wai
English
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /waɪ/
Noun
wai (plural wais)
Translations
Etymology 2
Phonetic respelling of why.
'Are'are
Etymology
From Proto-Oceanic *waiʀ, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ.
Antonyms
- āsi (“salt water”)
References
- Blust's Austronesian Comparative Dictionary
Aka-Bea
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.
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"
Central Tagbanwa
Etymology
From Proto-Philippine [Term?], from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ.
References
- Robert A. Scebold, Central Tagbanwa: A Philippine Language on the Brink of Extinction : Sociolinguistics, Grammar, and Lexicon (2003)
Duri
Fijian
Etymology
From Proto-Oceanic *waiʀ, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ.
Gothic
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.
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
Kambera
Etymology
From Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ.
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.
Lamaholot
References
- Kunio Nishyama, Herman Kelen, A Grammar of Lamaholot, Eastern Indonesia: The Morphology and Syntax of the Lewoingu Dialect (2007)
- ABVD
Lau
See also
References
- Joel Bradshaw, Word order change in Papua New Guinea Austronesian languages (1982), page 126
- Walter George Ivens, Grammar and vocabulary of the Lau language, Solomon Islands (1921), page 55
Malay
Etymology
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /wai/
- Rhymes: -ai, -i
Mandarin
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.
References
- William Churchill, The Polynesian Wanderings: Tracks of the Migration Deduced (1911)
Middle English
Nauete
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
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
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
References
- W. G. Ivens, A Study of the Oroha Language, Mala, Solomon Islands, Bulletin of the School of Oriental Studies, University of London, volume 4, number 3 (1927), page 610
Owa
Etymology
From Proto-Oceanic *waiʀ, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ.
References
- Greg Mellow, A Dictionary of Owa: A Language of the Solomon Islands
Pitjantjatjara
Raga
Etymology
From Proto-Oceanic *waiʀ, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ.
References
- Malcolm Ross, Andrew Pawley, Meredith Osmond, The Lexicon of Proto-Oceanic (2007, →ISBN
Sa'a
Alternative forms
- wei
- wäi
Saterland Frisian
Etymology
From Old Frisian wei,
Pronunciation
IPA(key): /vaːi/
References
- Dr. Fort, Marron, Dät Näie Tästamänt un do Psoolme in ju aasterlauwersfräiske Uurtoal fon dät
Seelterlound, Fräislound, Butjoarlound, Aastfräislound un do Groninger Umelounde
Sikaiana
References
- William Churchill, The Polynesian Wanderings: Tracks of the Migration Deduced (1911)
Siroi
Further reading
- Johannes A. Z'Graggen, The Madang-Adelbert Range Sub-Phylum (1975), page 602
- Sjaak van Kleef, Siroi - English dictionary, English - Siroi dictionary (2007), page 10
Tae'
Etymology
From Proto-South Sulawesi *wai, from Proto-Sunda-Sulawesi *wair, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ.
Tangoa
Etymology
From Proto-Oceanic *waiʀ, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ.
References
- Malcolm Ross, Andrew Pawley, Meredith Osmond, The Lexicon of Proto-Oceanic (2007, →ISBN
Torres Strait Creole
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
References
- William Churchill, The Polynesian Wanderings: Tracks of the Migration Deduced (1911)
Waima'a
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
References
- The Linguistic Situation in the Islands of Yapen, Kurudu, Nau and Miosnum, New Guinea (1961)