# wai
## English
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /waɪ/, /weɪ/
* Audio (Southern England):(file)
* Audio (Southern England):(file)
* 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
### Etymology 2

Phonetic respelling of why.

#### Adverb

wai (not comparable)
* (Internet slang) why (a purposeful misspelling)

### Anagrams

* IAW, WIA, iwa

## Aka-Bea
### Adverb

wai
* indeed

### References

* Edward Horace Man, A Dictionary of the South Andaman (Aka-Bea) language (1923)

## 'Are'are
### 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

## 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"

## Balinese
### Romanization

wai
* Romanization of ᬯᬳᬶ

## 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: /waʔi/

### Determiner

wai ?
* all (used with a possessive suffix)

#### Related terms

* waiko
* waina

## Hawaiian
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈwai̯/, [ˈʋɐj], [ˈʋɛj] (rapid speech)

### 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, especially of fresh sources

##### Derived terms

* pāwai
* wai aliʻi
* wai pahū
* wai ʻala
* wai ʻeleʻele
* waiū
* waiwai
* waiʻawa

##### Related terms

* kai

### Etymology 2
#### Verb

wai
* Rare form of waiho (“to leave, deposit”).

### References

* William Churchill (1911) The Polynesian Wanderings: Tracks of the Migration Deduced
* Pukui, Mary Kawena, Elbert, Samuel H. (1986) “wai”, in Hawaiian Dictionary, Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press
* Elbert, Samuel H., Pukui, Mary Kawena (1979) Hawaiian Grammar, Honolulu: University of Hawaiʻi Press, →ISBN, page 67
* Ross, Malcolm D., Pawley, Andrew, Osmond, Meredith (2008) The lexicon of Proto-Oceanic, volume 2: The Physical Environment, Canberra: Australian National University, →ISBN, pages 58-9

## Jamaican Creole
### Etymology

Derived from English why.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /wai/

### Adverb

wai
* why
** 2012, Di Jamiekan Nyuu Testiment, Edinburgh: DJB, published 2012, →ISBN, Ruoman 11:33:[…] Uu kyan se wai im mek op im main fi du di sitn dem we im du? […] […] You can see why he made up his mind to do the things he does?

#### Usage notes

* For asking questions, ou kom is used instead.

## 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: [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

### See also

* kafo

### 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
### Etymology

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

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /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 (wai$^5$ / wai$^0$, Zhuyin ˙ㄨㄞ)
* Hanyu Pinyin reading of 𠰻
wai
* Nonstandard spelling of wāi.
* Nonstandard spelling of wǎi.
* Nonstandard spelling of wài.

#### 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.

## 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
* juice of plants from fruits etc.
** beverage from such liquids
    wai āporo ― apple juice

### Derived terms

* hauwai
* wai māori
* waitoreke
* waiū
* waiwai
* wē

### References

* ↑ Tregear, Edward (1891) Maori-Polynesian Comparative Dictionary‎, Wellington, New Zealand: Lyon and Blair, page 589
* ↑ Ross, Malcolm D., Pawley, Andrew, Osmond, Meredith (2008) The lexicon of Proto-Oceanic, volume 2: The Physical Environment, Canberra: Australian National University, →ISBN, pages 58-9
* ↑ Kelly, Hemi (2018) A Maori Word A Day, Raupo Publishing, →ISBN, page 330
* William Churchill, The Polynesian Wanderings: Tracks of the Migration Deduced (1911)

### Etymology 2

Compare Tahitian vai. (This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

#### Pronoun

wai
* who?

### Further reading

* Williams, Herbert William (1917) “wai”, in A Dictionary of the Maori Language, pages 556-7
* “wai” in John C. Moorfield, Te Aka: Maori–English, English–Maori Dictionary and Index, 3rd edition, Longman/Pearson Education New Zealand, 2011, →ISBN.

## 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)

## North Frisian
### Alternative forms

* wäi (Mooring)
* Wai (Sylt)

### Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *wegaz.

### Pronunciation

* (Föhr-Amrum) IPA: [vaːɪ̯]

### Noun

wai m (plural waier)
* (Föhr-Amrum) way

## Old Javanese
### Etymology 1
#### Noun

wai
* Alternative spelling of we (“sun, day”)

### Etymology 2
#### Noun

wai
* Alternative spelling of wwe (“water”)

### Further reading

* "wai" in P.J. Zoetmulder with the collaboration of S.O. Robson, Old Javanese-English Dictionary. 's-Gravenhage: M. Nijhoff, 1982.

## 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

### Further reading

* Te Pukamuna | Pukapuka Dictionary

## 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

### Further reading

* ABVD 1, 2, 3, 4 (wai)
* ABVD (wäi)
* Malcolm Ross, Andrew Pawley, Meredith Osmond (editors), The lexicon of Proto-Oceanic: The physical environment, Pacific Linguistics, 545-2 (Australian National University, Canberra, 2003), page 58 (wei)

## Saterland Frisian
### Etymology

From Old Frisian wei.

### Pronunciation

IPA: /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 Groninger Umelounde

## Sikaiana
### Noun

wai
* water

### References

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

## Siroi
### Noun

wai
* arm, hand

### Further reading

* Johannes A. Z'Graggen, The Madang-Adelbert Range Sub-Phylum (1975), page 602
* Sjaak van Kleef, Siroi - English dictionary, English - Siroi dictionary (2007), page 10

## 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

## Tîrî
### Adverb

wai
* already

### References

* Osumi, M. (1995). Tinrin Grammar. Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press. page 39

## 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: /wa.ˈi/

### Particle

wai
* (sentence-final); not yet

#### Alternative forms

* aiwi

### References

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

## Ye'kwana
### Pronunciation

* IPA: [waj]

### Noun

wai (possessed waichü)
* (in ritual 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: “Waichö é um termo usado nos cantos aichudi e ädeemi e é sinônimo de föwai, ‘pajé’ ou ‘xamã’.”