*wai

Runic: ᚹᚨᛁ Pronunciation: /ˈwɑi̯/

interjection

Meanings

woe! alas! (expression of grief or anguish)

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *wáy (‘woe! (interjection)’). Compare Latin vae, Lithuanian vai̇̃, vái, Russian увы́ (uvý, ‘alas’), Middle Irish fáe, Welsh gwae (‘woe’), Avestan 𐬬𐬀𐬫𐬋𐬌 (vayōi) (vayōi), Sanskrit उवे (uvé) (uvé), Persian وای (vây).

Descendants

*wai (Proto-West Germanic)
- *wē (Old Dutch)
  - wee (Middle Dutch)
    - wee (Dutch)
*wai (Proto-West Germanic)
- wā, wei, wǣ (Old English)
  - wa, wo, woo (Middle English)
    - woe (English)
    - wa, wae (Scots)
*wai (Proto-West Germanic)
- wach, *wē (Old Frisian)
  - wee, wea (West Frisian)
*wai (Proto-West Germanic)
- wah, wa, wē (Old High German)
  - wāch, wē (Middle High German)
    - bèa (Cimbrian)
    - weh, Weh, wehe, Wehe (German)
*wai (Proto-West Germanic)
- wah, wa, wē (Old High German)
  - wāch, wē (Middle High German)
    - וויי (vey) (Yiddish)
      - vey (English)
*wai (Proto-West Germanic)
- wah, wē (Old Saxon)
  - wach, wê (Middle Low German)
*wai (Proto-West Germanic)
- *wai, *guai (Vulgar Latin)
  - guai (Catalan)
  - ouais (Emilian)
  - guai (Italian)
  - guaj (Piedmontese)
  - guai (Portuguese)
  - vai (Sicilian)
*wai (Proto-West Germanic)
- *wai, *guai (Vulgar Latin)
  - gway, gwai, guai, way, wai (Old French)
    - vé, vee (Middle French)
      - vé (French)
*wai (Proto-West Germanic)
- *wai, *guai (Vulgar Latin)
  - guay (Old Spanish)
    - guay, uay (Ladino)
    - guay, guais (Spanish)
*ᚹᚨᛁ (*wai) (Proto-Norse)
- vei, væ, ve- (Old Norse)
  - ve (Danish)
  - vei, veiggj (Faroese)
  - vei, væ (Icelandic)
  - ve (Norwegian)
*ᚹᚨᛁ (*wai) (Proto-Norse)
- vei, væ, ve- (Old Norse)
  - waȝȝ, wæi, wei, weye, wai (Middle English)
    - weylaway, wailewaie (Middle English)
      - welaway, wellaway (English)
*ᚹᚨᛁ (*wai) (Proto-Norse)
- vei, væ, ve- (Old Norse)
  - væla (Old Norse)
    - wäla (Elfdalian)
    - væla (Icelandic)
*ᚹᚨᛁ (*wai) (Proto-Norse)
- vei, væ, ve- (Old Norse)
  - væla (Old Norse)
    - weilen, waylen (Middle English)
      - wail (English)
*ᚹᚨᛁ (*wai) (Proto-Norse)
- vei, væ, ve- (Old Norse)
  - væla (Old Norse)
    - væl (Old Norse)
      - væl (Icelandic)
*ᚹᚨᛁ (*wai) (Proto-Norse)
- vei, væ, ve- (Old Norse)
  - vē (Old Swedish)
    - ve (Swedish)
ᚹᚨᛃᛖ- (waje-) (Proto-Norse)
- vei, væ, ve- (Old Norse)
  - ve (Danish)
  - vei, veiggj (Faroese)
  - vei, væ (Icelandic)
  - ve (Norwegian)
ᚹᚨᛃᛖ- (waje-) (Proto-Norse)
- vei, væ, ve- (Old Norse)
  - waȝȝ, wæi, wei, weye, wai (Middle English)
    - weylaway, wailewaie (Middle English)
      - welaway, wellaway (English)
ᚹᚨᛃᛖ- (waje-) (Proto-Norse)
- vei, væ, ve- (Old Norse)
  - væla (Old Norse)
    - wäla (Elfdalian)
    - væla (Icelandic)
ᚹᚨᛃᛖ- (waje-) (Proto-Norse)
- vei, væ, ve- (Old Norse)
  - væla (Old Norse)
    - weilen, waylen (Middle English)
      - wail (English)
ᚹᚨᛃᛖ- (waje-) (Proto-Norse)
- vei, væ, ve- (Old Norse)
  - væla (Old Norse)
    - væl (Old Norse)
      - væl (Icelandic)
ᚹᚨᛃᛖ- (waje-) (Proto-Norse)
- vei, væ, ve- (Old Norse)
  - vē (Old Swedish)
    - ve (Swedish)
𐍅𐌰𐌹 (wai) (Gothic)

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