haai

Afrikaans

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɦɑːi/

Etymology 1

From Dutch haai, from Middle Dutch haeye.

Noun

haai (plural haaie)

1. A shark.

Etymology 2

Compare English hi.

Interjection

haai

1. hi, hello

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Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɦaːi̯/

• audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: haai
• Rhymes: -aːi̯

Etymology 1

From Middle Dutch haeye, from Old Norse há- (“shark”), with the /j/ appearing influenced by the declined forms /hajə(n)/. Probably from Proto-Germanic *hanh-u-, related to *hakô (“hook”), referring to the shark's back fin. Cognate with Swedish haj, and German Hai.

Noun

haai m (plural haaien, diminutive haaitje n)

Caribische rifhaai
Caribbean Reef Shark

1. A shark, fish of the superorder Selachimorpha (sometimes also including certain extinct shark-like members of the Elasmobranchii outside this superorder)
2. A ruthless person.
3. A greedy person.

Derived terms

• haaiachtig
• haaienkelder
• haaientand
• haaienvin
• haaihaak

- shark types and species:

• bakerhaai
• citroenhaai
• grondhaai
• hamerhaai
• makreelhaai
• mensenhaai
• reuzenhaai
• stierhaai
• varkenshaai
• verpleegsterhaai
• walvishaai
• zaaghaai

Descendants

• Afrikaans: haai
• → German: Hai
• → West Frisian: haai

Etymology 2

Noun

haai m (plural haaien, diminutive haaitje n)

1. A tilted angle or strip.
2. A blink, instant.

Etymology 3

criminal slang

Adjective

haai (comparative haaier, superlative haaist)

1. big, strong, firm; redoubted.
2. smart, clever, crafty.
3. fine, good.

Derived terms

• gehaaid

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Norwegian Nynorsk

Noun

haai m

1. obsolete typography of håi; (non-standard since 2012) definite singular of hå

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West Frisian

Etymology

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

Noun

haai c (plural haaien, diminutive haaike)

1. shark

Derived terms

• haaimoanne

Further reading

• “haai (I)”, in Wurdboek fan de Fryske taal (in Dutch), 2011