أو

See also: او and آو

Arabic

Etymology

From Proto-Semitic *ʔaw. Cognate with Hebrew אוֹ (’o), Ugaritic 𐎜 (ủ /⁠ʾō⁠/).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʔaw/

• Audio:

  (file)

Conjunction

أَوْ • (ʔaw)

1. indicates an inclusive disjunction

   كُلِ التَّمْرَ الْهِنْدِيَّ أَوِ ٱشْرَبِ الْبُرْتُقَالَ.

   kuli t-tamra l-hindiyya ʔawi šrabi l-burtuqāla.

   Eat the tamarind! Or drink the orange-juice!

2. (only in declaratives) indicates an exclusive disjunction

   كُلُّ شَيْءٍ إِمَّا مَوْجُودٌ أَوْ غَيْرُ مَوْجُودٍ.

   kullu šayʔin ʔimmā mawjūdun ʔaw ḡayru mawjūdin.

   Every object is either existent or inexistent.

   لَا أَدْرِي هَلْ صَاحِبُكَ شَقِيٌّ أَوْ سَعِيدٌ.

   lā ʔadrī hal ṣāḥibuka šaqiyyun ʔaw saʕīdun.

   I do not know whether your friend is happy or downhearted.

Usage notes

• أَمْ (ʔam) is used in questions where only one option is correct, possible or needed, and أَوْ (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

From Arabic أَوْ (ʔaw).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʔaw/, [ʔaw]

• Audio (Ramallah):

  (file)

Conjunction

أو • (ʔaw)

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

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

   إما بتدفع كاش أو بالكرت.

   ʔimma btidfaʕ kāš ʔaw bil-kart

   Either you pay cash or by card.