mayday

See also: May Day

Translingual

Etymology

From French m'aider, short for Venez m'aider ! or Viens m'aider! (“Come help me!”).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈmeɪ.deɪ/
(file)
Audio (AU) (file)

Interjection

mayday

(radio slang) emergency, need assistance
- 2004, Ken Wishaw, Helicopter Rescue: The true story of Australia's first full-time chopper doctor‎, page 82
  'Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!' came the call.

Synonyms

SOS

Translations

The call mayday is the international standard emergency call. However, many local variations also exist.

emergency, need assistance

Chinese:
Mandarin: 遇險信號, 遇险信号 (yùxiǎn xìnhào)
Finnish: mayday
French: au secours ! (fr), à l'aide ! (fr), mayday (fr)
German: Hilfe! (de), Mayday!
Greek: βοήθεια (el) (voḯtheia)
Italian: aiuto ! (it)

Japanese: メーデー (ja) (mēdē)
Korean: 메이데이 (ko) (meidei)
Russian: помоги́те (pomogíte), терплю́ бе́дствие (terpljú bédstvije), на по́мощь (na pómoščʹ), мэйдэ́й (mɛjdɛ́j), мэдэ́ (mɛdɛ́)
Serbo-Croatian: upomoć
Slovene: na pomoč
Spanish: ¡socorro! (es), ¡auxilio! (es), ¡ayuda! (es)

See also

pan-pan

English

WOTD – 1 May 2010

Alternative forms

Mayday

Pronunciation

(UK, US) IPA^(key): /ˈmeɪ.deɪ/
Audio (US) (file)
Audio (AU) (file)
Rhymes: -eɪdeɪ

Noun

mayday (plural maydays)

An international distress signal used by shipping and aircraft
- 2002, Clive Cussler, Valhalla Rising‎, page 47
  "Odd that she hasn't sent out a Mayday."
  "That is curious. Her radio must be disabled."

Related terms

distress signal

Translations

international distress signal used by shipping and aircraft

Chinese:
Mandarin: 遇險信號, 遇险信号 (yùxiǎn xìnhào)
Finnish: hätäkutsu

French: mayday (fr), SOS (fr)
Greek: σήμα κινδύνου n (síma kindýnou)
Russian: сигна́л бе́дствия (signál bédstvija), радиосигнал бе́дствия (radiosignal bédstvija), сигна́л "терплю бедствие" (signál "terplju bedstvije")

See also

pan-pan
SOS

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