wai

See also: WAI, Wai, wài, wāi, wǎi, and wa'i

English

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /waɪ/

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Thai ไหว้ (wâi, a gesture of thanks).

Noun

wai (plural wais)

  1. A Thai greeting wherein the palms are brought together in front of the face or chest, sometimes accompanied with a bow.
Translations

Etymology 2

Phonetic respelling of why.

Adverb

wai (not comparable)

  1. (Internet slang) why (a purposeful misspelling)

Conjunction

wai

  1. (Internet slang) why (a purposeful misspelling)

Anagrams


'Are'are

wai

Etymology

From Proto-Oceanic *waiʀ, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ.

Noun

wai

  1. fresh water (clear liquid H₂O)

Antonyms

  • āsi (salt water)

References

  • Blust's Austronesian Comparative Dictionary

Aka-Bea

Adverb

wai

  1. indeed

References

  • Edward Horace Man, A Dictionary of the South Andaman (Aka-Bea) language (1923)

Arosi

Etymology

From Proto-Oceanic *waiʀ, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ.

Noun

wai

  1. water (clear liquid H₂O)

References

  • Arthur Capell, Arosi grammar (1971), page 59: [Possessives of the] first and second persons precede the noun, whereas all others follow it, e.g. gugua wai, my drinking water, but wai 'ana, his drinking water.
  • Sidney Herbert Ray, A Comparative Study of the Melanesian Island Languages (2014), page 481: wai "water"

Buli (Indonesia)

Numeral

wai

  1. eight

References

  • G. Maan, Proeve van een Bulische spraakkunst (1951)

Central Tagbanwa

Etymology

From Proto-Philippine [Term?], from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ.

Noun

wai (Tagbanwa spelling ᝯᝡ)

  1. water (clear liquid H₂O)

References

  • Robert A. Scebold, Central Tagbanwa: A Philippine Language on the Brink of Extinction : Sociolinguistics, Grammar, and Lexicon (2003)

Duri

Noun

wai

  1. water

References

  • Language Documentation Training Center, Linguistic Society of Hawaii, Duri wordlist

Fijian

Etymology

From Proto-Oceanic *waiʀ, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ.

Noun

wai

  1. water (clear liquid H₂O)

Gothic

Romanization

wai

  1. Romanization of 𐍅𐌰𐌹

Hawaiian

Etymology

From Proto-Eastern Polynesian *wai, from Proto-Nuclear Polynesian *wai, from Proto-Polynesian *wai, from Proto-Oceanic *waiʀ, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈvaj/, [ˈʋɐj]
  • (rapid speech) IPA(key): [ˈʋɛj]

Noun

wai

  1. fresh water

References

  • William Churchill (1911) The Polynesian Wanderings: Tracks of the Migration Deduced
  • “wai” in the Hawaiian Dictionary, Revised and Enlarged Edition, University of Hawaii Press, 1986

Japanese

Romanization

wai

  1. Rōmaji transcription of わい

Kambera

Etymology

From Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ.

Noun

wài

  1. water (clear liquid H₂O)

References

  • Marian Klamer, A Grammar of Kambera

Kapingamarangi

Etymology

From Proto-Nuclear Polynesian *wai, from Proto-Polynesian *wai, from Proto-Oceanic *waiʀ, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ.

Noun

wai

  1. water (clear liquid H₂O)

Lamaholot

Noun

wai

  1. water (clear liquid H₂O)

References

  • Kunio Nishyama, Herman Kelen, A Grammar of Lamaholot, Eastern Indonesia: The Morphology and Syntax of the Lewoingu Dialect (2007)
  • ABVD

Lau

Noun

wai

  1. water

See also

References


Malay

wai

Etymology

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /wai/
  • Rhymes: -ai, -i

Noun

wai (plural wai-wai, informal first-person possessive waiku, informal second-person possessive waimu, third-person possessive wainya)

  1. river (large stream which drains a landmass)

Synonyms


Mamasa

Noun

wai

  1. water

References


Mamuju

Noun

wai

  1. water

References


Mandarin

Romanization

wai (Zhuyin ˙ㄨㄞ)

  1. Pinyin transcription of 𠰻

wai

  1. Nonstandard spelling of wāi.
  2. Nonstandard spelling of wǎi.
  3. Nonstandard spelling of wài.

Usage notes

  • English transcriptions of Mandarin speech often fail to distinguish between the critical tonal differences employed in the Mandarin language, using words such as this one without the appropriate indication of tone.

Maori

Etymology 1

From Proto-Eastern Polynesian *wai, from Proto-Nuclear Polynesian *wai, from Proto-Polynesian *wai, from Proto-Oceanic *waiʀ, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ.

Noun

wai

  1. water (clear liquid H₂O)
  2. liquid
Derived terms

References

  • William Churchill, The Polynesian Wanderings: Tracks of the Migration Deduced (1911)

Etymology 2

Compare Tahitian vai.

Pronoun

wai

  1. who?

Masiwang

Noun

wai

  1. water

References


Middle English

Noun

wai

  1. Alternative spelling of way

Nauete

Noun

wai

  1. water

References

  • Aone van Engelenhoven, The position of Makuva among the Austronesian languages of Southwest Maluku and East Timor, in Austronesian historical linguistics and culture history: a festschrift, Pacific linguistics 601 (2009)

Neko

Noun

wai

  1. water

References

  • Transnewguinea.org, citing McElhanon and Voorhoeve (1970)
  • J. Bullock, R. Gray, H. Paris, D. Pfantz, D. Richardson, A Sociolinguistic Survey of the Yabong, Migum, Nekgini, and Neko (2016)

Omba

Noun

wai

  1. water

References

  • Catriona Hyslop, The Lolovoli Dialect of the North-East Ambae Language: Vanuatu (2001)
  • William Churchill, The Polynesian Wanderings: Tracks of the Migration Deduced (1911)

Oroha

Noun

wai

  1. water

References


Owa

Etymology

From Proto-Oceanic *waiʀ, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ.

Noun

wai

  1. water (clear liquid H₂O)

References

  • Greg Mellow, A Dictionary of Owa: A Language of the Solomon Islands

Palu'e

Noun

wai

  1. woman

References

  • Austronesian Comparative Dictionary

Pitjantjatjara

Interjection

wai

  1. hey

Raga

Etymology

From Proto-Oceanic *waiʀ, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ.

Noun

wai

  1. water (clear liquid H₂O)

References

  • Malcolm Ross, ‎Andrew Pawley, ‎Meredith Osmond, The Lexicon of Proto-Oceanic (2007, →ISBN

Sa'a

Noun

wai

  1. water

Alternative forms

Further reading


Saterland Frisian

Etymology

From Old Frisian wei,

Pronunciation

IPA(key): /vaːi/

Noun

wai m (plural do Wege)

  1. way

References

  1. Dr. Fort, Marron, Dät Näie Tästamänt un do Psoolme in ju aasterlauwersfräiske Uurtoal fon dät

Seelterlound, Fräislound, Butjoarlound, Aastfräislound un do Groninger Umelounde


Sikaiana

Noun

wai

  1. water

References

  • William Churchill, The Polynesian Wanderings: Tracks of the Migration Deduced (1911)

Siroi

Noun

wai

  1. arm, hand

Further reading


Tae'

Etymology

From Proto-South Sulawesi *wai, from Proto-Sunda-Sulawesi *wair, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ.

Noun

wai

  1. water (clear liquid H₂O)

References


Tangoa

Etymology

From Proto-Oceanic *waiʀ, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ.

Noun

wai

  1. water (clear liquid H₂O)

References

  • Malcolm Ross, ‎Andrew Pawley, ‎Meredith Osmond, The Lexicon of Proto-Oceanic (2007, →ISBN

Torres Strait Creole

Noun

wai

  1. (eastern dialect) a coconut embryo

Synonyms

  • musu (western dialect)

Usage notes

Wai (eastern dialect) or musu (western dialect) is the first stage of coconut growth. It is followed by giru (eastern dialect) or musu koknat (western dialect).


Viti

Noun

wai

  1. water

References

  • William Churchill, The Polynesian Wanderings: Tracks of the Migration Deduced (1911)

Waima'a

Noun

wai

  1. water

References

  • Aone van Engelenhoven, The position of Makuva among the Austronesian languages of Southwest Maluku and East Timor, in Austronesian historical linguistics and culture history: a festschrift, Pacific linguistics 601 (2009)

Waropen

Noun

wai

  1. Alternative form of ghai

References

  • The Linguistic Situation in the Islands of Yapen, Kurudu, Nau and Miosnum, New Guinea (1961)
This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.