سَتُوَلِّي |
| 3sg | يُوَلِّي | وَلَّى | سَيُوَلِّي |
| 1pl | نُوَلِّي | وَلَّيْنَا | سَنُوَلِّي |
| 2pl | تُوَلُّونَ | وَلَّيْتُمْ | سَتُوَلُّونَ |
| 3pl | يُوَلُّونَ | وَلَّوْا | سَيُوَلُّونَ |
Word family
والٍgovernor, ruler
وِلايةprovince, governorship, authority
تَوَلَّىto take charge of, assume a role; also to turn away from
مَوْلىmaster, patron, freed client
وَليّguardian, close friend, saint
Etymology
The verb comes from the triliteral Semitic root w-l-y, which carries the core idea of nearness and closeness, and by extension guardianship or authority. The Form II pattern (fa’’ala) doubles the middle radical to give a causative or intensive sense, so wallā means literally 'to cause to turn,' hence 'to turn away or back.' The same root gives Arabic its words for guardian, patron, and governorship, since a ruler is someone placed 'near' or 'in charge of' his subjects. Arabic is a Semitic language, not Indo-European, so it has no Proto-Indo-European root.
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