vãi

Vietnamese

Pronunciation

(Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [vaːj˦ˀ˥]
(Huế) IPA^(key): [vaːj˧˨]
(Saigon) IPA^(key): [vaːj˨˩˦] ~ [jaːj˨˩˦]

Etymology 1

From Middle Vietnamese uãi, vãi, from Proto-Vietic *vaːs (“to broadcast (rice)”). Cognate with Tho [Cuối Chăm] vɐːl⁶, Chut [Rục] vaːl⁶.

Unrelated to Chinese 播 (MC paH) (SV: bá) nor any Austroasiatic word with labial stop initial like Khmer បោះ (bɑh), Khasi bet. As shown by the Vietic cognates, Vietnamese ‹v-› here is not the result of lenition.

Verb

vãi • (捤, 𢭶)

to spill (something) all over; to strew; to broadcast
(of rice, seeds, etc.) to be spilled all over; to be scattered
to excrete (involuntarily); to let out; to urinate or pee (by accident)

Adverb

vãi

(slang, vulgar) extremely; fucking

Interjection

vãi

(colloquial) damn, dang, dayum

Etymology 2

This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.
Particularly: “Non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of Chinese 比 (SV: tỉ), short for tỉ-khâu-ni (比丘尼) < Pali bhikkhunī < Sanskrit भिक्षुणी (bhikṣuṇī)?”

Noun

vãi • (娓, 尾, 𠉜, 𫱬)

middle-aged female pagoda-goer
Buddhist nun
- 16th century, Nguyễn Thế Nghi's (attributed) Tân biên Truyền kỳ mạn lục tăng bổ giải âm tập chú (新編傳奇漫錄增補解音集註), giải âm/translation of “The Tale of the Abandoned Pagoda in Đông Triều” in Truyền kỳ mạn lục ("Casual Record of Transmitted Strange-Tales") by Nguyễn Dữ.
  仕娓𨪷𩯀共民平㐌姅
  Sãi vãi gọt tóc cùng dân bình đã nửa.
  Those who cut their hair and became Buddhist monks and Buddhist nuns constituted half of the common populace.
- Nam quốc phương ngôn tục ngữ bị lục (南國方言俗語備錄 "Records of the Southern Nation's regional adages and common sayings"), 1914 version, 11b
  師呐師沛娓呐娓咍 ― Sư nói sư phải; vãi nói vãi hay. ― The Buddhist monk says he is right; the Buddist nun says she is knowledgeable.

vãi