jelai
Malay
Etymology
From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *zəlay (“a cereal grass, Job’s tears: Coix lachryma-jobi L.”). Doublet of (h)enjelai and menjelai.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /d͡ʒəlai̯/
- Rhymes: -əlai̯, -lai̯, -ai̯
Noun
jelai (Jawi spelling جلاي, plural jelai-jelai, informal 1st possessive jelaiku, 2nd possessive jelaimu, 3rd possessive jelainya)
- a kind of grain plant; Coix lacryma-jobi
- a millet, Lepisanthes senegalensis
Related terms
- enjelai
Further reading
- “jelai” in Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu | Malay Literary Reference Centre, Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 2017.