English word origin

Etymology of wali

Borrowed from Arabic وَالٍ (wālin).

2 source sectionsBrief source recordWiktionary 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

A provincial governor in certain Muslim contexts.

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

Borrowed from Arabic وَالٍ (wālin).

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Borrowed-form mentionوَالٍar
Root classification mentionو ل يar

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ar",
        "3": "وَالٍ"
      },
      "expansion": "Arabic وَالٍ (wālin)"
    },
    {
      "name": "root",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ar",
        "3": "و ل ي"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "وَالٍ",
      "وال#Arabic"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A provincial governor in certain Muslim contexts."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "152c581902fe6bb1619ec8a3ba15898e7727328f1f586ee60b852a3473dcbdbe",
      "rawRecordSha256": "8d3333a0c43b8445631fdb74d84b8411613bdeb3ce8c8370d038f6f9c5fe7593",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 3523555
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

noun

A saint or prophet.

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

From Arabic وَلِيّ (waliyy).

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Borrowed-form mentionوَلِيّar
Root classification mentionو ل يar

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ar",
        "3": "وَلِيّ"
      },
      "expansion": "Arabic وَلِيّ (waliyy)"
    },
    {
      "name": "root",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ar",
        "3": "و ل ي"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "وَلِيّ",
      "ولي#Arabic"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A saint or prophet."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "12db57a29feb05dc495092ace23259d7c9b1d206d4adaac79434ffcd4f475fbc",
      "rawRecordSha256": "256e5be3f223c5ef5f6053466b9ba8d8cfdadd3aa856f785f8edce534286c6a9",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 3523556
    }
  ],
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    "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 wali →

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-d2FsaQ