vai

See also: Vai, vaî, văi, vải, and va'i

Languages (48)

Translingual • English

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Anuta • Dalmatian • East Futuna • Emae • Fijian • Finnish • Futuna-Aniwa • Galician • Guaraní • Ingrian • Italian • Latvian • Livvi • Ludian • Macanese • Mangarevan • Niuafo'ou • Niuean • North Efate • North Marquesan • Northern Sami • Norwegian Bokmål • Nuguria • Nukuoro • Ontong Java • Penrhyn • Pileni • Portuguese • Pukapukan • Rapa Nui • Rarotongan • Romanian • Samoan • Sicilian • South Efate • South Marquesan • Tahitian • Takuu • Tikopia • Tokelauan • Tongan • Tuvaluan • Uneapa • Veps • Vietnamese • Votic

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Page categories

Translingual

Symbol

vai

1. (international standards) ISO 639-2 & ISO 639-3 language code for Vai.

See also

• Wiktionary's coverage of Vai terms

English

Etymology 1

Alternative forms

• VAI

Noun

vai

1. (grammar) Initialism of verb animate intransitive: an intransitive verb that agrees with an animate subject.

Coordinate terms

• vii
• vta
• vti

Etymology 2

Transliteration of Bengali ভাই (bhai).

Noun

vai (plural vais) (Bangladesh, West Bengal, chiefly Benglish)

1. Alternative spelling of bhai.

Anagrams

• A-IV, AIV, AVI, Avi, IVA, Iva, Via, avi, avi-, via, viâ

Anuta

vai

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

vai

1. water (clear liquid H₂O)

References

• William Churchill, The Polynesian Wanderings: Tracks of the Migration Deduced (1911)
• Anuta: a Polynesian outlier in the Solomon Islands (1973)
• Oral Traditions of Anuta: A Polynesian Outlier in the Solomon Islands (1998)

Dalmatian

Alternative forms

• vuai

Etymology

From Latin hodie. Compare Friulian vuê.

Adverb

vai

1. today

East Futuna

Etymology

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

vai

1. water (clear liquid H₂O)

References

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

Emae

Etymology

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

vai

1. water (clear liquid H₂O)

References

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

Fijian

Etymology

From Proto-Central Pacific *vai, from Proto-Oceanic *paʀi, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *paʀih (compare Indonesian pari, Malay pari), from Proto-Austronesian *paʀiS.

Noun

vai

1. ray (marine fish with a flat body, large wing-like fins, and a whip-like tail)

Finnish

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *vai. Probably ultimately from the same root as vajaa, possibly by analogy with tai.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈʋɑi̯/, [ˈʋɑ̝i̯]
• Rhymes: -ɑi
• Syllabification^(key): vai

Conjunction

vai

1. (coordinating, in question clauses) or (exclusive or; either what comes before or what comes after)

   Onko se suuri vai pieni?

   Is it big or small?

Usage notes

• While it is often said that tai is to be used in affirmative clauses and vai is to be used in question clauses, a more precise difference is that while both can be used in question clauses, tai is an inclusive or, while vai is an exclusive or. For instance, while Söitkö sinä leivän tai hedelmät? and Söitkö sinä leivän vai hedelmät? are both correct, the former asks in a yes or no question, whether you ate either bread or fruit or not, while the latter asks which you ate, the bread or the fruit.

Derived terms

• vaiko

 

See also

• tai

Adverb

vai (colloquial)

1. (interrogative adverb) is that so?

   Tulee vai?

   Oh, [he/she/it] is coming?

Further reading

• “vai”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja‎^[3] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2023-07-04

Anagrams

• AVI, avi, iva, via

Futuna-Aniwa

Etymology

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

vai

1. water (clear liquid H₂O)

References

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

Galician

Etymology

From Latin vādit (See vādō, vādere.) Usurped expected ed or í, from īt, third person singular of eō, īre

Verb

vai

1. inflection of ir:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative

   É a rapaza a que vai ao monte con ovellas e cabras

   It is the girl who goes to the mountain with sheep and goats

2. inflection of ir:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative

Further reading

• Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, Ana Isabel Boullón Agrelo (2006–2022) “ir”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega

Guaraní

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /va.ˈi/

Adjective

vai

1. ugly, unsightly
2. bad, evil, unpleasant

Inflection

• (che) chevai
• (nde) ndevai
• (ha'e) ivai
• (ñande) ñandevai
• (ore) orevai
• (peẽ) pendevai
• (ha'ekuéra) ivai

Ingrian

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *vai. Cognate with Finnish vai and Estonian või.

Pronunciation

• (Ala-Laukaa) IPA^(key): /ˈʋɑi̯/, [ˈʋɑi̯]
• (Soikkola) IPA^(key): /ˈʋɑi̯/, [ˈʋɑi̯]
• Rhymes: -ɑi̯
• Hyphenation: vai

Conjunction

vai

1. or
   • 1936, L. G. Terehova, V. G. Erdeli, translated by Mihailov and P. I. Maksimov, Geografia: oppikirja iƶoroin alkușkoulun kolmatta klaassaa vart (ensimäine osa), Leningrad: Riikin Ucebno-Pedagogiceskoi Izdateljstva, page 6:

     Kummaas poolees oppilapsist ovat ikkunat - oikiaas vai kuras?

     On which side of the students are the windows - on the right or on the left?

   • 1936, D. I. Efimov, Lukukirja: Inkeroisia alkușkouluja vart (ensimäine osa), Leningrad: Riikin Ucebno-pedagogiceskoi Izdateljstva, page 12:

     Onko se niin vai ei oo?

     Is that so or isn't it?

2. Used to introduce polar questions, especially rhetorical ones.
   • 1916, Volmari Porkka, “1576. [Soikkola]. III443b”, in Väinö Salminen, V. Alava, editor, Suomen Kansan Vanhat Runot. Länsi-Inkerin runot‎^[4], volume III2, Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura, lines 16-18:

     Itse käin kyselömmää: // »Mitä vessät velvyeen, // Vai vessät sotivennooja?»

     Myself I started to ask him: // »What are you carving, my brother dear, // Are you carving a warship?»

   • 1937, D. I. Efimov, Lukukirja: Inkeroisia alkușkouluja vart (toin osa), Leningrad: Riikin Ucebno-pedagogiceskoi Izdateljstva, page 86:

     Vai siis siulle syyvvä, juuvva ei annettu?

     Then they didn't give you anything to eat, to drink?

   • 1937, N. A. Iljin, Lukukirja: Inkeroisia alkușkouluja vart (kolmas osa), Leningrad: Riikin Ucebno-pedagogiceskoi Izdateljstva, page 46:

     Hää mörnää: „Mitä lykit siä?
     Vai maistaa tahot pleettiä?“

     He shouts: „Why are you pushing?
     Do you want to taste the whip, perchance?“

Synonyms

• (or): ehki, tali, (folk poetic) eli

Related terms

• vaa (“only; but”)

References

• V. I. Junus (1936) Iƶoran Keelen Grammatikka‎^[5], Leningrad: Riikin Ucebno-pedagogiceskoi Izdateljstva, page 136
• Ruben E. Nirvi (1971) Inkeroismurteiden Sanakirja, Helsinki: Suomalais-Ugrilainen Seura, page 630
• Olga I. Konkova, Nikita A. Dyachkov (2014) Inkeroin Keel: Пособие по Ижорскому Языку‎^[6], →ISBN, page 79

Italian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈvaj/
• Rhymes: -aj
• Hyphenation: vài

Etymology 1

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

vai

1. inflection of andare:
   1. second-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

vai

1. inflection of vaiare:
   1. second-person singular present indicative
   2. first/second/third-person singular present subjunctive
   3. third-person plural imperative

Anagrams

• -avi, -iva, IVA, Iva, avi, via

Latvian

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Livonian vȯi or dialectal Estonian vai; compare other Finnic languages (Finnish vai, Standard Estonian või). First found occasionally in Latvian writings in the 17th century, initially as a conjunction, then as a particle, it became more frequent in the 18th century; but only in the 19th century did it really strike root in the language. Likely unrelated to Sanskrit वा (vā).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [vài]

Conjunction

vai

1. used to indicate a disjunction between two elements; or (in the either-or sense, not in the sense of a.k.a., which is jeb).

   atbildi: jā vai nē! ― answer: yes or no!

   viņa nezināja, ko pirkt: rozes vai neļķes ― she didn't know what to buy: roses or carnations

2. used to suggest vagueness, uncertainty, or a veiled threat; usually followed by ellipsis (...); or, or else...

   ja labi grib, to darbu var veikt parasts dežurants, vai brigadieris, vai (...) ― if (he) really wants, an ordinary man on duty can do this job, or a brigadier, or... (= or someone like that)

   vai tas kāds noziegums, kauns, vai? — is this a crime, a shame, or what?

   jums tas jādara, vai... ― you all have to do this, or else...

3. used to introduce conditional subordinate clauses; whether, if

   nav zināms, vai to darījis viņš ― it is not known whether he did it

   es nezinu, vai to spēšu ― I don't know if I will be able to

   pasaki, vai es esmu nodevējs ― tell me if I am a traitor

See also

• jeb

Particle

vai

1. interrogative particle, used in either-or questions

   vai tu runā latviski? ― do you speak Latvian?

   vai tu dzirdi? ― do you hear? are you listening?

Noun

vai m (invariable)

1. the word vai itself; also, implicitly, a question

   cits pēc cita nāca tik daudzi vai, ka viņa nevarēja ilgāk izturēt ― so many vai's (= questions) came one after the other that she couldn't stand it any longer

Etymology 2

From Proto-Indo-European *way- (“oh!, ah!; woe!, alas!”). Cognates include Lithuanian vái, vaĩ, Old High German wē, Old English wā, Latin vae, German weh, English woe.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [vāī], IPA^(key): [vài], IPA^(key): [vaî] (depending on situational intonation)

Interjection

vai

1. used to express emotional responses: excitement, surprise, pain, fear, sorrow, irritation, etc.

   vai, ko es daru! ― oh! what am I doing!

   vai, kāds jūs līks izskatāties! ― boy, look at you! what a sight!

   vai, vai, Ilma, vai, tev tikai nauda prātā! ― oh come on, Ilma, you only think about money!

Livvi

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *vai.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈʋɑi̯/
• Hyphenation: va‧i

Conjunction

vai

1. or
   • 2018, Tatjana Boiko, Lʹudmila Markianova, Suuri Venʹa-Karjalaine Sanakniigu (livvin murreh), 3rd edition, →ISBN, page 118:

     Kuulet vai et kuule?

     Can you hear or not?

   • 2018, Tatjana Boiko, Lʹudmila Markianova, Suuri Venʹa-Karjalaine Sanakniigu (livvin murreh), 3rd edition, →ISBN, page 118:

     lähtet vai et lähte?

     Will you go or not?

2. if
   • 2019, Tatjana Boiko, Suuri Karjal-Venʹalaine Sanakniigu (livvin murreh), 2rd edition, →ISBN, page 311:

     Et vai tulle, suutun.

     If you don't come, i'll get angry.

Adverb

vai

1. only
   • 2019, Tatjana Boiko, Suuri Karjal-Venʹalaine Sanakniigu (livvin murreh), 2rd edition, →ISBN, page 311:

     Nenga tansie voijah vai harvat.

     Only a few can dance like this.

Synonyms

• (or): libo
• (if): gu, ku
• (only): vaiku

References

• Tatjana Boiko (2019) Suuri Karjal-Venʹalaine Sanakniigu (livvin murreh), 2nd edition, →ISBN, page 311
• Tatjana Boiko, Lʹudmila Markianova (2018) Suuri Venʹa-Karjalaine Sanakniigu (livvin murreh), 3rd edition, →ISBN, page 118

Ludian

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *vai.

Conjunction

vai

1. or

Macanese

Etymology

From Portuguese vai, from Old Galician-Portuguese vai, and also the third-person singular present indicative inflection of ir. Sense 2 is a semantic loan from Cantonese 去.

Verb

vai

1. to go

   Êle nádi vai ― He will not go

   Já vai sim falâ co iou ― He left without talking to me

2. (before a verb) to go in order to do something

   Iou vai olâ si têm

   I'll see if there is any

   (literally, “I go to see if there is”)

   Chomâ iou vai tambâ tacho? Nádi!

   Invite me to fill in for somebody who can't go? No way!

   (literally, “Call me to go repair pan? No way!”)

   Beto logo buscâ iou vai tifinâ

   Beto will find me to go have lunch

Usage notes

• Sense 2 is especially common when Macanese write using Cantonese-influenced syntax.

Derived terms

• … vai … vêm

References

• https://www.macaneselibrary.org/pub/english/uipatua.htm

Mangarevan

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.

Noun

vai

1. water (clear liquid H₂O)

References

• Edward Tregear, A Dictionary of Mangareva (or Gambier Islands) (1899)
• William Churchill, The Polynesian Wanderings: Tracks of the Migration Deduced (1911)

Niuafo'ou

Etymology

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

vai

1. water (clear liquid H₂O)

References

• ABVD

Niuean

Etymology

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

vai

1. water (clear liquid H₂O)

References

• Niue Language Dictionary (University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1997, →ISBN)

North Efate

Etymology

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

Noun

vai

1. water

References

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

North Marquesan

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.

Noun

vai

1. water (clear liquid H₂O)

References

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

Northern Sami

Etymology

Borrowed from Finnish vai.

Pronunciation

• (Kautokeino) IPA^(key): /ˈvaj/

Conjunction

vai

1. or (in questions, for mutually exclusive possibilities)
2. so that

Further reading

• Koponen, Eino, Ruppel, Klaas, Aapala, Kirsti, editors (2002–2008), Álgu database: Etymological database of the Saami languages‎^[7], Helsinki: Research Institute for the Languages of Finland

Norwegian Bokmål

Verb

vai

1. imperative of vaie

Nuguria

Noun

vai

1. water

References

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

Nukuoro

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

vai

1. water (clear liquid H₂O)

References

• Vern Carroll, An outline of the structure of the language of Nukuoro (1965)
• William Churchill, The Polynesian Wanderings: Tracks of the Migration Deduced (1911)

Ontong Java

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

vai

1. water (clear liquid H₂O)

Penrhyn

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

vai

1. water (clear liquid H₂O)

References

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

Pileni

Noun

vai

1. water

References

• A Grammar of Vaeakau-Taumako (2011, →ISBN

Portuguese

Alternative forms

• vay (obsolete)
• vae (obsolete)

Etymology

Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese vai, from vādit (present indicative), Latin vāde (imperative). Cognate with Galician vai and Spanish va.

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈvaj/ [ˈvaɪ̯]

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈvaj/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈvaj/
  • (Northern Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈbaj/

• (Northern Portugal) IPA^(key): [ˈbaj]
• Rhymes: -aj
• Hyphenation: vai

Verb

vai

1. inflection of ir:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative

Pukapukan

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.

Noun

vai

1. water (clear liquid H₂O)

Further reading

• Te Pukamuna | Pukapuka Dictionary

Rapa Nui

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.

Noun

vai

1. water (clear liquid H₂O)

References

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

Rarotongan

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.

Noun

vai

1. water (clear liquid H₂O)

References

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

Romanian

Etymology

Probably an expressive creation. Similar words are found in many other languages, especially Indo-European. Compare Latin vae, Albanian vaj, Italian guai, Sicilian vai, Spanish ay, Ancient Greek οὐαί (ouaí), English woe.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /vaj/

• Audio:

  (file)

Interjection

vai

1. alas, woe

Derived terms

• văita

Samoan

Etymology

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

vai

1. water (clear liquid H₂O)
2. crake

References

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

Sicilian

Etymology 1

Perhaps from Proto-Germanic *wai (“expression of grief”). Alternatively from Ancient Greek οὐαί (ouaí), from the verse in Revelation 8:13. Compare English woe, German Weh, Latin vae, Italian guai.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈva.i/
• Hyphenation: và‧i

Noun

vai (only plural)

1. troubles, problems, hardship, misfortune
2. (interjection) trouble, difficulty, mess, pickle, fix, woe, jam

   Minchia di vai! ― That's a fucking trouble!

Etymology 2

Derived from Latin vādō. More at Sicilian jiri.

Alternative forms

• va', vâ, vô, 'o

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈva.i/
• Hyphenation: và‧i

Verb

vai

1. inflection of jiri:
   1. second-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative

South Efate

Noun

vai

1. water

References

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

South Marquesan

Noun

vai

1. water

References

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

Tahitian

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. Mostly displaced by pape because of tapu by association with names of certain royalty.

Noun

vai

1. water (clear liquid H₂O)

   Synonym: pape

References

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

Etymology 2

Compare Maori wai.

Pronoun

vai

1. who

Takuu

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

vai

1. water (clear liquid H₂O)

Tikopia

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

vai

1. water (clear liquid H₂O)

References

• Raymond Firth, Mervyn McLean, Tikopia Songs: Poetic and Musical Art of a Polynesian People (1990)

Tokelauan

Etymology

From Proto-Nuclear Polynesian *wai. Cognates include Hawaiian wai and Samoan vai.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈva.i]
• Hyphenation: va‧i

Noun

vai

1. water
2. vessel for water
3. medicine

References

• R. Simona, editor (1986), Tokelau Dictionary‎^[8], Auckland: Office of Tokelau Affairs, page 417

Tongan

Etymology

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.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /va.i/

Noun

vai

1. water (clear liquid H₂O)

References

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

Tuvaluan

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

vai

1. water (clear liquid H₂O)
2. lake

Synonyms

• (lake): vaitūloto

References

• An Introduction to Tuvaluan (1999, →ISBN

Uneapa

Etymology

From Proto-Oceanic *pai.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /βai/

Verb

vai

1. to weave

Further reading

• Malcolm Ross, Proto Oceanic and the Austronesian Languages of Western Melanesia, Pacific Linguistics, series C-98 (1988)

Veps

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *vai.

Conjunction

vai

1. or

References

• Zajceva, N. G., Mullonen, M. I. (2007) “или, либо”, in Uz’ venä-vepsläine vajehnik / Novyj russko-vepsskij slovarʹ‎^[9], Petrozavodsk: Periodika

Vietnamese

Alternative forms

• (North Central Vietnam) ban

Etymology

Attested as Middle Vietnamese ꞗĕai, ꞗai in Dictionarium Annamiticum Lusitanum et Latinum (1651), a dictionary based chiefly on the Northern dialects.

Attested in Phật thuyết đại báo phụ mẫu ân trọng kinh (佛說大報父母恩重經) as 多埋 (MC ta meaj) (modern SV: đa mai).

Compare Proto-Katuic *ʔapaal (“shoulder”) (whence Pacoh apal).

Some North Central dialects have the form ban with unlenited ‹b› (vs. standard form with lenited ‹v›) and ‹-n› reflex of earlier *-l.

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [vaːj˧˧]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [vaːj˧˧]
• (Saigon) IPA^(key): [vaːj˧˧] ~ [jaːj˧˧]

• Audio (Saigon):

  (file)

Noun

vai • (𣘾, 𦠘, 𦢳)

1. (anatomy) a shoulder
2. (television, film, theater) a role; a part

   vai chính ― a main/lead role

   vai phụ ― a supporting role

See also

Derived terms

• vai trò (“role/part to play in life”)
• vai vế (“social standing”)

 

Votic

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *vai.

Pronunciation

• (Luutsa, Liivtšülä) IPA^(key): /ˈvɑi̯/, [ˈvɑi̯]
• Rhymes: -ɑi̯
• Hyphenation: vai

Conjunction

vai

1. or

Interjection

vai

1. oh, (so)... (mainly to start interrogative clauses)

References

• Hallap, V., Adler, E., Grünberg, S., Leppik, M. (2012) “vai”, in Vadja keele sõnaraamat, 2nd edition, Tallinn