n.
Pronunciation: ' wä-l ə , in combination usu ˌ wä-l ə
Function: noun
Etymology: Hindi & Urdu -v ā l ā one in charge, from Sanskrit p ā la protector, from p ā layati, p ā rayati he guards; akin to Sanskrit piparti he brings over, saves, Old English faran to go ― more at FARE
Date: 1782
: a person who is associated with a particular work or who performs a specific duty or service ― usually used in combination <the book wallah was an itinerant peddler ― George Orwell>