giái

Vietnamese

Etymology

See trái for the etymology, see giai for the sound change. This is the form from the inland dialects, with the form lái presented in the coastal areas (see lái tim). Displaced by quả some time before the colonial period, probably partly due to the homophony with dái (“testicles”).

Some compounds with the Southern form trái later spread from the South and were adopted by Northern speakers.

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [zaːj˧˦]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [jaːj˨˩˦]
• (Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA^(key): [jaːj˦˥]

Noun

giái • (󱤼)

1. (obsolete) Northern Vietnam form of trái (“fruit”)
   • Lý hạng ca dao 里巷歌謠

     𣘃󱬖固花𣘃茄固󱤼

     Cây khế có hoa, cây cà có giái.

     The starfruit tree has flowers, the eggplant tree has fruits.

See also

Derived terms

• dái tai
• già giái non hột