wallah

American  

[wah-lah, -luh] / ˈwɑ lɑ, -lə /

Or walla

noun

Indian English.

1. a person in charge of, employed at, or concerned with a particular thing (used in combination).

   a book wallah; a ticket wallah.

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wallah British  

/ ˈwɒlə /

noun

1. informal (usually in combination) a person involved with or in charge of (a specified thing)

   the book wallah

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Etymology

Origin of wallah

First recorded in 1770–80; from Hindi -wālā, an adjective suffix meaning “connected with, pertaining to,” also a noun suffix meaning “person in charge” (functionally equivalent to the English agent noun suffix -er ¹ ( def. ) ); from Prakrit, Sanskrit pāla- “protector,” a derivative of the root pā- “to protect”

Example Sentences

Years later, Jaffrey would meet the actor at an event honouring Shakespeare Wallah and her work in it.

From The Guardian • May 6, 2019

In 1965, she won the Berlin film festival’s Silver Bear for best actress for her work in Merchant Ivory’s Shakespeare Wallah.

From The Guardian • May 6, 2019

“When you see the environment, you can be scared,” said Wallah Seth, who took his ailing wife to Redemption a couple of years ago but never went back.

From New York Times • May 8, 2015

Shakespeare Wallah is a wry, wistful look at what is left of the English in India.

From Time Magazine Archive

Wallah," he said, "I would not sell it for many times its original price.

From Topsy-Turvy Land Arabia Pictured for Children by Zwemer, Samuel Marinus