دایی

دایی

Persian

Alternative forms

• دائی‎ (dâ'i), دای‎ (dây)

Etymology

From دا‎ (dâ, “mother”) +‎ ـی‎ (yi, relative suffix), literally “relating to mother, related to mother”. Compare typologically دایزه‎ (dâyeze, “maternal aunt”). Also related to دایه‎ (daye, “nurse”). Cognates include Northern Kurdish dayik (“mother”), Avestan 𐬛𐬀𐬉𐬥𐬎‎ (daēnu, “female”), and Ancient Greek θῆλυς (thêlus, “female, soft, gentle”).

Pronunciation

• (Iranian Persian) IPA^(key): /dɒːjiː/

• Audio

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Noun

Dari	ماما‎
Iranian Persian	دایی
Tajik	тағо (taġo)

دایی • (dâyi)

1. (chiefly Iran) maternal uncle (mother's brother)

   Synonym: (Dari) ماما‎ (mâmâ)

   Coordinate terms: عمو‎ ('amu), کاکا‎ (kâkâ), کاکو‎ (kâko)

See also

1. عمه‎ (ʿamme) (paternal aunt)
2. خاله‎ (xâle) (maternal aunt)

References

• Nourai, Ali (2011) An Etymological Dictionary of Persian, English and other Indo-European Languages, page 93
• Dehkhoda, Ali-Akbar (1931–), “دایی”, in Dehkhoda Dictionary Institute, editors, Dehkhoda Dictionary (in Persian), Tehran: University of Tehran Press