Word Meaning
या
yā
hiconjunction
Meaning
Or; either... or; whether... or.
Detailed Meaning
In classical Urdu poetry, 'yā' functions as a coordinating conjunction signifying 'or' or alternatives. When repeated correlatively, as in this couplet ('yā roye yā rulāyā'), it indicates whether one condition occurred or another, summing up the poet's sorrowful and limited span of experience.
Etymology
Persian 'یا' (yā), denoting disjunction or alternative.
Usage
In ghazal verses, 'या' is commonly doubled across a misra to frame inescapable polarities of passion, grief, or destiny.
Examples
Either bring wine, or let me perish in longing.
Whether in reunion or in separation, peace was never found.
Synonyms
अथवाकिन्वाख़्वाह
Related Words
अथवाख़्वाहगर