English word origin

Etymology of Dai

Borrowed from Welsh Dai.

4 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 4 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

name

A diminutive of the male given name David, from Welsh.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Borrowed from Welsh Dai.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":bor",
        "3": "cy:Dai",
        "text": "+",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "[Appendix:Glossary#loanword|Borrowed]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Welsh\", \"term\" : \"Dai\", \"status\" : \"missing\", \"lang\" : \"cy\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"bor\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"Dai\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"Dai\">\nBorrowed from Welsh Dai."
    },
    {
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      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":bor",
        "3": "cy:Dai",
        "text": "+",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Borrowed from Welsh Dai."
    }
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    [
      "Dai",
      "Dai#Welsh"
    ]
  ],
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  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
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      "glosses": [
        "A diminutive of the male given name David, from Welsh."
      ],
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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

noun

An ethnic group of China, one of the 55 officially recognized minorities. · A member of the ethnic group.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From the Hanyu Pinyin romanization of the Mandarin 傣 (Dǎi), borrowed from a Tai language. Doublet of Tai and Thai. Compare Thai ไท (tai).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Derivation mention傣cmn
Doublet mentionTaien
Doublet mentionThaien
Cognate mentionไทth

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "cmn-pinyin",
        "3": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Hanyu Pinyin"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "cmn",
        "3": "傣",
        "tr": "Dǎi"
      },
      "expansion": "Mandarin 傣 (Dǎi)"
    },
    {
      "name": "doublet",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "Tai",
        "3": "Thai"
      },
      "expansion": "Doublet of Tai and Thai"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "th",
        "2": "ไท"
      },
      "expansion": "Thai ไท (tai)"
    }
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  "links": [
    [
      "傣",
      "傣#Mandarin"
    ],
    [
      "Tai",
      "Tai"
    ],
    [
      "Tai",
      "Tai#English"
    ],
    [
      "Thai",
      "Thai#English"
    ],
    [
      "ไท",
      "ไท#Thai"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
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      "glosses": [
        "An ethnic group of China, one of the 55 officially recognized minorities.",
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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗

name

A small northern state of ancient China. · Various other kingdoms and princely appenages of imperial China named for the ancient state. · A prefecture of Shanxi under imperial China. · A county of Xinzhou, Shanxi, China.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From the Hanyu Pinyin romanization of the Mandarin 代 (Dài), likely from a presinitic name for the area or its people.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Derivation mention代cmn

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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    },
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      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "cmn",
        "3": "代",
        "tr": "Dài"
      },
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    },
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      "args": {
        "1": "+ (Spring & Autumn)"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
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      "args": {
        "1": "+ Prefecture"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
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      "args": {
        "1": "+ County"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
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      "name": "interproject-box",
      "args": {
        "logo": "Commons-logo.svg",
        "logolink": "commons:Category:Dai County",
        "intro": "Wikimedia Commons has media about",
        "noitalic": "",
        "link": "Dai County"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
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      "args": {
        "1": "Dai County"
      },
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    }
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  "links": [
    [
      "代",
      "代#Mandarin"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "name",
      "glosses": [
        "A small northern state of ancient China.",
        "Various other kingdoms and princely appenages of imperial China named for the ancient state.",
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Source etymology 4

Original entry ↗

name

A surname.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From the Hanyu Pinyin romanization of the Mandarin pronunciation of Chinese 戴 (Dài).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Derivation mention戴zh

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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    },
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      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "cmn",
        "3": "-"
      },
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    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "zh",
        "3": "戴",
        "tr": "Dài"
      },
      "expansion": "Chinese 戴 (Dài)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "戴",
      "戴#Chinese"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "name",
      "glosses": [
        "A surname."
      ],
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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for Dai →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-RGFp