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Wail vs Wai - What's the difference?

wail | wai |

As nouns the difference between wail and wai

is that wail is a prolonged cry, usually high-pitched, especially as of grief or anguish while wai is a Thai greeting wherein the palms are brought together in front of the face or chest, sometimes accompanied with a bow.

As a verb wail

is to cry out, as in sorrow or anguish.

As an adverb wai is

why a purposeful misspelling.

As a conjunction wai is

why a purposeful misspelling.

wail

English

Etymology 1

Probably from (etyl) Etymology in Webster's Dictionary

Noun

(en noun)
  • A prolonged cry, usually high-pitched, especially as of grief or anguish.
  • She let out a loud, doleful wail .
  • Any similar sound as of lamentation; a howl.
  • The wail of snow-dark winter winds.
    A bird's wail in the night.
  • A sound made by emergency vehicle sirens, contrasted with "yelp" which is higher-pitched and faster.
  • Verb

    (en verb)
  • To cry out, as in sorrow or anguish.
  • To weep, lament persistently or bitterly.
  • To make a noise like mourning or crying.
  • The wind wailed and the rain streamed down.
  • To lament; to bewail; to grieve over.
  • to wail one's death
    (Shakespeare)
  • (slang, music) To perform with great liveliness and force.
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • Derived terms
    * wailer * wailingly
    References

    Etymology 2

    Compare Icelandic word for "choice".

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (obsolete) To choose; to select.
  • * Henryson
  • Wailed wine and meats
    (Webster 1913) English terms with homophones

    wai

    English

    Etymology 1

    .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A Thai greeting wherein the palms are brought together in front of the face or chest, sometimes accompanied with a bow.
  • Etymology 2

    Phonetic respelling of why.

    Adverb

    (-)
  • (label) why (a purposeful misspelling)
  • Conjunction

    (en-conjunction)
  • (label) why (a purposeful misspelling)
  • Anagrams

    * * ---- ==Aka-Bea==

    Adverb

    (head)
  • indeed
  • References

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

    Noun

    (head)
  • fresh water
  • Antonyms

    *

    References

    * Blust's Austronesian Comparative Dictionary ----