kai

Borrowed from Maori kai. Doublet of makan (via Malay) in Malaysian and Singaporean Englishes.

• Audio (US):

  (file)

  (Can we verify⁽⁺⁾ this pronunciation?) (particularly: the audio is somewhat too fast)
• Rhymes: -aɪ

kai (uncountable)

1. (Australia, New Zealand, informal) Food.
   • 1995, Graeme Williams, The soc.culture.new-zealand FAQ:

     Actually, I'm not sure I like these new hangis using the foil, it tends to stop the juices getting through to the stones and I reckon the hangi kai is drier to the palate.

   • 2003, Carmen, “Is there really a censor in NZ?!”, in nz.general (Usenet):

     Got to go now and get some kai.

   • 2018, Melissa Lucashenko, Too Much Lip, University of Queensland Press 2023, p. 118:

     When the sausage man handed the kai over, Kerry passed two wieners to a pair of skinny white kids who had been watching the queue the whole time.

• AKI, KIA, Kia, aik

From Mandarin 凱子 / 凯子 (kǎizi).

kai

1. (Hong Kong Cantonese, slang, dated) foolish; idiotic
   • 2012, 回到三國 [Three Kingdoms RPG], episode 1, spoken by 司馬信 (馬國明):

     詰我啲兄弟，佢都kai kai地嘅。 [Cantonese, trad.]
     诘我啲兄弟，佢都kai kai地嘅。 [Cantonese, simp.]

     gat⁶ ngo⁵ di¹ hing¹ dai⁶, keoi⁵ dou¹ kaai¹ kaai¹ dei² ge³.

     Humilliating my bro? He's such an idiot.

kai

1. (Hong Kong Cantonese, slang, dated) to be foolish; to act like an idiot

• kai子 (kaai1 zi2)

From German Kai, from Dutch kaai, from French quai.

kai (genitive kai, partitive kaid)

1. quay

Borrowed from Danish kaj, from Old French kay, cail (modern French quai), from Gaulish cagiíum (“enclosure”), from Proto-Celtic *kagyom (“pen, enclosure”) (compare Welsh cae (“hedge”)).

• IPA^(key): /kʰaiː/
• Rhymes: -aiː

kai f (genitive singular kaiar, plural kaiir)

1. (colloquial) quay

• bryggja
• atløgubryggja

Probably shortened from kaiketi.

• IPA^(key): /ˈkɑi̯(ˣ)/,
• Rhymes: -ɑi
• Hyphenation^(key): kai

kai

1. probably, I guess (that) (used to express a possibility or belief of what's going to happen)

   Synonyms: ehkä, kenties, luultavasti, otaksuttavasti, arvatenkin, varmaankin, mahdollisesti, kaiketi

   Tulee kai sade.

   It will probably rain.

   Minun pitää kai lähteä.

   I guess I'll have to go.

   Lasseko tämän rikkoi? -Niin kai.

   Was it Lasse who broke this? -Probably yes.

2. Used to indicate derision or disbelief.

   Luulisi hänen osaavan. -Kyllä kai!

   One would think he can. -Yes, but I doubt!

   Annas minä autan! -Niin kai, et sinä ole ennenkään auttanut.

   Let me help you! -Bah, you haven't been much of a help so far.

3. Used as a fortifier, or to confirm.

   Synonyms: toki, tottahan

   Totta kai minä sinua uskon!

   Of course I believe you!

   Kai sinä tämän tiedät!

   You know this, don't you!

• “kai”, 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

• Aki, aik.

From Portuguese cair. Cognate with Kabuverdianu kai.

kai

1. to fall

From Proto-Afroasiatic . Cognates include Mangas ka, Polci kii, Miship ɡɨ.

• IPA^(key): /kái/
  • (Standard Kano Hausa) IPA^(key):

kai

1. you (2nd person singular subject pronoun)

• mákà (2nd person singular indirect object enclitic pronoun)
• ká (2nd person singular independent object pronoun)
• -kà (2nd person singular possessive enclitic pronoun)

Cognate with Bole kóːʔiː, Galambu kā, Gera ká, Deno kàá, Mangas kaam, Goemai kāː, Polci gaam.

• IPA^(key): /kâi/
  • (Standard Kano Hausa) IPA^(key):

kâi m (plural kāwunā̀, possessed form kâin)

1. head

From Proto-Polynesian *tai (compare with Maori tai), from Proto-Oceanic *tasik, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *tasik (compare with Malay tasik).

• IPA^(key): /ˈkai̯/, , (rapid speech)

kai

1. sea

   i kai ― towards the sea

   makai ― on the seaside, toward the sea, in the direction of the sea

   o kai ― of the lowland, of the sea, seaward

   nā kānaka o kai ― shore dwellers

2. salt water
3. seaside, area near the sea, lowlands
4. tide, current in the sea
5. gravy, sauce, dressing, soup, broth

• Kai Make

• wai
• moana

kai

1. (stative) to be insipid, brackish, tasteless

kai

1. my, how much!; how very! how terrific!

   kai ka nani! ― how beautiful!

   kai ke kolohe! ― oh, how mischievous!

• kainō
• keu

• Pukui, Mary Kawena, Elbert, Samuel H. (1986) “kai”, in Hawaiian Dictionary, Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press

kai

1. Rōmaji transcription of かい

From Portuguese cair.

kai

1. to fall

kai

1. you, second-person singular pronoun

• This term is used in both women's and men's speech.

• kaiboho

• Michael Dunn, Gender determined dialect variation, in The Expression of Gender (edited by Greville G. Corbett)
• David Lee Fortune, Gramática Karajá: um Estudo Preliminar em Forma Transformacional

From Proto-Kuki-Chin *kay, from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *ngay. Cognates include Hakka 𠊎 (ngài) and Burmese ငါ (nga).

• IPA^(key): /kai̯˥/

kai

1. I

• R. Shafer (1944) “Khimi Grammar and Vocabulary”, in Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, volume 11, number 2, page 419
• K. E. Herr (2011) The phonological interpretation of minor syllables, applied to Lemi Chin‎, Payap University, page 44

From Proto-Balto-Slavic *kai; compare Old Prussian kāi (“when”), Latvian kâ(i) (“when”), Old Church Slavonic цѣ (cě, “and also, besides”), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷoy; compare Ancient Greek ποῖ (poî, “whereto”). Perhaps ultimately the locative of Proto-Indo-European *kʷos, kʷis (“question particle”); see kas (“what”). Also, compare with tai (“that”).^[1]

• (conjunction): IPA^(key): /kɐɪˑ/
• (particle): IPA^(key): /kɐɪ/

kaĩ

1. (in relative clauses) when, while, as

kai (unstressed)

1. (in conjunction with interrogative words) some, a certain (suggesting the complement is a known entity, but withheld)

   kai kàs - (a certain) something

   Àš táu kai ką̃ turiù - I have something for you.

   kai kadà - sometimes, in some cases

• tai
• kas
• kad
• kaip

• kada
• kaž-, nors, bet

kai

1. all

kai

1. Nonstandard spelling of kāi.
2. Nonstandard spelling of kǎi.
3. Nonstandard spelling of kài.

• 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.

From Proto-Polynesian *kai, from Proto-Oceanic *kani, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *kaən (compare with Malay makan, Tagalog kain), from Proto-Austronesian *kaən.^[1][2]

kai (passive form kainga)

1. to eat (to consume food)

kai

1. food

• hari kai (“a song for guests when they wait for food”)
• hoko kai (“to buy food”)
• huanga kai (“crop”)
• kai hamuti (“a contemptible person, a strong insult”) (vulgar, offensive)
• kai inati (“overdose”)
• pū kai (“esophagus”)
• rūma kai (“a dining room”)
• tunu kai (“cooking”)
• wāhi kai (“a restaurant”)

• kaimoana (“seafood”)
• kainga (“refuse (inedible leftovers) of a meal”)
• wharekai (“a restaurant”)

• → English: kai

• Williams, Herbert William (1917) “kai”, in A Dictionary of the Maori Language, pages 101-2
• “kai” in John C. Moorfield, Te Aka: Maori–English, English–Maori Dictionary and Index, 3rd edition, Longman/Pearson Education New Zealand, 2011, →ISBN.

kai

1. Alternative form of keye (“key”)

• koie (Mooring)
• Kai (Sylt)

From Old Frisian kēi. Cognates include West Frisian kaai.

kai m (plural kaier)

1. (Föhr-Amrum) key

Norwegian Bokmål Wikipedia has an article on:

kai (sjøfart)

Wikipedia ^nb

From Old French kay, cail (modern French quai), from Gaulish cagiíum (“enclosure”), from Proto-Celtic *kagyom (“pen, enclosure”) (compare Welsh cae (“hedge”)).

kai m or f (definite singular kaia or kaien, indefinite plural kaier, definite plural kaiene)

1. quay, wharf, dock

• ferjekai, fergekai
• kaikant

Norwegian Nynorsk Wikipedia has an article on:

kai

Wikipedia ⁿⁿ

From Old French kay, cail (modern French quai), from Gaulish cagiíum (“enclosure”), from Proto-Celtic *kagyom (“pen, enclosure”) (compare Welsh cae (“hedge”)).

kai f or m (definite singular kaia or kaien, indefinite plural kaier or kaiar, definite plural kaiene or kaiane)

1. quay, wharf, dock

• ferjekai
• kaikant

From Portuguese cair and Spanish caer and Kabuverdianu kai.

kai

1. to fall

• kai abou

From Proto-Polynesian *kai, from Proto-Oceanic , from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *kaən, from Proto-Austronesian *kaən.

kai

1. to eat (consume)

kai

1. food

• pātia kai

kai

1. not

From Proto-Uto-Aztecan *kapsi.

kai (plural kaakai)

1. thigh

• kairam

Cognate with Northern Tepehuan káídɨ, O'odham kai.

kai

1. seed

kai

1. preterite of kaayaꞌ

• Willett, Elizabeth, et al. (2016) Diccionario tepehuano de Santa María Ocotán, Durango (Serie de vocabularios y diccionarios indígenas “Mariano Silva y Aceves”; 48)‎, electronic edition, Instituto Lingüístico de Verano, A.C., page 100

kai

1. Romanization of ᮊᮄ

Borrowed from Polynesian, from Proto-Polynesian *kai, from Proto-Oceanic *kani, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *kaən, from Proto-Austronesian *kaən.

kai

1. (transitive) to eat (consume)

kai

1. food

• kaikai

• IPA^(key):
• Hyphenation: ka‧i

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

kai (plural kakai)

1. (transitive) to eat
2. (intransitive) to eat
3. (fishing, intransitive) to bite

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

kai

1. (cricket) run
2. (cricket) goal, point
3. (cricket) score

From Proto-Polynesian *kai. Cognates include Tobanga kai and Nukuoro gai.

kai

1. Indicates disapproval and/or dissatisfaction.
2. Indicates regret that something didn't happen.

• (regret): kaina

• R. Simona, editor (1986), Tokelau Dictionary‎, Auckland: Office of Tokelau Affairs, page 142

From Proto-Polynesian *kai, from Proto-Oceanic , from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *kaən, from Proto-Austronesian *kaən.

• IPA^(key): /ka.i/

kai

1. food

kai

1. To eat

• kai maʻamaʻa

kai

1. ever

• IPA^(key): /kai̯˧/

kai

1. (intransitive) to rise, ascend, go up

• IPA^(key): /kai̯˧˥/

kái

1. askew
2. low

• IPA^(key): /kai̯˧˩/

kài

1. (transitive) pull, drag, draw

• Lukram Himmat Singh (2013) A Descriptive Grammar of Zou, Canchipur: Manipur University, page 63