1
Stage 1 of 3
pala
Sanskrit · ancient
"protector, guardian"
meant 'protector', from a root meaning 'to protect'
2
Stage 2 of 3
-wala
Hindi · medieval
"a person who does or deals in something"
became a common suffix meaning 'the person connected with X'
3
Stage 3 of 3
wallah
English · 1776
"a person associated with a specified job or task"
British colonials mistook the suffix for a standalone noun meaning 'fellow, man'
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