kai

kai

synonyms, antonyms, definitions, examples & translations of kai in English

English Online Dictionary. What means kai‎? What does kai mean?

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Maori kai. Doublet of makan (via Malay) in Malaysian and Singaporean Englishes.

Pronunciation

  • (Can we verify(+) this pronunciation?) (particularly: the audio is somewhat too fast)
  • Rhymes: -aɪ

Noun

kai (uncountable)

  1. (Australia, New Zealand, informal) Food. [from 19th c.]

See also

Anagrams

  • AKI, KIA, Kia, aik

Antillean Creole

Etymology

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

Noun

kai

  1. house, building

Chinese

Etymology

From Mandarin 凱子 / 凯子 (kǎizi).

Pronunciation

Adjective

kai

  1. (Hong Kong Cantonese, slang, dated) foolish; idiotic
    • 詰我啲兄弟，佢都kai kai地嘅。 [Cantonese, trad.]
      诘我啲兄弟，佢都kai kai地嘅。 [Cantonese, simp.]
      gat6 ngo5 di1 hing1 dai6, keoi5 dou1 kaai1 kaai1 dei2 ge3. [Jyutping]
      Humilliating my bro? He's such an idiot.

Verb

kai

  1. (Hong Kong Cantonese, slang, dated) to be foolish; to act like an idiot

See also

  • kai子 (kaai1 zi2)

Estonian

Etymology

From German Kai, from Dutch kaai, from French quai.

Noun

kai (genitive kai, partitive kaid)

  1. quay

Declension

Faroese

Etymology

Borrowed from Danish kaj, from Old French kay, cail (modern French quai), from Gaulish cagiíum (“enclosure”), from Proto-Celtic *kagyom (“pen, enclosure”) (compare Welsh cae (“hedge”)).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /kʰaiː/
  • Rhymes: -aiː

Noun

kai f (genitive singular kaiar, plural kaiir)

  1. (colloquial) quay

Declension

Synonyms

  • bryggja
  • atløgubryggja

Finnish

Etymology

Probably shortened from kaiketi.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈkɑi̯(ˣ)/, [ˈkɑ̝i̯(ʔ)]
  • Rhymes: -ɑi
  • Hyphenation(key): kai

Adverb

kai

  1. probably, I guess (that) (used to express a possibility or belief of what's going to happen)
    Synonyms: ehkä, kenties, luultavasti, otaksuttavasti, arvatenkin, varmaankin, mahdollisesti, kaiketi
  2. Used to indicate derision or disbelief.
  3. Used as a fortifier, or to confirm.
    Synonyms: toki, tottahan

Derived terms

Further reading

  • “kai”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎[1] (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

  • Aki, aik.

Guinea-Bissau Creole

Etymology

From Portuguese cair. Cognate with Kabuverdianu kai.

Verb

kai

  1. to fall

Hausa

Etymology 1

From Proto-Afroasiatic [Term?]. Cognates include Mangas ka, Polci kii, Miship ɡɨ.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /kái/
    • (Standard Kano Hausa) IPA(key): [kéi]

Pronoun

kai

  1. you (2nd person singular subject pronoun)

See also

  • mákà (2nd person singular indirect object enclitic pronoun)
  • ká (2nd person singular independent object pronoun)
  • -kà (2nd person singular possessive enclitic pronoun)

Etymology 2

Cognate with Bole kóːʔiː, Galambu kā, Gera ká, Deno kàá, Mangas kaam, Goemai kāː, Polci gaam.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /kâi/
    • (Standard Kano Hausa) IPA(key): [kâi]

Noun

kâi m (plural kāwunā̀, possessed form kâin)

  1. head

Hawaiian

Etymology

From Proto-Polynesian *tai (compare with Maori tai), from Proto-Oceanic *tasik, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *tasik (compare with Malay tasik).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈkai̯/, [ˈkɐj], [ˈkɛj] (rapid speech)

Noun

kai

  1. sea
    i kai ― towards the sea
    makai ― on the seaside, toward the sea, in the direction of the sea
    o kai ― of the lowland, of the sea, seaward
    nā kānaka o kai ― shore dwellers
  2. salt water
  3. seaside, area near the sea, lowlands
  4. tide, current in the sea
  5. gravy, sauce, dressing, soup, broth

Derived terms

  • Kai Make

See also

  • wai
  • moana

Verb

kai

  1. (stative) to be insipid, brackish, tasteless

Interjection

kai

  1. my, how much!; how very! how terrific!
    kai ka nani! ― how beautiful!
    kai ke kolohe! ― oh, how mischievous!

See also

  • kainō
  • keu

References

  • Pukui, Mary Kawena, Elbert, Samuel H. (1986) “kai”, in Hawaiian Dictionary, Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press

Japanese

Romanization

kai

  1. Rōmaji transcription of かい

Kabuverdianu

Etymology

From Portuguese cair.

Verb

kai

  1. to fall

Karajá

Pronoun

kai

  1. you, second-person singular pronoun

Usage notes

  • This term is used in both women's and men's speech.

Derived terms

  • kaiboho

References

  • Michael Dunn, Gender determined dialect variation, in The Expression of Gender (edited by Greville G. Corbett)
  • David Lee Fortune, Gramática Karajá: um Estudo Preliminar em Forma Transformacional

Khumi Chin

Etymology

From Proto-Kuki-Chin *kay, from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *ka. Cognates include Hakka 𠊎 (ngài) and Burmese ငါ (nga).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /kai̯˥/

Pronoun

kai

  1. I

See also

References

  • R. Shafer (1944) “Khimi Grammar and Vocabulary”, in Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, volume 11, number 2, page 419
  • K. E. Herr (2011) The phonological interpretation of minor syllables, applied to Lemi Chin‎[2], Payap University, page 44

Lithuanian

Etymology

From Proto-Balto-Slavic *kai; compare Old Prussian kāi (“when”), Latvian kâ(i) (“when”), Old Church Slavonic цѣ (cě, “and also, besides”), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷoy; compare Ancient Greek ποῖ (poî, “whereto”). Perhaps ultimately the locative of Proto-Indo-European *kʷos, kʷís (“question particle”); see kas (“what”). Also, compare with tai (“that”).

Pronunciation

  • (conjunction): IPA(key): /kɐɪˑ/
  • (particle): IPA(key): /kɐɪ/

Conjunction

kai̇̃

  1. (in relative clauses) when, while, as

Particle

kai (unstressed)

  1. (in conjunction with interrogative words) some, a certain (suggesting the complement is a known entity, but withheld)
    kai kàs - (a certain) something
    Àš táu kai ką̃ turiù - I have something for you.
    kai kadà - sometimes, in some cases

Derived terms

Related terms

  • tai
  • kas
  • kad
  • kaip

See also

  • kada
  • kaž-, nors, bet

References

Livvi

Adverb

kai

  1. all

Mandarin

Romanization

kai

  1. Nonstandard spelling of kāi.
  2. Nonstandard spelling of kǎi.
  3. Nonstandard spelling of kài.

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

From Proto-Polynesian *kai, from Proto-Oceanic *kani, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *kaən (compare with Malay makan, Tagalog kain “to eat” and kanin “food esp. cooked rice”), from Proto-Austronesian *kaən.

Verb

kai (passive form kainga)

  1. to eat (to consume food)

Noun

kai

  1. food

Derived terms

  • hari kai (“a song for guests when they wait for food”)
  • hoko kai (“to buy food”)
  • huanga kai (“crop”)
  • kai hamuti (“a contemptible person, a strong insult”) (vulgar, offensive)
  • kai inati (“overdose”)
  • pū kai (“esophagus”)
  • rūma kai (“a dining room”)
  • tunu kai (“cooking”)
  • wharekai (“restaurant, canteen, any eating establishment”)
  • wāhi kai (“restaurant”)

Related terms

  • kaimoana (“seafood”)
  • kainga (“refuse (inedible leftovers) of a meal”)

Descendants

  • → English: kai

References

Further reading

  • Williams, Herbert William (1917) “kai”, in A Dictionary of the Maori Language, pages 101-2
  • “kai” in John C. Moorfield, Te Aka: Maori–English, English–Maori Dictionary and Index, 3rd edition, Longman/Pearson Education New Zealand, 2011, →ISBN.

Middle English

Noun

kai

  1. Alternative form of keye (“key”)

North Frisian

Alternative forms

  • koie (Mooring)
  • Kai (Sylt)

Etymology

From Old Frisian kēi. Cognates include West Frisian kaai.

Noun

kai m (plural kaier)

  1. (Föhr-Amrum) key

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Old French kay, cail (modern French quai), from Gaulish cagiíum (“enclosure”), from Proto-Celtic *kagyom (“pen, enclosure”) (compare Welsh cae (“hedge”)).

Noun

kai m or f (definite singular kaia or kaien, indefinite plural kaier, definite plural kaiene)

  1. quay, wharf, dock

Derived terms

  • ferjekai, fergekai
  • kaikant

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Old French kay, cail (modern French quai), from Gaulish cagiíum (“enclosure”), from Proto-Celtic *kagyom (“pen, enclosure”) (compare Welsh cae (“hedge”)).

Noun

kai f or m (definite singular kaia or kaien, indefinite plural kaier or kaiar, definite plural kaiene or kaiane)

  1. quay, wharf, dock

Derived terms

  • ferjekai
  • kaikant

Papiamentu

Etymology

From Portuguese cair and Spanish caer and Kabuverdianu kai.

Verb

kai

  1. to fall

Derived terms

  • kai abou

Rapa Nui

Etymology

From Proto-Polynesian *kai, from Proto-Oceanic [Term?], from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *kaən, from Proto-Austronesian *kaən.

Verb

kai

  1. to eat (consume)

Noun

kai

  1. food

Derived terms

  • pātia kai

Adverb

kai

  1. not

Southeastern Tepehuan

Etymology 1

From Proto-Uto-Aztecan *kapsi.

Noun

kai (plural kaakai)

  1. thigh
Derived terms
  • kairam

Etymology 2

Cognate with Northern Tepehuan káídɨ, O'odham kai.

Noun

kai

  1. seed

Etymology 3

Verb

kai

  1. preterite of kaayaꞌ

References

  • Willett, Elizabeth, et al. (2016) Diccionario tepehuano de Santa María Ocotán, Durango (Serie de vocabularios y diccionarios indígenas “Mariano Silva y Aceves”; 48)‎[3], electronic edition, Instituto Lingüístico de Verano, A.C., page 100

Sundanese

Etymology

From Old Sundanese kayu, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *kahiw, from Proto-Austronesian *kaSiw. Doublet of ki

Noun

kai (Sundanese script ᮊᮄ)

  1. wood, timber

Tok Pisin

Etymology

Borrowed from Polynesian, from Proto-Polynesian *kai, from Proto-Oceanic *kani, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *kaən, from Proto-Austronesian *kaən.

Verb

kai

  1. (transitive) to eat (consume)

Noun

kai

  1. food

See also

  • kaikai

Tokelauan

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [ˈka.i]
  • Hyphenation: ka‧i

Etymology 1

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

Verb

kai (plural kakai)

  1. (transitive) to eat
  2. (intransitive) to eat
  3. (fishing, intransitive) to bite
Derived terms

Etymology 2

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

Noun

kai

  1. (cricket) run
  2. (cricket) goal, point
  3. (cricket) score

Etymology 3

From Proto-Polynesian *kai. Cognates include Tobanga kai and Nukuoro gai.

Particle

kai

  1. Indicates disapproval and/or dissatisfaction.
  2. Indicates regret that something didn't happen.
Synonyms
  • (regret): kaina

References

  • R. Simona, editor (1986), Tokelau Dictionary‎[4], Auckland: Office of Tokelau Affairs, page 142

Tongan

Etymology

From Proto-Polynesian *kai, from Proto-Oceanic [Term?], from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *kaən, from Proto-Austronesian *kaən.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ka.i/

Noun

kai

  1. food

Verb

kai

  1. To eat

Derived terms

  • kai maʻamaʻa

Tuvaluan

Adverb

kai

  1. ever

Zou

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /kai̯˧/

Verb

kai

  1. (intransitive) to rise, ascend, go up

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /kai̯˧˥/

Adjective

kái

  1. askew
  2. low

Etymology 3

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /kai̯˧˩/

Verb

kài

  1. (transitive) pull, drag, draw

References

  • Lukram Himmat Singh (2013) A Descriptive Grammar of Zou, Canchipur: Manipur University, page 63

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