ai

Etymology 1

Originated 1685–95, from Brazilian Portuguese aí, from Old Tupi.

Etymology 2

Contraction of aight (which itself is a contraction of all right).

Anagrams

• -ia, IA, i.a.

Noun

ai

1. water

References

• Sidney Herbert Ray, A comparative study of the Melanesian Island languages (1926), page 351

Alternative forms

• ay

Etymology

From Proto-Albanian *a-ei (compound of proclitic particle *a and an ancient demostrative *ei), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁ey combined with Proto-Indo-European *ís (“he, this (one)”). Compare Latin is, German er, Lithuanian jìs, Sanskrit अयम् (ayám)).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [aj]

Pronoun

ai m (accusative atë, dative atij, ablative atij)

1. he

Pronoun

ai

1. that

Noun

ai

1. water

Further reading

• Darrell T. Tryon, New Hebrides languages: an internal classification (1976)

Noun

ai

1. banana

References

• transnewguinea.org, citing Franklin KJ. 1975. Comments on Proto-Engan. In SA Wurm, Ed. New Guinea Area Languages and Language Study: Papuan languages and the New Guinea linguistic scene. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics, pp. 263-275.'

Noun

ai

1. penis

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈai̯/
• Rhymes: -ai̯
• Syllabification: ai

Interjection

ai

1. ah!, alas!
2. woe!
3. expresses pain, sorrow, or surprise

Etymology

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

Noun

ai

1. water (clear liquid H₂O)
2. river, lake

References

• François, Alexandre. 2008. An online lexicon of Araki (Santo, Vanuatu). Electronic files. Paris: CNRS. (Pdf version) ‒ entry ai.

Etymology 1

From English eye.

Etymology 2

From English I.

Etymology 3

From English high.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic, Valencia) [ˈaj]
• Rhymes: -aj

Interjection

ai

1. ouch (pain), ooh (pain)

Noun

ai m (plural ais)

1. ooh (pain)

Determiner

ai

1. First person singular general possessive; my (used with general-class objects)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈaj/
• Hyphenation: ai

Verb

ai

1. second-person singular indicative present of avè

References

• “avè” in Aiaccinu: Cunghjugatori corsu

Noun

ạị

1. water

References

• Karl J. Franklin, Comparative Wordlist 1 of the Gulf District and adjacent areas (1975), page 67
• Karl James Franklin, Pacific Linguistics (1973, →ISBN, page 130 (see we)

Noun

ai

1. water

Further reading

• Cornelis L. Voorhoeve, Languages of Irian Jaya Checklist (1975, Canberra: Pacific Linguistics), page 114

Alternative forms

• aï (obsolete)

Etymology

Borrowed from Portuguese ai, from Old Tupi ai.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɑi/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: ai

Noun

ai m (plural ais)

1. pale-throated sloth, Bradypus tridactylus

   Synonym: drievingerige luiaard

Interjection

ai

1. ow, ouch

Etymology

Compare Estonian ai, Ingrian ai, Karelian ai, Ludian ai, Veps ai, Votic ai, and Swedish aj, Norwegian aj, Latvian aj. Perhaps natural; tracing an origin is practically impossible.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɑi̯/, [ˈɑ̝i̯]
• Rhymes: -ɑi
• Hyphenation^(key): ai

Interjection

ai

1. ouch!
2. oh!

   Ai, se olitkin sinä!

   Oh, it was you!

3. (colloquial, interrogative particle) Oh? As in...?

   "Käytkö kaupassa?" "Ai, ruokakaupassa?"

   "Will you go to the shop?" "Oh, the food shop?"

Further reading

• “ai”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎ (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2023-07-02

Anagrams

• -ia, ia

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /e/, /ɛ/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Homophones: et, aie, aies, aient, ait, es, est, hais, hait

Verb

ai

1. first-person singular present indicative of avoir

   J’ai un chien.

   I have a dog.

Anagrams

• IA

Etymology

From Latin allium.

Noun

ai m (plural ais)

1. garlic

Etymology

From Old Galician-Portuguese ay (attested since the 13^th century).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈaj]

Interjection

ai

1. ouch! expresses pain
2. ooh! expresses pain
3. oh! expresses concern
   • 1812, Antonio Benito Fandiño, A Casamenteira:

     Ai tontiño, porque iñoras
     o qu’he mantér casa e vida,
     que por ben que estea sortida,
     hai faltas a todas horas.
     O segundo, que teu pai
     pensa com’home de ben,
     e así por vergonza ten
     unha nora que non trai.
     Orasme, sobr’esto hai,
     que a dous parizós que teña,
     non tendes donde vos veña,
     cando ela non colla un mal.

     Oh, silly, because you don't know
     what it is to keep house and life,
     no matter how well stocked it is,
     there's lack at all hours.
     Second, your father
     thinks like a good man,
     and to his shame he has
     a daughter-in-law who doesn't bear.
     However, on this matter,
     with just two childbirths that she has,
     you'll be left resourceless,
     and that if she doesn't get sick.

References

• Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, Ana Isabel Boullón Agrelo (2006–2022) “ay”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, editor (2006–2013), “ai”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “ai”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “ai”, in Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega, →ISSN

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *kahiw.

Noun

ai

1. tree
2. wood

Etymology

From Proto-Oceanic *api, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *api, from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *apuy, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *hapuy, from Proto-Austronesian *Sapuy.

Noun

ai

1. fire

Alternative forms

• ayí (Benin)

Etymology

From Proto-Gbe *a-yĩ́ (“earth”). Cognates include Fon ayǐ, Saxwe Gbe nyixɔ́, Adja anyi. Perhaps related to Yoruba ayé

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ā.jí/

Noun

aí (plural aí lẹ́) (Nigeria)

1. ground

Etymology

From Proto-Polynesian *qai, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *qasiq.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈai̯/, [ˈɐj], [ˈɛj] (rapid speech)

Verb

ai

1. to have sexual intercourse; to copulate

Pronoun

ai

1. 1st-person plural pronoun exclusive: we, us (but not you)

Etymology

From Proto-Malayic *air, Proto-Malayo-Chamic *air, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aiʔ/, /aɛʔ/

Noun

ai

1. water

Further reading

• Adelaar, K. A. (1992) Proto-Malayic: The reconstruction of its phonology and parts of its lexicon and morphology‎, Canberra: The Australian National University
• Asmah Haji Omar (1977) “The Iban Language”, in The Sarawak Museum Journal, volume XXV, number 46, pages 81-100
• Smith, A. (2017) The Languages of Borneo: A Comprehensive Classification, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa

Etymology

Ultimately a natural sound. Compare Finnish ai and Estonian ai.

Pronunciation

• (Ala-Laukaa) IPA^(key): /ˈɑi̯/, [ˈɑi̯]
• (Soikkola) IPA^(key): /ˈɑi̯/, [ˈɑi̯]
• Rhymes: -ɑi̯
• Hyphenation: ai

Interjection

ai

1. Exclamation of pain or frustration: ouch! oh!

   ai voi ― oh-oh

References

• Ruben E. Nirvi (1971) Inkeroismurteiden Sanakirja, Helsinki: Suomalais-Ugrilainen Seura, page 5

Alternative forms

• a' (truncation)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈaj/
• Homophone: hai
• Rhymes: -aj
• Hyphenation: ài

Contraction

ai

1. contraction of a i; to the, at the

Anagrams

• -ia, IA

Romanization

ai

1. Rōmaji transcription of あい
2. Rōmaji transcription of アイ

Pronoun

ai

1. Alternative spelling of ábi (sense 1).

Etymology

From Proto-Malayic *air, Proto-Malayo-Chamic *air, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aiʔ/

Noun

ai

1. water

Further reading

• Smith, A. (2017) The Languages of Borneo: A Comprehensive Classification, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aj/

Letter

ai (upper case Ai)

1. A letter of the Kiowa alphabet.

See also

• (Latin-script letters) A a, Ai ai, Au au, Aui aui, B̶ b̶, B b, D̶ d̶, D d, E e, G̶ g̶, G g, H h, I i, K k, Kʼ kʼ, L l, M m, N n, n̶, O o, Oi oi, P p, Pʼ pʼ, S s, T t, Tʼ tʼ, Ts ts, Tsʼ tsʼ, U u, Ui ui, W w, Y y, Z z, ꞉

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Yeniseian *axʷ (“I”). Compare Assan aj (“I”), Arin aj (“I”), and Pumpokol ad (“I”).

Pronoun

ai

1. I (first-person singular subjective)

Noun

ai

1. friend

Etymology

a +‎ i

Contraction

ai

1. at or to the (+ plural noun)

Adverb

ai (Latin spelling, Hebrew spelling אאי)

1. Alternative form of aí