أو

See also:او,andآو

Arabic

Etymology

FromProto-Semitic*ʔaw.Cognate withHebrewאוֹ(’o),Ugaritic𐎜(ủ/⁠ʾō⁠/).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):/ʔaw/

• Audio:

  (file)

Conjunction

أَوْ•(ʔaw)

1. indicates an inclusive disjunction

   كُلِ التَّمْرَ الْهِنْدِيَّأَوِٱشْرَبِ الْبُرْتُقَالَ.

   kuli t-tamra l-hindiyyaʔawišrabi l-burtuqāla.

   Eat the tamarind!Ordrink the orange-juice!

2. (only in declaratives)indicates an exclusive disjunction

   كُلُّ شَيْءٍ إِمَّا مَوْجُودٌأَوْغَيْرُ مَوْجُودٍ.

   kullu šayʔin ʔimmā mawjūdunʔawḡayru mawjūdin.

   Every object is either existentorinexistent.

   لَا أَدْرِي هَلْ صَاحِبُكَ شَقِيٌّأَوْسَعِيدٌ.

   lā ʔadrī hal ṣāḥibuka šaqiyyunʔawsaʕīdun.

   I do not know whether your friend is happyordownhearted.

Usage notes

• أَمْ(ʔam)is used in questions where only one option is correct, possible or needed, andأَوْ(ʔaw)is used if more options may be correct.

1. هَلْ سَيَأْتِي أَبُوكَ أَوْ أُمُّكَ؟

   hal sayaʔtī ʔabūka ʔaw ʔummuka?

   Will your mother or your father come? (will anyone of them come?)

   هَلْ سَيَأْتِي أَبُوكَ أَمْ أُمُّكَ؟

   hal sayaʔtī ʔabūka ʔam ʔummuka?

   Will your mother or your father come? (which one will come?)

Related terms

• أَمْ(ʔam)
• إِمَّا(ʔimmā)

Descendants

• →Swahili:au

References

• Wehr, Hans(1979) “أو”,in J. Milton Cowan, editor,A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic,4th edition, Ithaca, NY: Spoken Language Services,→ISBN

South Levantine Arabic

Etymology

FromArabicأَوْ(ʔaw).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):/ʔaw/,[ʔaw]

• Audio(Ramallah):

  (file)

Conjunction

أو•(ʔaw)

1. or
2. or(mutually exclusive, when used together withإما(ʔimma))

   Synonyms:ولا(willa),يا...يا(ya... ya)

   إمابتدفعكاشأوبالكرت.

   ʔimmabtidfaʕ kāšʔawbil-kart

   Eitheryou pay cashorby card.