FromProto-Polynesian*fai (compare withTahitianfai,Samoanfai,Tonganfai), fromProto-Oceanic*paʀi (compare withFijianvai), fromProto-Malayo-Polynesian*paʀih, fromProto-Austronesian*paʀiS (“stingray” – compare withMalaypari,Tagalogpagi).[1]
whai
- stingray
- skate(fish of family Rajidae)
- ^Ross, Malcolm D., Pawley, Andrew, Osmond, Meredith (2011)The lexicon of Proto-Oceanic, volume 4: Animals, Canberra: Australian National University,→ISBN, pages34-5
FromProto-Eastern Polynesian*fai(“to follow”).
whai
- pursuit
whai (passivewhāia)
- tofollow,chase,pursue
- tolook for,search
- toproceed to a following action
Maybe related to Etymology 2.(Thisetymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at theEtymology scriptorium.).
whai
- topossess, tohave
Kei tewhai au te pene.- Ihave a pen.
- Williams, Herbert William (1917) “whai”, inA Dictionary of the Maori Language, pages568-9
- “whai” in John C. Moorfield, Te Aka: Maori–English, English–Maori Dictionary and Index, 3rd edition, Longman/Pearson Education New Zealand, 2011,→ISBN.
