ayah

English

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /aɪə/

Etymology 1

From various Indian languages (e.g. Hindi आया (āyā, “dry nurse, nanny”)), after Portuguese aia (“nurse, governess”), feminine of aio (“tutor”), possibly from Latin avia (“grandmother”).

Noun

ayah (plural ayahs)

  1. A native female servant or maid, especially working for Europeans in South Asia.
    • 1888, Rudyard Kipling, ‘Watches of the Night’, Plain Tales from the Hills, Folio 2005, p. 59:
      She manufactured the Station scandal, and—talked to her ayah.

See also

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Arabic آيَة‎ (ʾāya, “sign, token”).

Noun

ayah (plural ayahs or ayat)

  1. A verse in the Quran.
Translations

Anagrams

Indonesian

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /a.jah/

Noun

ayah

  1. father (male parent)

See also

Malay

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ajah/
  • Rhymes: -ajah, -jah, -ah

Noun

ayah

  1. father (male parent)

Synonyms

Derived terms

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