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

• IPA^(key): /ʔaw/

• Audio:

  (file)

أَوْ• (ʔaw)

1. indicates an inclusive disjunction

   كُلِ التَّمْرَ الْهِنْدِيَّأَوِ ٱشْرَبِ الْبُرْتُقَالَ.

   kuli t-tamra l-hindiyyaʔawi šrabi l-burtuqāla.

   Eat the tamarind!Or drink the orange juice!

2. (only in declaratives)indicates an exclusive disjunction

   كُلُّ شَيْءٍ إِمَّا مَوْجُودٌأَوْ غَيْرُ مَوْجُودٍ.

   kullu šayʔin ʔimmā mawjūdunʔaw ḡayru mawjūdin.

   Every object is either existentor inexistent.

   لَا أَدْرِي هَلْ صَاحِبُكَ شَقِيٌّأَوْ سَعِيدٌ.

   lā ʔadrī hal ṣāḥibuka šaqiyyunʔaw saʕīdun.

   I do not know whether your friend is happyor downhearted.

• 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?)

• أَمْ(ʔam)
• إِمَّا(ʔimmā)

• → Swahili:au

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

FromArabicأَوْ(ʔaw).

• IPA^(key): /ʔaw/,[ʔaw]

• Audio(Ramallah):

  (file)

أو• (ʔaw)

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

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

   إمابتدفعكاشأوبالكرت.

   ʔimma btidfaʕ kāšʔaw bil-kart

   Either you pay cashor by card.

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