ai - synonyms, antonyms, definitions

ai

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

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

English

Etymology 1

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

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈɑ.i/

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

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.

Etymology 2

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

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /aɪ/
Rhymes: -aɪ
Homophones: ay, aye, I, eye

Contraction

(slang, US) All right.

Anagrams

-ia, IA, i.a.

Akei

Noun

water

References

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

Albanian

Alternative forms

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 jìs, Sanskrit अयम् (ayám)).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [aj]

Pronoun

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

Declension

Pronoun

that

Declension

Amblong

Noun

water

Angal Enen

Noun

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

penis

Aragonese

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈai̯/
Rhymes: -ai̯
Syllabification: ai

Interjection

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

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

eye
headlight of a car
seed

Etymology 2

From English I.

Pronoun

Etymology 3

From English high.

Adjective

high, tall

Catalan

Pronunciation

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

Interjection

ouch (pain), ooh (pain)

Noun

ai m (plural ais)

ooh (pain)

Chuukese

Determiner

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

Related terms

Corsican

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈaj/
Hyphenation: ai

Verb

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

water

Dutch

Alternative forms

aï (obsolete)

Etymology

Borrowed from Portuguese ai, from Old Tupi ai.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ɑi/
Hyphenation: ai

Noun

ai m (plural ais)

pale-throated sloth, Bradypus tridactylus
Synonym: drievingerige luiaard

Estonian

Interjection

ow, ouch

Synonyms

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^(key): /ˈɑi̯/, [ˈɑ̝i̯]
Rhymes: -ɑi
Hyphenation^(key): ai

Interjection

ouch!
oh!
(colloquial, interrogative particle) Oh? As in...?

Synonyms

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

Derived terms

ai niin

Anagrams

-ia, ia

French

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /e/, /ɛ/
Homophones: et, aie, aies, aient, ait, es, est, hais, hait

Verb

first-person singular present indicative of avoir

Anagrams

Friulian

Etymology

From Latin allium.

Noun

ai m (plural ais)

garlic

Galician

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ˈaj]

Interjection

ouch! expresses pain
ooh! expresses pain
oh! expresses concern

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

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

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^(key): /ā.jí/

Noun

aí (plural aí lẹ́) (Nigeria)

ground

Derived terms

Hawaiian

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

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

Verb

to have sexual intercourse; to copulate

Hiri Motu

Pronoun

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

Iban

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /aiʔ/, /aɛʔ/

Noun

water

Ingrian

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

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

Interjection

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^(key): /ˈaj/
Homophone: hai
Rhymes: -aj
Hyphenation: ài

Contraction

contraction of a i; to the, at the

Anagrams

-ia, IA

Japanese

Romanization

Rōmaji transcription of あい
Rōmaji transcription of アイ

Kalasha

Pronoun

Alternative spelling of ábi (sense 1).

Kendayan

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /aiʔ/

Noun

water

Kiowa

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /aj/

Letter

ai (upper case Ai)

A letter of the Kiowa alphabet.

Kott

Etymology

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

Pronoun

I (first-person singular subjective)

Related terms

ajoŋ

Kuna

Noun

friend

Ladin

Etymology

a +‎ i

Contraction

at or to the (+ plural noun)

Ladino

Adverb

ai (Latin spelling, Hebrew spelling אאי)

Alternative form of aí

Latin

Pronunciation

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

Verb

second-person singular present active imperative of aiō

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

Latvian

Interjection

ouch!
oh!

Leti

Etymology

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

Noun

fire

Lithuanian

Etymology

Compare Russian ой (oj, “ow!”).

Pronunciation

ái: IPA^(key): /a͡ɪ/

aĩ: IPA^(key): /ɐ͡ɪ/

Interjection

ái! or aĩ!

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

Synonyms

oi!, ui!
oi!, a!

Derived terms

Lombard

Noun

Alternative form of aj (“garlic”)

Manchu

Romanization

Romanization of ᠠᡳ

Mandarin

Romanization

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

(to be) bitter

Conjugation

Noun

wound, injury

Middle English

Pronoun

Alternative form of þei (“they”)

Naga Pidgin

Etymology

Inherited from Assamese আই (ai).

Noun

mother, mom

Norman

Verb

(Guernsey) first-person singular present indicative of aver

North Frisian

Alternative forms

ei (Föhr-Amrum)
ek (Sylt)

Etymology

From Old Norse eigi.

Adverb

(Mooring) not

Norwegian Bokmål

Interjection

used to express surprise

References

“ai” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Interjection

used to express surprise

References

“ai” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Occitan

Verb

first-person singular present indicative of aver

Pitjantjatjara

Interjection

huh
geez
what
hey

References

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

Pohnpeian

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ɐi/

Interjection

no way!

Portuguese

Etymology

Onomatopoeic.

Pronunciation

Rhymes: -aj
Hyphenation: ai

Interjection

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

Derived terms

Rapa Nui

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈa.i/
Hyphenation: a‧i

Pronoun

who?

References

Paulus Kieviet (2017) A grammar of Rapa Nui‎^[4], Berlin: Language Science Press, →ISBN, page 404

Rohingya

Verb

come

Romanian

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /aj/
Rhymes: -aj
Hyphenation: ai

Etymology 1

Article

ai (masculine plural possessive)

Etymology 2

From Latin allium / alium.

Noun

ai m (uncountable)

(regional) garlic
Synonym: usturoi

Declension

Derived terms

aior
mujdei

Etymology 3

Inflected form of avea (“to have”).

Verb

second-person singular present indicative of avea
(you) have
inflection of avea:
1. second-person singular present subjunctive
2. second-person singular imperative

Etymology 4

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

Verb

(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

Related terms

am
ați
ar
aș

References

Seri

Etymology 1

Noun

ai (plural aaita)

his father

Declension

Derived terms

Etymology 2

Adverb

(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

Alternative forms

ay (unofficial)

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈai/, [ˈa̠i], [ˈɑ̟i]

Etymology 1

From English eye.

Noun

Etymology 2

From English aye, ay.

Interjection

References

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

Sumbawa

Etymology

From Proto-Malayo-Sumbawan *wair, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ.

Noun

water

References

ABVD; Bahasa Sumbawa

Tày

Pronunciation

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

Etymology 1

Noun

Synonym of cò niêng

Derived terms

Etymology 2

Verb

ai (埃)

to lean on

Etymology 3

Noun

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]‎^[5][6] (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]‎^[7] (in Vietnamese), Hanoi: Nhà xuất bản Khoa học Xã hội
Léopold Michel Cadière (1910) Dictionnaire Tày-Annamite-Français [Tày-Vietnamese-French Dictionary]‎^[8] (in French), Hanoi: Impressions d'Extrême-Orient

Tetum

Etymology

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

Noun

tree
wood

Tok Pisin

Etymology

From English eye.

Noun

(anatomy) eye
hole, opening, lid
tip

Derived terms

ai i pas

Tokelauan

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ˈa.i]
Hyphenation: a‧i

Etymology 1

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

Pronoun

who?

Etymology 2

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

Particle

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

Derived terms

References

R. Simona, editor (1986), Tokelau Dictionary‎^[9], Auckland: Office of Tokelau Affairs, page 1

Torres Strait Creole

Etymology 1

From English I.

Pronoun

I (see also mi)

Etymology 2

From English eye.

Noun

Venetan

Noun

plural of aio

Vietnamese

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

(Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [ʔaːj˧˧]
(Huế) IPA^(key): [ʔaːj˧˧]
(Saigon) IPA^(key): [ʔaːj˧˧]

Pronoun

ai • (埃)

who
whoever
someone else
one, a person
- 2005, Nguyễn Ngọc Tư, "Cuối mùa nhan sắc" (in Cánh đồng bất tận), Trẻ publishing house
(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?

Volapük

Adverb

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^(key): /ai̯/
Rhymes: -ai̯

Particle

interrogative particle (used when a non-verbal element is fronted for emphasis)
Synonym: ife
whether, if (used when the subordinate clause has a non-verbal element fronted for emphasis)

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^(key): /ˈa.i/

Verb

(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^[10], Pacific linguistics (as ay)

Yami

Noun

(anatomy) foot

Ye'kwana

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [aj]

Postposition

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.

References

Cáceres, Natalia (2011) Grammaire Fonctionnelle-Typologique du Ye’kwana‎^[11], Lyon, pages 267–272

Zou

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ai̯˧˥/

Noun

ái

crab

References

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

ai

ai

English

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

Noun

Synonyms

See also

References

Further reading

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

Contraction

Anagrams

Akei

Noun

References

Albanian

Alternative forms

Etymology

Pronunciation

Pronoun

Declension

See also

Pronoun

Declension

Amblong

Noun

Further reading

Angal Enen

Noun

References

Apalaí

Noun

Aragonese

Pronunciation

Interjection

Araki

Etymology

Noun

References

Australian Kriol

Etymology 1

Noun

Etymology 2

Pronoun

Etymology 3

Adjective

Catalan

Pronunciation

Interjection

Noun

Chuukese

Determiner

Related terms

Corsican

Pronunciation

Verb

References

Dadibi

Noun

Synonyms

References

Dubu

Noun

Further reading

Dutch

Alternative forms

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

Estonian

Interjection

Synonyms

Finnish

Etymology

Pronunciation

Interjection

Synonyms

Derived terms