Wiktionary

wai

See also: WAI, Wai, wài, wāi, wǎi, and wa'i
Languages (52)
English
Aka-Bea • 'Are'are • Arosi • Balinese • Buli (Indonesia) • Central Tagbanwa • Duri • Fijian • Gothic • Hadza • Hawaiian • Jamaican Creole • Japanese • Kambera • Kapingamarangi • Laboya • Lamaholot • Lau • Malay • Mamasa • Mamuju • Mandarin • Maori • Masiwang • Middle English • Nauete • Naxi • Neko • North Frisian • Old Javanese • Omba • Oroha • Owa • Palu'e • Pitjantjatjara • Pukapukan • Raga • Sa'a • Saterland Frisian • Sikaiana • Siroi • Tae' • Tangoa • Tîrî • Tocharian B • Torres Strait Creole • Viti • Waima'a • Waropen • West Makian • Ye'kwana
Page categories

English

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English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia
 
Students performing wai.

Pronunciation

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Etymology 1

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

Noun

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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
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Etymology 2

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Phonetic respelling of why.

Adverb

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wai (not comparable)

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

Anagrams

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Aka-Bea

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Adverb

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wai

  1. indeed

References

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

'Are'are

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wai

Etymology

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

Noun

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wai

  1. fresh water (clear liquid H₂O)

Antonyms

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  • āsi (“salt water”)

References

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  • Blust's Austronesian Comparative Dictionary

Arosi

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Etymology

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

Noun

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wai

  1. water (clear liquid H₂O)

References

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  • 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"

Balinese

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Romanization

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wai

  1. Romanization of ᬯᬳᬶ

Buli (Indonesia)

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Numeral

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wai

  1. eight

References

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

Central Tagbanwa

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Etymology

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

Noun

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wai (Tagbanwa spelling ᝯᝡ)

  1. water (clear liquid H₂O)

References

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

Duri

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Noun

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wai

  1. water

References

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

Fijian

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Etymology

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

Noun

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wai

  1. water (clear liquid H₂O)

Gothic

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Romanization

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wai

  1. Romanization of 𐍅𐌰𐌹

Hadza

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Pronunciation

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Determiner

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wai ?

  1. all (used with a possessive suffix)
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Hawaiian

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Pronunciation

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

Etymology 1

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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 (compare with Malay air).

Noun

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wai

  1. water, especially of fresh sources
Derived terms
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Etymology 2

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Verb

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wai

  1. Rare form of waiho (“to leave, deposit”).

References

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  • William Churchill (1911) The Polynesian Wanderings: Tracks of the Migration Deduced
  • Pukui, Mary Kawena, Elbert, Samuel H. (1986) “wai”, in Hawaiian Dictionary, Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press
  • Elbert, Samuel H., Pukui, Mary Kawena (1979) Hawaiian Grammar, Honolulu: University of Hawaiʻi Press, →ISBN, page 67

Jamaican Creole

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Etymology

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Derived from English why.

Pronunciation

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Adverb

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wai

  1. why
    • 2012, Di Jamiekan Nyuu Testiment, Edinburgh: DJB, published 2012, →ISBN, Ruoman 11:33:
      […] Uu kyan se wai im mek op im main fi du di sitn dem we im du? […]
      […] You can see why he made up his mind to do the things he does?

Usage notes

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  • For asking questions, ou kom is used instead.

Japanese

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Romanization

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wai

  1. Rōmaji transcription of わい
  2. Rōmaji transcription of ワイ

Kambera

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Etymology

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

Noun

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wài

  1. water (clear liquid H₂O)

References

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  • Marian Klamer, A Grammar of Kambera

Kapingamarangi

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Etymology

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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

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wai

  1. water (clear liquid H₂O)

Laboya

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Pronunciation

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Noun

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wai

  1. chin

References

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  • Allahverdi Verdizade (2019) “wai”, in Lamboya word list‎[1], Leiden: LexiRumah

Lamaholot

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Noun

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wai

  1. water (clear liquid H₂O)

References

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

Lau

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Noun

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wai

  1. water

See also

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References

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Malay

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wai

Etymology

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From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ. Doublet of air.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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wai (Jawi spelling واي, plural wai-wai, informal 1st possessive waiku, 2nd possessive waimu, 3rd possessive wainya)

  1. river (large stream which drains a landmass)
    Synonyms: alir, alur, batang, bengawan, ci, kali, sungai

References

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Mamasa

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Noun

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wai

  1. water

References

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Mamuju

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Noun

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wai

  1. water

References

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Mandarin

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Romanization

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wai (wai5／wai0, Zhuyin ˙ㄨㄞ)

  1. Hanyu Pinyin reading of 𠰻

wai

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

Usage notes

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  • Transcriptions of Mandarin into the Latin script often do not distinguish between the critical tonal differences employed in the Mandarin language, using words such as this one without indication of tone.

Maori

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Etymology 1

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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 (compare with Malay air).

Noun

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wai

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

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Compare Tahitian vai.

Pronoun

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wai

  1. who?

References

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  • Tregear, Edward (1891) Maori-Polynesian Comparative Dictionary‎[2], Wellington, New Zealand: Lyon and Blair, page 589
  • William Churchill, The Polynesian Wanderings: Tracks of the Migration Deduced (1911)
  • “wai” in John C. Moorfield, Te Aka: Maori–English, English–Maori Dictionary and Index, 3rd edition, Longman/Pearson Education New Zealand, 2011, →ISBN.

Masiwang

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Noun

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wai

  1. water

References

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Middle English

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Noun

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wai

  1. Alternative spelling of way

Nauete

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Noun

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wai

  1. water

References

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  • 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)

Naxi

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Etymology

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From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *b(w)ay.

Adjective

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wai

  1. left

References

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  • Naxi Dictionary by T.M. Pinson, Lijiang 2012

Neko

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Noun

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wai

  1. water

References

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  • 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)

North Frisian

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From Proto-Germanic *wegaz.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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wai m (plural waier)

  1. (Föhr-Amrum) way

Old Javanese

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Etymology 1

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Noun

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wai

  1. Alternative spelling of we (“sun, day”)

Etymology 2

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Noun

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wai

  1. Alternative spelling of wwe (“water”)

Further reading

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  • "wai" in P.J. Zoetmulder with the collaboration of S.O. Robson, Old Javanese-English Dictionary. 's-Gravenhage: M. Nijhoff, 1982.

Omba

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Noun

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wai

  1. water

References

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  • 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

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Noun

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wai

  1. water

References

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Owa

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Etymology

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

Noun

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wai

  1. water (clear liquid H₂O)

References

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

Palu'e

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Noun

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wai

  1. woman

References

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  • Austronesian Comparative Dictionary

Pitjantjatjara

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Interjection

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wai

  1. hey

Pukapukan

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Etymology

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From Proto-Polynesian *fai, from Proto-Oceanic *paʀi, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *paʀih, from Proto-Austronesian *paʀiS.

Noun

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wai

  1. stingray (venomous ray of the orders Rajiformes and Myliobatiformes)

Hyponyms

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Further reading

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Raga

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Etymology

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

Noun

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wai

  1. water (clear liquid H₂O)

References

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

Sa'a

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Noun

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wai

  1. water

Alternative forms

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Further reading

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Saterland Frisian

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Etymology

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From Old Frisian wei.

Pronunciation

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IPA(key): /vaːi/

Noun

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wai m (plural do Wege)

  1. way

References

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  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

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Noun

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wai

  1. water

References

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

Siroi

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Noun

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wai

  1. arm, hand

Further reading

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Tae'

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Etymology

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

Noun

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wai

  1. water (clear liquid H₂O)

References

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Tangoa

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Etymology

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

Noun

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wai

  1. water (clear liquid H₂O)

References

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

Tîrî

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Adverb

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wai

  1. already

References

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  • Osumi, M. (1995). Tinrin Grammar. Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press. page 39

Tocharian B

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Conjunction

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wai

  1. and

Torres Strait Creole

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Noun

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wai

  1. (Eastern dialect) a coconut embryo

Usage notes

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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).

Synonyms

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  • musu (western dialect)

Viti

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Noun

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wai

  1. water

References

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

Waima'a

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Noun

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wai

  1. water

References

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  • 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

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Noun

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wai

  1. Alternative form of ghai

References

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  • The Linguistic Situation in the Islands of Yapen, Kurudu, Nau and Miosnum, New Guinea (1961)

West Makian

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Pronunciation

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Particle

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wai

  1. (sentence-final); not yet

Alternative forms

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References

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  • Clemens Voorhoeve (1982) The Makian languages and their neighbours‎[3], Pacific linguistics

Ye'kwana

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Variant orthographies
ALIV wai
Brazilian standard wai
New Tribes wai

Pronunciation

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Noun

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wai (possessed waichü)

  1. (in ritual chants) Synonym of jüwai (“shaman”)

References

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  • Gongora, Majoí Fávero (2017) Ääma ashichaato: replicações, transformações, pessoas e cantos entre os Ye’kwana do rio Auaris‎[4], corrected edition, São Paulo: Universidade de São Paulo, page 424: “Waichö é um termo usado nos cantos aichudi e ädeemi e é sinônimo de föwai, ‘pajé’ ou ‘xamã’.”
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