What does wawa mean?
In North American English, wawa most often names a wild goose. It is especially associated with Canadian usage, although it is also understood in parts of the United States. The word can also denote the goose's rough, honking call and, figuratively, a person who talks or chatters too much. That second sense is mildly derogatory and usually teasing rather than hostile. In child-directed speech, wawa may stand for water, particularly in the repeated “wa-wa” form used by toddlers. The word is unusual in British English, where “goose” is the normal general term. Although its sound can invite comparison with wah-wah, wawa is a lexical word with a history in North American English rather than merely a sound effect. Its etymology is commonly connected with Indigenous Algonquian languages, and the Canadian place-name Wawa has been similarly explained from a word for “wild goose.”
A wild goose; the honking call of a goose; or, disparagingly, a person who talks or chatters excessively. In child-directed usage, it can also mean water.
"A flock of wawas grazed beside the frozen field."
The talkative-person sense is informal and mildly derogatory. The sense meaning water belongs to child-directed speech.
Used to imitate or represent the honking call of a goose.
"A wawa answered from across the pond."
Chiefly a North American usage.
The regular plural is used for count senses such as a wild goose or a talkative person; the child-directed word for water is normally used as an uncountable noun.
"Two wawas circled above the lake."
A two-syllable word can name a goose, its honk, and the person who won't stop talking.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of wawa
Wawa is a North American English word whose precise borrowing history is uncertain. It is commonly connected with Indigenous Algonquian words for “goose,” including related forms in Ojibwe and Cree; its English use may also have been encouraged by imitation of a goose's honk. The place-name Wawa in Ontario has likewise been explained as deriving from an Indigenous word for “wild goose.”
How wawa is actually used
The bird and call senses are chiefly North American, while the talkative-person sense is mildly derogatory. Use for water belongs to informal, child-directed speech; “goose” is the usual general term in British English.
Easily confused with wawa
Wah-wah is primarily an onomatopoeic rendering of a duck-like call, whereas wawa is an established North American noun for a wild goose and may also refer to its call.