# ai
## English
### Etymology 1

Originated 1685–95, from Brazilian Portuguese aí, from Old Tupi.

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈɑ.i/
* Audio (US):(file)

#### Noun

ai (plural ais or ai)
* A type of three-toed sloth, Bradypus tridactylus, endemic to forests of southern Venezuela, the Guianas, and northern Brazil.

##### Synonyms

* (Bradypus tridactylus): maned sloth

#### See also

* unau (two-toed sloth)

#### References

* “ai”, in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th edition, Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin, 2000, →ISBN.
* “ai”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.

#### Further reading

* ai on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
* Bradypus tridactylus on Wikispecies.Wikispecies

### Etymology 2

Contraction of aight (which itself is a contraction of all right).

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: /aɪ/
* Audio (US):(file)
* Rhymes: -aɪ
* Homophones: ay, aye, I, eye

#### Contraction

ai
* (slang, US) All right.
    Ai, let's go.

### Anagrams

* -ia, IA, i.a.

## Akei
### Noun

ai
* water

### References

* Sidney Herbert Ray, A comparative study of the Melanesian Island languages (1926), page 351

## Albanian
### Alternative forms

* ay — dialectal

### Etymology

From Proto-Albanian *a-ei (compound of proclitic particle *a and an ancient demostrative *ei), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁ey combined with Proto-Indo-European *ís (“he, this (one)”). Compare Latin is, German er, Lithuanian ji̇̀s, Sanskrit अयम् (ayám)).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /aˈi/, (often, unstressed) [aj]

### Pronoun

ai m (accusative atë, dative atij, ablative atij)
* he

#### See also
### Pronoun

ai
* that

#### Declension
## Amblong
### Noun

ai
* water

### Further reading

* Darrell T. Tryon, New Hebrides languages: an internal classification (1976)

## Angal Enen
### Noun

ai
* banana

### References

* transnewguinea.org, citing Franklin KJ. 1975. Comments on Proto-Engan. In SA Wurm, Ed. New Guinea Area Languages and Language Study: Papuan languages and the New Guinea linguistic scene. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics, pp. 263-275.'

## Apalaí
### Noun

ai
* penis

## Aragonese
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈai̯/
* Rhymes: -ai̯
* Syllabification: ai

### Interjection

ai
* ah!, alas!
* woe!
* expresses pain, sorrow, or surprise

## Araki
### Etymology

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

### Noun

ai
* water (clear liquid H₂O)
* river, lake

### References

* François, Alexandre. 2008. An online lexicon of Araki (Santo, Vanuatu). Electronic files. Paris: CNRS. (Pdf version) ‒ entry ai.

## Australian Kriol
### Etymology 1

From English eye.

#### Noun

ai
* eye
* headlight of a car
* seed

### Etymology 2

From English I.

#### Pronoun

ai
* I

### Etymology 3

From English high.

#### Adjective

ai
* high, tall

## Catalan
### Pronunciation

* IPA: (Central, Balearic, Valencia) [ˈaj]
* Rhymes: -aj

### Interjection

ai
* ouch (pain), ooh (pain)

### Noun

ai m (plural ais)
* ooh (pain)

## Chuukese
### Determiner

ai
* First person singular general possessive; my (used with general-class objects)

#### Related terms
## Corsican
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈaj/
* Hyphenation: ai

### Verb

ai
* second-person singular indicative present of avè

### References

* “avè” in Aiaccinu: Cunghjugatori corsu

## Dadibi
### Noun

ạị
* water

#### Synonyms

* wẹ

### References

* Karl J. Franklin, Comparative Wordlist 1 of the Gulf District and adjacent areas (1975), page 67
* Karl James Franklin, Pacific Linguistics (1973, →ISBN, page 130 (see we)

## Dubu
### Noun

ai
* water

### Further reading

* Cornelis L. Voorhoeve, Languages of Irian Jaya Checklist (1975, Canberra: Pacific Linguistics), page 114

## Dutch
### Alternative forms

* aï (obsolete)

### Etymology

Borrowed from Portuguese ai, from Old Tupi ai.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ɑi/
* Audio:(file)
* Hyphenation: ai

### Noun

ai m (plural ais)
* pale-throated sloth (Bradypus tridactylus)
    Synonym: drievingerige luiaard

### Further reading

* drievingerige luiaard on the Dutch Wikipedia.Wikipedia $^{nl}$

## Estonian
### Interjection

ai
* ow, ouch

#### Synonyms

* aia

## Finnish
### Etymology

Compare Estonian ai, Ingrian ai, Karelian ai, Ludian ai, Veps ai, Votic ai, and Swedish aj, Norwegian aj, Latvian aj. Perhaps natural; tracing an origin is practically impossible.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈɑi̯/, [ˈɑ̝i̯]
* Rhymes: -ɑi
* Hyphenation: ai

### Interjection

ai
* ouch!
* oh!
    Ai, se olitkin sinä!Oh, it was you!
* (colloquial, interrogative particle) Oh? As in...?
    "Käytkö kaupassa?" "Ai, ruokakaupassa?""Will you go to the shop?" "Oh, the food shop?"

#### Synonyms

* (ouch): aih, au, auts.
* (interrogative): -ko, -kö

#### Derived terms

* ai niin

### Further reading

* “ai”, 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

### Anagrams

* -ia, ia

## French
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /e/, /ɛ/
* Audio:(file)
* Homophones: et, aie, aies, aient, ait, es, est, hais, hait

### Verb

ai
* first-person singular present indicative of avoir
    J’ai un chien.I have a dog.

### Anagrams

* IA

## Friulian
### Etymology

From Latin allium.

### Noun

ai m (plural ais)
* garlic

## Galician
### Etymology

From Old Galician-Portuguese ay (attested since the 13th century).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ˈaj]

### Interjection

ai
* ouch! expresses pain
* ooh! expresses pain
* oh! expresses concern
** 1812, Antonio Benito Fandiño, A Casamenteira:Ai tontiño, porque iñoras o qu’he mantér casa e vida, que por ben que estea sortida, hai faltas a todas horas. O segundo, que teu pai pensa com’home de ben, e así por vergonza ten unha nora que non trai. Orasme, sobr’esto hai, que a dous parizós que teña, non tendes donde vos veña, cando ela non colla un mal.Oh, silly, because you don't know what it is to keep house and life, no matter how well stocked it is, there's lack at all hours. Second, your father thinks like a good man, and to his shame he has a daughter-in-law who doesn't bear. However, on this matter, with just two childbirths that she has, you'll be left resourceless, and that if she doesn't get sick.

### References

* Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, Ana Isabel Boullón Agrelo (2006–2022) “ay”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
* Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, editor (2006–2013), “ai”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
* Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “ai”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
* Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “ai”, in Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega, →ISSN

## Galoli
### Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *kahiw.

### Noun

ai
* tree
* wood

## Gilbertese
### Etymology

From Proto-Oceanic *api, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *api, from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *apuy, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *hapuy, from Proto-Austronesian *Sapuy.

### Noun

ai
* fire

## Gun
### Alternative forms

* ayí (Benin)

### Etymology

From Proto-Gbe *a-yĩ́ (“earth”). Cognates include Fon ayǐ, Saxwe Gbe nyixɔ́, Adja anyi. Perhaps related to Yoruba ayé

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ā.jí/

### Noun

aí (plural aí lẹ́) (Nigeria)
* ground

#### Derived terms

* aígbà (“land”)
* jàí (“to fall”)
* whèjàí (“evening”)

## Hawaiian
### Etymology

From Proto-Polynesian *qai, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *qasiq.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈai̯/, [ˈɐj], [ˈɛj] (rapid speech)

### Verb

ai
* to have sexual intercourse; to copulate

## Hiri Motu
### Pronoun

ai
* 1st-person plural pronoun exclusive: we, us (but not you)

#### See also
## Iban
### Etymology

From Proto-Malayic *air, from Proto-Malayo-Chamic *air, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /aiʔ/, /aɛʔ/

### Noun

ai
* water

### Further reading

* Adelaar, K. A. (1992) Proto-Malayic: The reconstruction of its phonology and parts of its lexicon and morphology‎, Canberra: The Australian National University
* Asmah Haji Omar (1977) “The Iban Language”, in The Sarawak Museum Journal, volume XXV, number 46, pages 81-100
* Smith, A. (2017) The Languages of Borneo: A Comprehensive Classification, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa

## Indonesian
### Pronunciation

* (Standard Indonesian) IPA: /ˈai̯/ [ˈai̯]
* Rhymes: -ai̯
* Syllabification: ai

### Etymology 1

Inherited from Malay ai.

#### Particle

ai
* (dialectal) Exclamation to express surprise and so on.

### Etymology 2

Borrowed from Acehnese.

#### Adjective

ai
* (dialectal) really miss

### Etymology 3

Borrowed from Sentani.

#### Noun

ai (plural ai-ai)
* (dialectal) breadfruit bark, which has sparse fibers, the surface is not smooth, has a lot of sap, is light brown in color

### Etymology 4

Borrowed from Malay (Riau dialect).

#### Noun

ai (plural ai-ai)
* (dialectal) dirt, that is usually found in well water, rivers, lakes, and so on

### Further reading

* “ai” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016.

## Ingrian
### Etymology

Ultimately a natural sound. Compare Finnish ai and Estonian ai.

### Pronunciation

* (Ala-Laukaa) IPA: /ˈɑi̯/, [ˈɑi̯]
* (Soikkola) IPA: /ˈɑi̯/, [ˈɑi̯]
* Rhymes: -ɑi̯
* Hyphenation: ai

### Interjection

ai
* Exclamation of pain or frustration: ouch! oh!
    ai voi ― oh-oh

### References

* Ruben E. Nirvi (1971) Inkeroismurteiden Sanakirja, Helsinki: Suomalais-Ugrilainen Seura, page 5

## Italian
### Alternative forms

* a' (truncation)

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈaj/
* Homophone: hai
* Rhymes: -aj
* Hyphenation: ài

### Contraction

ai
* contraction of a i; to the, at the

### Anagrams

* -ia, IA

## Japanese
### Romanization

ai
* Rōmaji transcription of あい
* Rōmaji transcription of アイ

## Kalasha
### Pronoun

ai
* Alternative spelling of ábi (sense 1).

## Kendayan
### Etymology

From Proto-Malayic *air, Proto-Malayo-Chamic *air, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /aiʔ/

### Noun

ai
* water

### Further reading

* Smith, A. (2017) The Languages of Borneo: A Comprehensive Classification, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa

## Kiowa
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /aj/

### Letter

ai (upper case Ai)
* A letter of the Kiowa alphabet.

### See also

* (Latin-script letters) A a, Ai ai, Au au, Aui aui, B̶ b̶, B b, D̶ d̶, D d, E e, G̶ g̶, G g, H h, I i, K k, Kʼ kʼ, L l, M m, N n, n̶, O o, Oi oi, P p, Pʼ pʼ, S s, T t, Tʼ tʼ, Ts ts, Tsʼ tsʼ, U u, Ui ui, W w, Y y, Z z, ꞉

## Kott
### Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Yeniseian *axʷ (“I”). Compare Assan aj (“I”), Arin aj (“I”), and Pumpokol ad (“I”).

### Pronoun

ai
* I (first-person singular subjective)

#### Related terms

* ajoŋ

## Kuna
### Noun

ai
* friend

## Ladin
### Etymology

a +‎ i

### Contraction

ai
* at or to the (+ plural noun)

## Ladino
### Adverb

ai (Hebrew spelling אאי)
* Alternative form of aí

## Latin
### Pronunciation

* (Classical Latin) IPA: /ˈa.iː/, [ˈäiː] or IPA: /ˈa.i/, [ˈäɪ]
* (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA: /ˈa.i/, [ˈäːi]

### Verb

ai
* second-person singular present active imperative of aiō
** c. 270 BCE – c. 201 BCE, Gnaeus Naevius, Fragments Palliatae.125:An nā́ta est spṓnsa praégnās? Vél aï vél negā!Was the fiancée born pregnant? Answer ”yes” or ”no”!

#### Usage notes

This form was no longer in common use in Classical Latin and is attested only once, in a quotation in a grammatical treatise.

### References

* ↑ PHI Latin Texts

### Further reading

* “ai”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
* “ai”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
* Carl Meißner, Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎, London: Macmillan and Co. do you think so? are you in earnest: ain tu?

## Latvian
### Interjection

ai
* ouch!
* oh!

## Leti
### Etymology

From Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *apuy, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *hapuy, from Proto-Austronesian *Sapuy.

### Noun

ai
* fire

## Lithuanian
### Etymology

Compare Russian ой (oj, “ow!”).

### Pronunciation

ái: IPA: /a͡ɪ/
aĩ: IPA: /ɐ͡ɪ/

### Interjection

ái! or ai̇̃!
* ow!, ah!, (expresses pain, fear or surprise)
* oi!, hey! (used to attract someone's attention)

#### Synonyms

* oi!, ui!
* oi!, a!

#### Derived terms

* aičioti
* aikčioti
* aiksėti
* aiktelėti
* aiman
* aimana
* aimanuoti
* ajai
* ajajai
* aje

## Lombard
### Noun

ai
* Alternative form of aj (“garlic”)

## Manchu
### Romanization

ai
* Romanization of ᠠᡳ

## Mandarin
### Romanization

ai
* Nonstandard spelling of āi.
* Nonstandard spelling of ái.
* Nonstandard spelling of ǎi.
* Nonstandard spelling of ài.

#### Usage notes

* 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.

## Mbyá Guaraní
### Adjective

ai
* (to be) bitter

#### Conjugation
### Noun

ai
* wound, injury

## Middle English
### Pronoun

ai
* Alternative form of þei (“they”)

## Naga Pidgin
### Etymology

Inherited from Assamese আই (ai).

### Noun

ai
* mother, mom

## Norman
### Verb

ai
* (Guernsey) first-person singular present indicative of aver

## North Frisian
### Alternative forms

* ei (Föhr-Amrum)
* ek (Sylt)

### Etymology

From Old Norse eigi.

### Adverb

ai
* (Mooring) not

## Norwegian Bokmål
### Interjection

ai
* used to express surprise

### References

* “ai” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

## Norwegian Nynorsk
### Interjection

ai
* used to express surprise

### References

* “ai” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

## Occitan
### Verb

ai
* first-person singular present indicative of aver

## Pitjantjatjara
### Interjection

ai
* huh
* geez
* what
* hey

### References

* "ai" in Cliff Goddard (1992) Pitjantjatjara/Yankunytjatjara to English Dictionary, 2nd edition
* Ninti Ngapartji

## Pohnpeian
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ɐi/

### Interjection

ai
* no way!

## Portuguese
### Etymology

Onomatopoeic.

### Pronunciation

* (Brazil) IPA: /ˈaj/ [ˈaɪ̯]
* (Portugal) IPA: /ˈaj/
* Rhymes: -aj
* Hyphenation: ai

### Interjection

ai
* ouch (expression of physical pain)
    Ai! Pisei um prego! ― Ouch! I stepped on a nail!
* oh (expression of concern)

#### Derived terms

* ai ai
* ai de mim
* ai de você
* ai meu deus
* ai, meu canário

## Rapa Nui
### Etymology

From Proto-Polynesian *hai. Cognates include Tongan hai and Maori wai.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈa.i/
* Hyphenation: a‧i

### Pronoun

ai
* who?

### References

* Paulus Kieviet (2017) A grammar of Rapa Nui‎, Berlin: Language Science Press, →ISBN, page 404

## Rohingya
### Verb

ai
* come

## Romanian
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /aj/
* Rhymes: -aj
* Hyphenation: ai

### Etymology 1
#### Article

ai (masculine plural possessive)
* of
    Niște prieteni ai lui sunt interesanți.Some friends of his are interesting.

##### See also

* al (masculine/neuter singular)
* a (feminine singular)
* ale (feminine/neuter plural)

### Etymology 2

From Latin allium / alium.

#### Noun

ai m (uncountable)
* (regional) garlic
    Synonym: usturoi

##### Derived terms

* aior
* mujdei

##### See also

* ceapă

### Etymology 3

Inflected form of avea (“to have”).

#### Verb

ai
* second-person singular present indicative of avea
    (you) have
       Ai vreun prieten în România?Do you have any friends in Romania?
* inflection of avea:
** second-person singular present subjunctive
** second-person singular imperative

### Etymology 4

From an old or proto-Romanian form ae, from Latin habēs.

#### Verb

ai
* (tu) ai (modal auxiliary, second-person singular form of avea, used with past participles to form perfect compus tenses)
    (you) have...

##### Related terms

* am
* a
* ați
* au

### Etymology 5

Probably from a Vulgar Latin *eas, from Latin habēbās.

#### Verb

(tu) ai (modal auxiliary, second-person singular form of avea, used with infinitives to form conditional tenses)
* (you) would
    Ai fi murit dacă ți-aș fi spus.You would have died if I'd told you.

##### Related terms

* am
* ați
* ar
* aș

### References

* ↑ http://www.lingv.ro/RRL%201-2%202009%20Nevaci,%20Todi.pdf

## Seri
### Etymology 1
#### Noun

ai (plural aaita)
* his father

##### Derived terms

* queaa (“to have as father”)

### Etymology 2
#### Adverb

ai
* (rare) still (used with nominalized third person verbs)

### References

* Moser, Mary B., Marlett, Stephen A. (2010) Comcaac quih yaza quih hant ihiip hac: cmiique iitom - cocsar iitom - maricaana iitom [Seri-Spanish-English Dictionary], 2nd edition, Hermosillo: Plaza y Valdés Editores, →ISBN, page 43.

## Sranan Tongo

Picture dictionary :
ai
dede-ede
edetonton
ai
noso
mofo
kakumbe
yesi
neki
mofobuba :

### Alternative forms

* ay (unofficial)

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈai/, [ˈa̠i], [ˈɑ̟i]

### Etymology 1

From English eye.

#### Noun

ai
* eye

### Etymology 2

From English aye, ay.

#### Interjection

ai
* yes

### References

* Wilner, John, editor (2003-2007), “ai”, in Languages of Suriname, 5th edition, SIL International, Sranan-English Dictionary

## Sumbawa
### Etymology

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ (“fresh water; steam, river”).

### Noun

ai
* water

### References

* ABVD
* Blust, Robert; Trussel, Stephen; et al. (2023) “*wahiR”, in the CLDF dataset from The Austronesian Comparative Dictionary (2010–), →DOI

## Tày
### Pronunciation

* (Thạch An – Tràng Định) IPA: [ʔaːj˧˧]
* (Trùng Khánh) IPA: [ʔaːj˦˥]

### Etymology 1
#### Noun

ai
* Synonym of cò niêng

##### Derived terms

* có ai

### Etymology 2
#### Verb

ai (埃)
* to lean on

### Etymology 3
#### Noun

ai
* blow (of wind); steam;
* breath
    lẹo ai ― out of breath
* smell; odor
    đâm ai ― to smell
    ai nắc ― strong smell
    ai hom ― pleasant smell
    ai mên ― rancid smell
    lẹo ai ― odorless

### References

* Lương Bèn (2011) Từ điển Tày-Việt [Tay-Vietnamese dictionary]‎ (in Vietnamese), Thái Nguyên: Nhà Xuất bản Đại học Thái Nguyên
* Lục Văn Pảo, Hoàng Tuấn Nam (2003) Hoàng Triều Ân, editor, Từ điển chữ Nôm Tày [A Dictionary of (chữ) Nôm Tày]‎ (in Vietnamese), Hanoi: Nhà xuất bản Khoa học Xã hội
* Léopold Michel Cadière (1910) Dictionnaire Tày-Annamite-Français [Tày-Vietnamese-French Dictionary]‎ (in French), Hanoi: Impressions d'Extrême-Orient

## Tetum
### Etymology

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *kahiw, compare Tagalog kahoy.

### Noun

ai
* tree
* wood

## Tok Pisin
### Etymology

From English eye.

### Noun

ai
* (anatomy) eye
** 1989, Buk Baibel long Tok Pisin, Port Moresby: Bible Society of Papua New Guinea, Jenesis 3:5:Sapos yutupela i kaikai pikinini bilong dispela diwai, bai ai bilong yutupela i op na yutupela i kisim save long wanem samting i gutpela, na wanem samting i nogut, na bai yutupela i kamap wankain olsem God. God i save long dispela, olsem na em i tambuim yutupela long kaikai pikinini bilong dispela diwai.”→New International Version translation
* hole, opening, lid
* tip

#### Derived terms

* ai i pas

## Tokelauan
### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ˈa.i]
* Hyphenation: a‧i

### Etymology 1

From Proto-Polynesian *hai. Cognates include Hawaiian ai and Samoan ai.

#### Pronoun

ai
* who?

### Etymology 2

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

#### Particle

ai
* Anaphoric particle used to refer to an adverbial clause; there, then

##### Derived terms

* aiheā

### References

* R. Simona, editor (1986), Tokelau Dictionary‎, Auckland: Office of Tokelau Affairs, page 1

## Torres Strait Creole
### Etymology 1

From English I.

#### Pronoun

ai
* I (see also mi)

### Etymology 2

From English eye.

#### Noun

ai
* eye

## Venetan
### Noun

ai
* plural of aio

## Vietnamese
### Pronunciation

* (Hà Nội) IPA: [ʔaːj˧˧]
* (Huế) IPA: [ʔaːj˧˧]
* (Saigon) IPA: [ʔaːj˧˧]
* Audio (Saigon):(file)

### Etymology 1

From Proto-Vietic *ʔeː (“who”). Cognate with Tho [Cuối Chăm] ʔeː¹.

#### Pronoun

ai • (埃)
* who
    Ai vậy ạ?Who are you?
    Ai (mà) biết.Who knows? / How should I know?
* whoever, anyone
    Ai cũng được. ― Anyone is fine.
* someone, someone else
* one, a person
** 2005, Nguyễn Ngọc Tư, "Cuối mùa nhan sắc" (in Cánh đồng bất tận), Trẻ publishing house
    Người ở chùa, người bán vé số, người ngủ công viên, người hát rong, ít ai có nhà để về.Some live at the temple, some sell lottery tickets, some sleep in parks, some play music in the streets; few have a home to go back to.
* (rhetorical) nobody

#### Usage notes

* The interrogative pronoun ai is used for a person. When ai functions as the subject of the question, it is placed at the beginning of the question.
       Ai có ô tô? ― Who has a car?
* When functioning as the predicate, it can either follow or predate the linking verb là.
       Hải là ai? ― Who is Hải?
       Ai là Hải? ― Who is Hải?
* When functioning as the object, it is placed after the verb.
       Nga vẽ ai? ― Whom is Nga drawing?

##### Derived terms

* ai ai
* ai biểu
* ai dè
* ai đó
* ai đời
* ai nấy

### Etymology 2
#### Romanization

ai
* Sino-Vietnamese reading of 哀

##### Derived terms

* ai oán
* bi ai

## Volapük
### Adverb

ai
* always
* at all times
* constantly (habitually)
* ever (always)
* habitually

#### Antonyms

* neai

#### Derived terms

* ai laidio (forever)

## Welsh
### Etymology

May derive from a (interrogative particle) +‎ yw (“is, are”) or from or via the synonymous ae.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ai̯/
* Rhymes: -ai̯

### Particle

ai
* interrogative particle (used when a non-verbal element is fronted for emphasis)
    Synonym: ife
    Ai ef yw dy dad?Is he your father?
* whether, if (used when the subordinate clause has a non-verbal element fronted for emphasis)
    Ni wn ai ef yw dy dad.I do not know whether he is your father.

#### Usage notes

* Used before a non-verbal element fronted for emphasis. Unemphatic initial verbs, on the other hand, employ the interrogative particle a.
* This word is found in formal language. As an initial interrogative particle, it is often dropped altogether in colloquial language or replaced with ife in some southern dialects.
* Likewise, with the meaning "whether", this may be dropped colloquially. An alternative construction influenced by English is to replaced the ai with os (“if”) followed by the appropriate dialect-specific indicating an emphatic subordinate clause, namely taw in south Wales and mai or na in the north.

### References

* R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “ai”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies

## West Makian
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈa.i/

### Verb

ai
* (intransitive) to come back, return
* (intransitive) to depart
    naai sito? ― where did you depart from?

#### Conjugation
### References

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

## Yami
### Noun

ai
* (anatomy) foot

## Ye'kwana
### Etymology

From Proto-Cariban [Term?]. Compare Apalaí ae, Hixkaryana yaye, Macushi yapai, and Waiwai yay.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: [aj]

### Postposition

ai
* through, by; indicates motion by way of a non-aquatic object of class 1

#### Usage notes

A possessed noun that is the object of this postposition does not take the possessed suffix -dü. The postposition can thus combine with nouns referring to body parts and parts of objects to form more complex postpositions/relational nouns.

#### See also
### References

* Cáceres, Natalia (2011) Grammaire Fonctionnelle-Typologique du Ye’kwana‎, Lyon, pages 267–272

## Zou
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ai̯˧˥/

### Noun

ái
* crab

### References

* Lukram Himmat Singh (2013) A Descriptive Grammar of Zou, Canchipur: Manipur University, page 40