bhai

English

Alternative forms

• bhau
• (Benglish) vai

Etymology

PIE word
*bʰréh₂tēr

Transliteration of Hindustani بھائی (bhāī) / भाई (bhāī) and other South Asian languages, ultimately from Sanskrit भ्रातृ (bhrātṛ). Doublet of brother, bru, frater, friar, pal, and vai.

Pronunciation

• (North India) IPA^(key): /bʰaːj/
• (South India, without aspiration) IPA^(key): /baːj/
  • Homophone: bye

Noun

bhai (plural bhais) (North India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Hinglish, Benglish)

1. friend, dude, man
2. brother

Caribbean Hindustani

Etymology

From Hindi भाई (bhāī).

Noun

bhai

1. brother

Hlai

Etymology

From Proto-Hlai *ɓəj (“bamboo raft”), from Pre-Hlai *Cəʔbəj (Norquest, 2015). Compare Proto-Tai *beːᴬ (“raft”) (whence Thai แพ (pɛɛ)), Middle Chinese 排 (MC beaj).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Hlai, Baoding) IPA^(key): /ɓai˥˧/

Noun

bhai

1. bamboo raft

Southeastern Tepehuan

Etymology 1

Cognate with Northern Tepehuan báji, O'odham bahi, Mayo buasia, Hopi kwasi (“penis”).

Noun

bhai (plural bhaabhai)

1. tail

Etymology 2

Cognate with O'odham s-bahi, Mayo buassi.

Adjective

bhai

1. cooked
2. ripe

Related terms

• bhaayaꞌ

References

• Willett, Elizabeth, et al. (2016), Diccionario tepehuano de Santa María Ocotán, Durango (Serie de vocabularios y diccionarios indígenas “Mariano Silva y Aceves”; 48)‎, electronic edition, Instituto Lingüístico de Verano, A.C., page 32