hai

Etymology

The interjection of urging is a shortening from Romanian haide, which is from Ottoman Turkish هایده (hayde).^[2][3][1] Ciorănescu adds that this short form was confused with a variant of ha.^[2] Scriban derives it directly from a Turkish interjection, as he does the longer form.^[4] DEX, which treats every use of the word as one, calls it onomatopoeic, and NODEX of unknown origin.^[5][6] The Turkish word is built on an interjection of urging.^[7] Aromanian hai is used the same way.^[8]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record of hai is in the Anonymus Caransebesiensis, a Romanian–Latin glossary of about 1650–1700, as a sigh.^[9][3] Tiktin dates haide to about 1670 in the same glossary.^[10]

Semantic evolution

The commonest use is an urging to act, often together with the speaker: hai să mergem “let's go”.^[5][11] It also stands for an imperative of motion, “come!, let's go!”, and when repeated it describes slow, laborious progress.^[5] As an exclamation it expresses regret, admiration or a question (Hai, ce zici? “Well, what do you say?”, Creangă).^[11][5] Hai noroc! is a greeting or a toast.^[11][6]

Timeline

• c. 1650-1700 – hai as a sigh in the Anonymus Caransebesiensis.^[9]
• c. 1670 – haide in the same glossary.^[10]

Meanings

Interjection

1. come on, let's: urges someone to act, often together with the speaker: Hai să mâncăm!^[5][1]
2. (as an imperative of motion) Come!, let's go!;^[5] (repeated) expresses slow, laborious progress.^[5]
3. Expresses regret, admiration, or a question.^[5][11]
4. (repeated, ironic) Not likely!^[5]

Related words

• haide
• haideți
• ha

Usage notes

DEX also lists a familiar and slang noun hai (plural haiuri) “uproar, row”, as in a face un hai “to kick up a fuss”.^[5] Ciorănescu derives it, probably, from Turkish hay-huy, and Graur from Romani.^[12] The regional variant is ai.^[5]

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b Ciorănescu, Alexandru (1958–1966), Diccionario etimológico rumano, La Laguna: Universidad de La Laguna (Romanian ed.: Dicționarul etimologic al limbii române, București: Saeculum, 2001), p. s.v. haide
3. ^ a b Tiktin, Hariton (2000–2005), Rumänisch-deutsches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., revised by Paul Miron and Elsa Lüder, 3 vols., Cluj-Napoca: Clusium, p. s.v. hai
4. ^ Scriban, August (1939), Dicționaru limbii românești (etimologii, înțelesuri, exemple, citațiuni, arhaizme, neologizme, provincializme), Iași: Presa Bună, p. 585
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k DEX (2009), Dicționarul explicativ al limbii române [Explanatory dictionary of the Romanian language], Bucharest: Editura Univers Enciclopedic, p. 456
6. ^ a b Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2002), Noul dicționar explicativ al limbii române, București: Litera Internațional, p. s.v. hai
7. ^ Nişanyan, Sevan, Nişanyan Sözlük: Çağdaş Türkçenin Etimolojisi (online edition), p. haydi
8. ^ Cunia, Tiberius (2008), Dictsiunar a limbãljei armãneascã, Editsii Timpurarã (after T. Papahagi, Ș. Mihăileanu and I. Dalametra; online at dixionline.net), p. 527
9. ^ a b Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2010), Micul dicționar academic, 2nd ed., 4 vols., București: Univers Enciclopedic Gold, p. 1, 1036
10. ^ a b Tiktin, Hariton (2000–2005), Rumänisch-deutsches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., revised by Paul Miron and Elsa Lüder, 3 vols., Cluj-Napoca: Clusium, p. s.v. haide
11. ^ a b c d Macrea, Dimitrie; Petrovici, Emil (coord.) (1955–1957), Dicționarul limbii romîne literare contemporane, 4 vols., București: Editura Academiei Republicii Populare Romîne, p. 2, 434
12. ^ Ciorănescu, Alexandru (1958–1966), Diccionario etimológico rumano, La Laguna: Universidad de La Laguna (Romanian ed.: Dicționarul etimologic al limbii române, București: Saeculum, 2001), p. s.v. hai