n. 1. One employed in a particular occupation or activity: a kitchen wallah; rickshaw wallahs. 2. An important person in a particular field or organization: "the Ritz, a favorite haunt of Republican wallahs" (John Robinson). [From Hindi -vālā, n. suff. indicating the person concerned with an item or engaged in an activity, from Prakrit pāla-, keeper, from Sanskrit pālaḥ, protector, herdsman, from pālayati, he brings across safely (as for example animals at a ford), protects variant of pārayati; see per-2 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] |
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