English word origin

Etymology of Wa

From Burmese ဝ (wa.), in turn from Parauk Va (佤).

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

noun

An ethnic group in Myanmar and China.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Burmese ဝ (wa.), in turn from Parauk Va (佤).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Borrowed-form mentionဝmy
Derivation mentionVaprk

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "my",
        "3": "ဝ"
      },
      "expansion": "Burmese ဝ (wa.)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "prk",
        "3": "Va"
      },
      "expansion": "Parauk Va"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "ဝ",
      "ဝ#Burmese"
    ],
    [
      "Va",
      "Va#Parauk"
    ],
    [
      "佤",
      "佤"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "An ethnic group in Myanmar and China."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "plural",
        "plural-only"
      ],
      "recordId": "b769cf9a38444d5d62c3b03f84361a348d39eac92abb18fda25be0ad81c44d82",
      "rawRecordSha256": "e75a5a252f3a4f13bcae2b23174a2de8506e1056c6796d89a37cac6d1f8b90ed",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 4906246
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

noun

The ancient peoples of Japan (from a Chinese perspective).

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Japanese 倭. See Etymology 2 for more information.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Borrowed-form mention倭ja

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ja",
        "3": "倭"
      },
      "expansion": "Japanese 倭"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "倭",
      "倭#Japanese"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "The ancient peoples of Japan (from a Chinese perspective)."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "historical",
        "plural",
        "plural-only"
      ],
      "recordId": "62d93d787b81ebce54e05abe62a80beaad5c824c43b7a6bdd1708c318bcfcfbf",
      "rawRecordSha256": "8c91f6201d5be798f3d869bed7020587bab5591f6c5e8cf38cfdb8aa30cac426",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 4906247
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for Wa →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-V2E