ai

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See also: Appendix:Variations of "ai"

English

An ai, Bradypus tridactylus

Etymology 1

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

Pronunciation

Noun

ai (plural ais or ai)

  1. A type of three-toed sloth, Bradypus tridactylus, endemic to forests of southern Venezuela, the Guianas, and northern Brazil.
Synonyms

See also

  • unau (two-toed sloth)

References

Further reading

Etymology 2

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

Pronunciation

Contraction

ai

  1. (slang, US) All right.
    Ai, let's go.

Anagrams

Akei

Noun

ai

  1. water

References

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

Albanian

Alternative forms

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

Pronoun

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

  1. he

Declension

forms of ai
ai (3rd person masculine singular)
nominative ai
ablative atij / tij
full form clitic
accusative atë e
dative atij i
possessive adjective possessive pronoun
i tij i tiji

See also

Albanian personal pronouns
singular plural
1st person unë ne
2nd person ti ju
3rd person masculine ai ata
feminine ajo ato

Pronoun

ai

  1. that

Declension

declension of ai
singular plural
masculine feminine masculine feminine
nominative ai ajo ata ato
accusative atë atë ata ato
genitive/dative/ablative atij asaj atyre atyre

Amblong

Noun

ai

  1. water

Further reading

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

Angal Enen

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.'

Apalaí

Noun

ai

  1. penis

Araki

ai

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

Catalan

Pronunciation

Interjection

ai

  1. ouch (pain), ooh (pain)

Noun

ai m (plural ais)

  1. ooh (pain)

Chuukese

Determiner

ai

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

Related terms

Chuukese possessive determiners
Small objects, concepts Large objects, living things Suffix
Singular First person ai nei -ei
Second person omw, om noum -om
Third person an noun -an
Plural First person äm (exclusive)
ach (inclusive)		 nöu̇m (exclusive)
nöüch (inclusive)		 -em (exclusive)
-ach (inclusive)
Second person ämi, ami noumi -emi
Third person ar nour -er

Corsican

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈaj/
  • Hyphenation: ai

Verb

ai

  1. second-person singular indicative present of avè

References

  • “avè” in Aiaccinu: Cunghjugatori corsu

Dadibi

Noun

ạị

  1. water

Synonyms

References

Dubu

Noun

ai

  1. water

Further reading

Dutch

Alternative forms

Etymology

Borrowed from Portuguese ai, from Old Tupi ai.

Pronunciation

Noun

ai m (plural ais)

  1. pale-throated sloth, Bradypus tridactylus
    Synonym: drievingerige luiaard

Estonian

Interjection

ai

  1. ow, ouch

Synonyms

Finnish

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

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?"

Synonyms

Derived terms

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

French

Pronunciation

Verb

ai

  1. first-person singular present indicative of avoir
    J’ai un chien.
    I have a dog.

Anagrams

Friulian

Etymology

From Latin allium.

Noun

ai m (plural ais)

  1. garlic

Galician

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

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

  • “ay” in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval, SLI - ILGA 2006–2022.
  • “ai” in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega, SLI - ILGA 2006–2013.
  • “ai” in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega. Santiago: ILG.
  • “ai” in Álvarez, Rosario (coord.): Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués, Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega.

Galoli

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *kahiw.

Noun

ai

  1. tree
  2. wood

Gilbertese

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

Gun

Alternative forms

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

Noun

aí (plural aí lẹ́) (Nigeria)

  1. ground

Derived terms

Hawaiian

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈai̯/, , (rapid speech)

Verb

ai

  1. to have sexual intercourse; to copulate

Hiri Motu

Pronoun

ai

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

See also

Hiri Motu personal pronouns
singular plural
1st person lau ai (exclusive)
ita (inclusive)
2nd person oi umui
3rd person ia idia

Iban

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

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

Ingrian

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

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

Italian

Alternative forms

  • a' (truncation)

Pronunciation

Contraction

ai

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

Anagrams

Japanese

Romanization

ai

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

Kalasha

Pronoun

ai

  1. Alternative spelling of ábi (sense 1).

Kendayan

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

Noun

ai

  1. water

Further reading

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

Kott

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)

Related terms

Kriol

Etymology 1

From English eye.

Noun

ai

  1. eye
  2. headlight of a car
  3. seed

Etymology 2

From English I.

Pronoun

ai

  1. I

Etymology 3

From English high.

Adjective

ai

  1. high, tall

Kuna

Noun

ai

  1. friend

Ladin

Etymology

a +‎ i

Contraction

ai

  1. at or to the (+ plural noun)

Ladino

Adverb

ai (Latin spelling, Hebrew spelling אאי)

  1. Alternative form of aí

Latin

Pronunciation

Verb

ai

  1. second-person singular present active imperative of āiō

References

  • “ai”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  • “ai”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
  • Carl Meißner, Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎, London: Macmillan and Co.
    • do you think so? are you in earnest: ain tu?

Latvian

Interjection

ai

  1. ouch!
  2. oh!

Leti (Indonesia)

Etymology

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

Noun

ai

  1. fire

Lithuanian

Etymology

Compare Russian ой (oj, “ow!”).

Pronunciation

ái: IPA(key): /a͡ɪ/

aĩ: IPA(key): /ɐ͡ɪ/

Interjection

ái! or aĩ!

  1. ow!, ah!, (expresses pain, fear or surprise)
  2. oi!, hey! (used to attract someone's attention)

Synonyms

Derived terms

words derived from "ai"

Lombard

Noun

ai

  1. Alternative form of aj (“garlic”)

Manchu

Romanization

ai

  1. Romanization of ᠠᡳ

Mandarin

Romanization

ai

  1. Nonstandard spelling of āi.
  2. Nonstandard spelling of ái.
  3. Nonstandard spelling of ǎi.
  4. Nonstandard spelling of ài.

Usage notes

  • 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.

Mbyá Guaraní

Adjective

ai

  1. (to be) bitter

Conjugation

    Possessed forms of ai
singular plural
1st person 2nd person 3rd person 1st person
inclusive 		1st person
exclusive 		2nd person 3rd person
xerai nderai hai nhanderai orerai penderai hai

Noun

ai

  1. wound, injury

Middle English

Pronoun

ai

  1. Alternative form of þei (“they”)

Naga Pidgin

Etymology

Inherited from Assamese আই (ai).

Noun

ai

  1. mother, mom

Norman

Verb

ai

  1. (Guernsey) first-person singular present indicative of aver

North Frisian

Adverb

ai

  1. (Mooring) not

Norwegian Bokmål

Interjection

ai

  1. used to express surprise

References

Norwegian Nynorsk

Interjection

ai

  1. used to express surprise

References

Occitan

Verb

ai

  1. first-person singular present indicative of aver

Okinawan

Romanization

ai

  1. Rōmaji transcription of あい

Pitjantjatjara

Interjection

ai

  1. huh
  2. geez
  3. what
  4. hey

References

  • "ai" in Cliff Goddard (1992) Pitjantjatjara/Yankunytjatjara to English Dictionary, 2nd edition
  • Ninti Ngapartji

Pohnpeian

Pronunciation

Interjection

ai

  1. no way!

Portuguese

Pronunciation

  • Rhymes: -aj
  • Hyphenation: ai

Interjection

ai

  1. ouch (expression of physical pain)
    Ai! Pisei um prego! ― Ouch! I stepped on a nail!
  2. oh (expression of concern)

Derived terms

Rapa Nui

Etymology

From Proto-Polynesian *hai. Cognates include Tongan hai and Maori wai.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈa.i/
  • Hyphenation: a‧i

Pronoun

ai

  1. who?

References

  • Paulus Kieviet (2017) A grammar of Rapa Nui‎, Berlin: Language Science Press, →ISBN, page 404

Rohingya

Verb

ai

  1. come

Romanian

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

Article

ai (masculine plural possessive)

  1. of
    Niște prieteni ai lui sunt interesanți.
    Some friends of his are interesting.
See also
  • al (masculine/neuter singular)
  • a (feminine singular)
  • ale (feminine/neuter plural)

Etymology 2

From Latin allium / alium.

Noun

ai m (uncountable)

  1. (regional) garlic
    Synonym: usturoi
Declension
declension of ai (singular only)
singular
m gender indefinite articulation definite articulation
nominative/accusative (un) ai aiul
genitive/dative (unui) ai aiului
vocative aiule
Derived terms
See also

Etymology 3

Inflected form of avea (“to have”).

Verb

ai

  1. second-person singular present indicative of avea
    (you) have
    Ai vreun prieten în România?
    Do you have any friends in Romania?
  2. inflection of avea:
    1. second-person singular present subjunctive
    2. second-person singular imperative

Etymology 4

From an old or proto-Romanian form ae, from Latin habēs.

Verb

ai

  1. (tu) ai (modal auxiliary, second-person singular form of avea, used with past participles to form perfect compus tenses)
    (you) have...
Related terms

Etymology 5

Probably from a Vulgar Latin *eas, from Latin habēbās.

Verb

(tu) ai (modal auxiliary, second-person singular form of avea, used with infinitives to form conditional tenses)

  1. (you) would
    Ai fi murit dacă ți-aș fi spus.
    You would have died if I'd told you.
Related terms

References

  1. ^ http://www.lingv.ro/RRL%201-2%202009%20Nevaci,%20Todi.pdf

Seri

Etymology 1

Noun

ai (plural aaita)

  1. his father
Declension
Declension of ai
singular plural
Absolutive hapee —
1st person hii —
2nd person — —
3rd person ai aaita
Derived terms
  • queaa (“to have as father”)

Etymology 2

Adverb

ai

  1. (rare) still (used with nominalized third person verbs)

References

  • Moser, Mary B., Marlett, Stephen A. (2010) Comcaac quih yaza quih hant ihiip hac: cmiique iitom - cocsar iitom - maricaana iitom [Seri-Spanish-English Dictionary], 2nd edition, Hermosillo: Plaza y Valdés Editores, →ISBN, page 43.

Sranan Tongo

Alternative forms

  • ay (unofficial)

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

From English eye.

Noun

ai

  1. eye

Etymology 2

From English aye, ay.

Interjection

ai

  1. yes

Sumbawa

Etymology

From Proto-Malayo-Sumbawan *wair, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ.

Noun

ai

  1. water

References

Tày

Pronunciation

Noun

ai (埃)

  1. Synonym of cò niêng

References

  • Hoàng Văn Ma, Lục Văn Pảo, Hoàng Chí (2006) Từ điển Tày-Nùng-Việt [Tay-Nung-Vietnamese dictionary] (in Vietnamese), Hanoi: Nhà xuất bản Từ điển Bách khoa Hà Nội
  • Lương Bèn (2011) Từ điển Tày-Việt [Tay-Vietnamese dictionary]‎ (in Vietnamese), Thái Nguyên: Nhà Xuất bản Đại học Thái Nguyên
  • Lục Văn Pảo, Hoàng Tuấn Nam (2003) Hoàng Triều Ân, editor, Từ điển chữ Nôm Tày [A Dictionary of (chữ) Nôm Tày]‎ (in Vietnamese), Hanoi: Nhà xuất bản Khoa học Xã hội

Tetum

Etymology

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *kahiw, compare Tagalog kahoy.

Noun

ai

  1. tree
  2. wood

Tok Pisin

This entry has fewer than three known examples of actual usage, the minimum considered necessary for clear attestation, and may not be reliable. Tok Pisin is subject to a special exemption for languages with limited documentation. If you speak it, please consider editing this entry or adding citations. See also Help and the Community Portal.

Etymology

From English eye.

Noun

ai

  1. (anatomy) eye
    • 1989, Buk Baibel long Tok Pisin, Port Moresby: Bible Society of Papua New Guinea, Jenesis 3:5:
      Sapos yutupela i kaikai pikinini bilong dispela diwai, bai ai bilong yutupela i op na yutupela i kisim save long wanem samting i gutpela, na wanem samting i nogut, na bai yutupela i kamap wankain olsem God. God i save long dispela, olsem na em i tambuim yutupela long kaikai pikinini bilong dispela diwai.”
      →New International Version translation
  2. hole, opening, lid
  3. tip

Derived terms

Tokelauan

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

From Proto-Polynesian *hai. Cognates include Hawaiian ai and Samoan ai.

Pronoun

ai

  1. who?

Etymology 2

From Proto-Polynesian *ai. Cognates include Hawaiian ai and Samoan ai.

Particle

ai

  1. Anaphoric particle used to refer to an adverbial clause; there, then
Derived terms

References

  • R. Simona, editor (1986), Tokelau Dictionary‎, Auckland: Office of Tokelau Affairs, page 1

Torres Strait Creole

Etymology 1

From English I.

Pronoun

ai

  1. I (see also mi)

Etymology 2

From English eye.

Noun

ai

  1. eye

Venetian

Noun

ai

  1. plural of aio

Vietnamese

Etymology

From Proto-Vietic *ʔeː (“who”). Cognate with Tho ʔeː¹.

Pronunciation

Pronoun

ai • (埃)

  1. who
    Bạn là ai?
    Who are you?
    Ai (mà) biết.
    Who knows? / How should I know?
  2. whoever
  3. someone else
  4. one, a person
    • 2005, Nguyễn Ngọc Tư, "Cuối mùa nhan sắc" (in Cánh đồng bất tận), Trẻ publishing house
      Người ở chùa, người bán vé số, người ngủ công viên, người hát rong, ít ai có nhà để về.
      Some live at the temple, some sell lottery tickets, some sleep in parks, some play music in the streets; few have a home to go back to.
  5. (rhetorical) nobody

Usage notes

  • The interrogative pronoun ai is used for a person. When ai functions as the subject of the question, it is placed at the beginning of the question.
Ai có ô tô? ― Who has a car?
  • When functioning as the predicate, it can either follow or predate the linking verb là.
Hải là ai? ― Who is Hải?
Ai là Hải? ― Who is Hải?
  • When functioning as the object, it is placed after the verb.
Nga vẽ ai? ― Whom is Nga drawing?

See also

Derived terms

Further reading

Volapük

Adverb

ai

  1. always
  2. at all times
  3. constantly (habitually)
  4. ever (always)
  5. habitually

Antonyms

Derived terms

Welsh

Etymology

May derive from a (“interrogative particle”) +‎ yw (“is, are”) or from or via the synonymous ae.

Pronunciation

Particle

ai

  1. interrogative particle (used when a non-verbal element is fronted for emphasis)
    Synonym: ife
    Ai ef yw dy dad?
    Is he your father?
  2. whether, if (used when the subordinate clause has a non-verbal element fronted for emphasis)
    Ni wn ai ef yw dy dad.
    I do not know whether he is your father.

Usage notes

  • Used before a non-verbal element fronted for emphasis. Unemphatic initial verbs, on the other hand, employ the interrogative particle a.
  • This word is found in formal language. As an initial interrogative particle, it is often dropped altogether in colloquial language or replaced with ife in some southern dialects.
  • Likewise, with the meaning "whether", this may be dropped colloquially. An alternative construction influenced by English is to replaced the ai with os (“if”) followed by the appropriate dialect-specific indicating an emphatic subordinate clause, namely taw in south Wales and mai or na in the north.

References

  • R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “ai”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies

West Makian

Pronunciation

Verb

ai

  1. (intransitive) to come back, return
  2. (intransitive) to depart
    naai sito? ― where did you depart from?

Conjugation

Conjugation of ai (action verb)
singular plural
inclusive exclusive
1st person taai maai aai
2nd person naai faai
3rd person inanimate iai daai
animate
imperative naai, ai faai, ai

References

  • Clemens Voorhoeve (1982) The Makian languages and their neighbours‎, Pacific linguistics (as ay)

Yami

Noun

ai

  1. (anatomy) foot

Ye'kwana

Etymology

From Proto-Cariban . Compare Apalaí ae, Hixkaryana yaye, Macushi yapai, and Waiwai yay.

Pronunciation

Postposition

ai

  1. through, by; indicates motion by way of a non-aquatic object of class 1

Usage notes

A possessed noun that is the object of this postposition does not take the possessed suffix -dü. The postposition can thus combine with nouns referring to body parts and parts of objects to form more complex postpositions/relational nouns.

See also

Ye'kwana primitive postpositions
generic location specific location or goal pathway
object class 1 awö aka ai
object class 2 tawö taka tai
aquatic object kwawö kwaka kwai

References

  • Cáceres, Natalia (2011) Grammaire Fonctionnelle-Typologique du Ye’kwana‎, Lyon, pages 267–272

Zou

Ai.

Pronunciation

Noun

ái

  1. crab

References

  • Lukram Himmat Singh (2013) A Descriptive Grammar of Zou, Canchipur: Manipur University, page 40
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