ENGLISH
REFERENCE

kai

interj.
C2 Proficiency US //ˈkaɪ// kai Archaic Informal

interj. a word used to show surprise, shock, or strong feeling. It is common in South African English and some other cultures to add emphasis to what you are saying.

interj. an exclamation used to express surprise, emphasis, or strong emotion. Primarily used in South African English and certain Polynesian or East Asian contexts as a discourse marker.


SIMPLE

Kai! That was a huge wave.

CONTEXTUAL

The locals shouted 'Kai!' when they saw the size of the fish the young boy had caught.

Origin

Taken into regular use in the 1990s, with earlier popularity peaks in Scandinavia and Germany. The medieval Danish Kaj is possibly of Roman origin, Latinized as Caius, like the rare medieval English male given name Kay. The German Kai may also derive from a West Frisian pet form of Gerard, Cornelius, Nicholas, or Kampe "warrior". In the U.S. Kai has also been explained as Hawaiian kai (“sea”).

Usage

Typically used at the beginning of a sentence to set the emotional tone.

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