wai

See also: WAI, Wai, wài, wāi, wǎi, and wa'i

English

Students performing wai.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /waɪ/, /weɪ/
Rhymes: -aɪ, -eɪ

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Thai ไหว้ (wâi, “a gesture of thanks”).

Noun

wai (plural wais)

A Thai greeting wherein the palms are brought together in front of the face or chest, sometimes accompanied with a bow.

Translations

Thai greeting

Burmese: ဝေး (my) (we:), ဝေ့ (my) (we.), ဝေ (my) (we)
Indonesian: sembah (id) (a similar greeting)
Japanese: ワイ (ja) (wai)
Khmer: សំពះ (km) (sɑmpeah)
Korean: 와이 (wai)
Lao: ນົບ (nop)
Malay: sembah (ms) (a similar greeting)
Russian: вай (ru) m or n (vaj)
Thai: ไหว้ (th) (wâai)
Vietnamese: vái (vi)

Etymology 2

Phonetic respelling of why.

Adverb

wai (not comparable)

(Internet slang) why (a purposeful misspelling)

Anagrams

IAW, WIA, iwa

'Are'are

wai

Etymology

From Proto-Oceanic *waiʀ, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ.

Noun

wai

fresh water (clear liquid H₂O)

Antonyms

āsi (“salt water”)

References

Blust's Austronesian Comparative Dictionary

Aka-Bea

Adverb

wai

indeed

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.

Noun

wai

water (clear liquid H₂O)

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"

Buli (Indonesia)

Numeral

wai

eight

References

G. Maan, Proeve van een Bulische spraakkunst (1951)

Central Tagbanwa

Etymology

From Proto-Philippine [Term?], from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ.

Noun

wai (Tagbanwa spelling ᝯᝡ)

water (clear liquid H₂O)

References

Robert A. Scebold, Central Tagbanwa: A Philippine Language on the Brink of Extinction : Sociolinguistics, Grammar, and Lexicon (2003)

Duri

Noun

wai

water

References

Language Documentation Training Center, Linguistic Society of Hawaii, Duri wordlist

Fijian

Etymology

From Proto-Central Pacific *wai, from Proto-Oceanic *waiʀ, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ.

Noun

wai

water (clear liquid H₂O)

Gothic

Romanization

wai

Romanization of 𐍅𐌰𐌹

Hadza

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /waʔi/

Determiner

wai ?

all (used with a possessive suffix)

Related terms

waiko
waina

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 (compare with Malay air).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈwai̯/, [ˈʋɐj]

(rapid speech) IPA^(key): [ˈʋɛj]

Noun

wai

fresh water

Related terms

kai
waiwai

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

Japanese

Romanization

wai

Rōmaji transcription of わい
Rōmaji transcription of ワイ

Kambera

Etymology

From Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ.

Noun

wài

water (clear liquid H₂O)

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.

Noun

wai

water (clear liquid H₂O)

Laboya

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [wa͡i]

Noun

wai

chin

References

Allahverdi Verdizade (2019), “wai”, in Lamboya word list, Leiden: LexiRumah

Lamaholot

Noun

wai

water (clear liquid H₂O)

References

Kunio Nishyama, Herman Kelen, A Grammar of Lamaholot, Eastern Indonesia: The Morphology and Syntax of the Lewoingu Dialect (2007)
ABVD

Lau

Noun

wai

water

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

wai

Etymology

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ. Doublet of air.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /wai/
Rhymes: -ai, -i

Noun

wai (Jawi spelling واي‎, plural wai-wai, informal 1st possessive waiku, 2nd possessive waimu, 3rd possessive wainya)

river (large stream which drains a landmass)
Synonyms: alir, alur, batang, bengawan, ci, kali, sungai

References

"wai" in Kamus Dewan, Fourth Edition, Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, →ISBN, 2005.
“wai” in Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu | Malay Literary Reference Centre, Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 2017.

Mamasa

Noun

wai

water

References

David F. Matti, Mamasa Pronoun Sets (1994)

Mamuju

Noun

wai

water

References

Kari K. Stromme, Person Marking in the Mamuju Language (1994)

Mandarin

Romanization

wai (wai⁵ / wai⁰, Zhuyin ˙ㄨㄞ)

Hanyu Pinyin reading of 𠰻.

wai

Nonstandard spelling of wāi.
Nonstandard spelling of wǎi.
Nonstandard spelling of wài.

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 (compare with Malay air).

Noun

wai

water (clear liquid H₂O)
liquid

Derived terms

hauwai
wai māori
waitoreke

Etymology 2

Compare Tahitian vai.

Pronoun

wai

who?

References

Tregear, Edward (1891) Maori-Polynesian Comparative Dictionary‎, Wellington, New Zealand: Lyon and Blair, page 589
William Churchill, The Polynesian Wanderings: Tracks of the Migration Deduced (1911)
“wai” in John C. Moorfield, Te Aka: Maori-English, English-Maori Dictionary and Index, 3rd edition, Longman/Pearson Education New Zealand, 2011, →ISBN.

Maquiritari

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [waj]

Noun

wai (possessed waichü)

(in aichudi and ödemi chants) Synonym of jüwai (“shaman”)

References

Gongora, Majoí Fávero (2017) Ääma ashichaato: replicações, transformações, pessoas e cantos entre os Ye’kwana do rio Auaris‎, corrected edition, São Paulo: Universidade de São Paulo, page 424

Masiwang

Noun

wai

water

References

ABVD

Middle English

Noun

wai

Alternative spelling of way

Nauete

Noun

wai

water

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)

Naxi

Etymology

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *b(w)ay.

Adjective

wai

left

References

Naxi Dictionary by T.M. Pinson, Lijiang 2012

Neko

Noun

wai

water

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)

Old Javanese

Alternative forms

wwei, wwai, wway, way

Etymology

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiR, compare Malay air.

Noun

wai

water

Omba

Noun

wai

water

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

Noun

wai

water

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.

Noun

wai

water (clear liquid H₂O)

References

Greg Mellow, A Dictionary of Owa: A Language of the Solomon Islands

Palu'e

Noun

wai

woman

References

Austronesian Comparative Dictionary

Pitjantjatjara

Interjection

wai

hey

Pukapukan

Etymology

From Proto-Polynesian *fai, from Proto-Oceanic *paʀi, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *paʀih, from Proto-Austronesian *paʀiS.

Noun

wai

stingray (venomous ray of the orders Rajiformes and Myliobatiformes)

Hyponyms

wai kave
wai lepu

Raga

Etymology

From Proto-Oceanic *waiʀ, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ.

Noun

wai

water (clear liquid H₂O)

References

Malcolm Ross, Andrew Pawley, Meredith Osmond, The Lexicon of Proto-Oceanic (2007, →ISBN

Sa'a

Noun

wai

water

Alternative forms

wei
wäi

Saterland Frisian

Etymology

From Old Frisian wei.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /vaːi/

Noun

wai m (plural do Wege)

way

References

Dr. Fort, Marron, Dät Näie Tästamänt un do Psoolme in ju aasterlauwersfräiske Uurtoal fon dät

Seelterlound, Fräislound, Butjoarlound,Aastfräislound un do GroningerUmelounde

Sikaiana

Noun

wai

water

References

William Churchill, The Polynesian Wanderings: Tracks of the Migration Deduced (1911)

Siroi

Noun

wai

arm, hand

Tae'

Etymology

From Proto-South Sulawesi *wai, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ.

Noun

wai

water (clear liquid H₂O)

References

ABVD

Tangoa

Etymology

From Proto-Oceanic *waiʀ, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ.

Noun

wai

water (clear liquid H₂O)

References

Malcolm Ross, Andrew Pawley, Meredith Osmond, The Lexicon of Proto-Oceanic (2007, →ISBN

Tocharian B

Conjunction

wai

and

Torres Strait Creole

Noun

wai

(eastern dialect) a coconut embryo

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).

Synonyms

musu (western dialect)

Viti

Noun

wai

water

References

William Churchill, The Polynesian Wanderings: Tracks of the Migration Deduced (1911)

Waima'a

Noun

wai

water

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

Noun

wai

Alternative form of ghai

References

The Linguistic Situation in the Islands of Yapen, Kurudu, Nau and Miosnum, New Guinea (1961)

West Makian

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /wa.ˈi/

Particle

wai

(sentence-final); not yet

Alternative forms

aiwi

References

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