ei

See also: Appendix:Variations of "ei"

Catalan

Interjection

ei

1. hey (exclamation to get attention)

Further reading

• “ei” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “ei” in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana.

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Classical Nahuatl

Numeral

ei

1. Obsolete spelling of ēyi

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Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch ei, from Old Dutch *ei, from Proto-West Germanic *aij, from Proto-Germanic *ajją, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ōwyóm.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɛi̯/

• audio (Belgium)

  (file)

• Hyphenation: ei
• Rhymes: -ɛi̯
• Homophone: IJ

Noun

ei n (plural eieren, diminutive eitje n)

1. egg

   Een of ander insect heeft hier eitjes gelegd.

   A certain insect has laid eggs here.

   Wie heeft deze eieren gekookt? ― Who boiled these eggs?

Derived terms

• dat is het hele eiereneten
• eendenei
• eicel
• eidooier
• eierbal
• eierdop
• eieren voor zijn geld kiezen
• eierkoek
• eierkool
• eierlanding
• eiermuts
• eiersalade
• eierstok
• eigeel
• eisprong
• ei van Columbus
• eivorm
• eivormig
• eiwit
• kievitsei
• kippenei
• koek en ei
• op eieren lopen
• paasei
• struisvogelei
• van die boer geen eieren
• voor een appel en een ei

 

Descendants

• Afrikaans: eier
• Berbice Creole Dutch: airi
• Jersey Dutch: āi
• Negerhollands: ee, eiu, eyu, eju

Anagrams

• ie

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Estonian

Etymology

From the Proto-Finno-Ugric negative verb stem *e- ~ *ä- ~ *a-. Cognates include Finnish ei and Northern Sami ii.

Adverb

ei

1. no (a negating expression)

Antonyms

• jaa
• jah
• küll

Verb

ei

1. (auxiliary verb) don't, doesn't, not: used in negative forms of non-imperative verbs. Ma ei tea. I don't know. (Compare: Ma tean. I know.)

Usage notes

The verb follows the word ei.

In the present tense indicative, the form of the verb coincides with the imperative of the second person singular. In past tenses indicative, the form of the verb is personal past participle. In the conditional mood, the form of the verb coincides with third person singular conditional in the present tense or the past tense. In the indirect mood, the form of the verb is the indirect form.

Derived terms

• eitama

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Faroese

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ai]

Adverb

ei

1. not

Synonyms

• ikki

Derived terms

• ei og ikki - as well as, both ... and
• grát ei - do not weep (song title by Eivør Pálsdóttir, 2007)

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Finnish

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *e-, from Proto-Uralic *e- ~ *ä- ~ *a- (negative verb stem). Cognates include Estonian ei, Karelian ei, Livonian ä’b, Veps ei, Northern Sami ii, Skolt Sami ij, Erzya а-, ай- (a-, aj-), Eastern Mari ы- (y-), Udmurt у- (u-), Komi-Zyrian о- (o-), Mansi [script needed] (ä-), Forest Enets [Term?] (i-) and Selkup [script needed] (i-), [script needed] (e-).

Noteworthy forms include eivät (pro earlier evät, reformed after ei). For more forms, see the Proto-Finnic and Proto-Uralic pages. Not related to Swedish ej, Icelandic ei, Old Norse eigi, despite the similarity; the Finnic and Norse terms are false cognates.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈei̯/, [ˈe̞i̯]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ei
• Syllabification: ei

Interjection

ei

1. no (a negating expression)

Antonyms

• kyllä

Verb

ei

1. The third-person singular form of the negative verb (negation verb), used also with impersonal verb forms (see the usage in passive below). The English translations include don’t, doesn’t, not (with auxiliary verbs and be), and no.

Usage notes

• The negation verb is used with the connegative form of the main verb. That form is identical to the second-person singular imperative in the indicative present. The potential mood connegative ends in the marker for the mood, -ne-, and the conditional mood connegative ends in the marker for the mood, -isi-. In the indicative past, conditional past and potential past, the active past participle singular (ending -ut/-yt) is used. The connegative form of the main verb is always used without the personal suffix.

• Usage of ei in active:

• Indicative:

• Hän näkee. (She/He sees.) → Hän ei näe. (She/He does not see.)
• Hän näki. (She/He saw.) → Hän ei nähnyt. (She/He did not see.)
• Hän on nähnyt. (She/He has seen.) → Hän ei ole nähnyt. (She/He has not seen.)
• Hän oli nähnyt. (She/He had seen.) → Hän ei ollut nähnyt. (She/He had not seen.)

• Conditional:

• Hän näkisi. (She/He would see.) → Hän ei näkisi. (She/He would not see.)
• Hän olisi nähnyt. (She/He would have seen.) → Hän ei olisi nähnyt. (She/He would not have seen.)

• Potential:

• Hän nähnee. (She/He probably sees.) → Hän ei nähne. (She/He probably does not see.)
• Hän lienee nähnyt. (She/He has probably seen.) → Hän ei liene nähnyt. (She/He has probably not seen.)

• The passive is construed with ei and by dropping the two last letters (indicative -an / -än, conditional -in, potential -en) from the impersonal verb form. In the past of all the three moods, ei is used with the passive past participle singular (ending -tu / -ty):

• Usage of ei in passive (i.e., in sentences where the impersonal verb form is used):

• Indicative:

• Hänet/Minut/Meidät nähdään. (S/he is / I am / We are seen.) → Häntä/Minua/Meitä ei nähdä. (S/he is / I am / We are not seen.)
• Hänet/Minut/Meidät nähtiin. (S/he was / I was / We were seen.) → Häntä/Minua/Meitä ei nähty. (S/he was / I was / We were not seen.)
• Hänet/Minut/Meidät on nähty. (S/he has / I have / We have been seen.) → Häntä/Minua/Meitä ei ole nähty. (S/He has / I have / We have not been seen.)
• Hänet/Minut/Meidät oli nähty. (S/he / I / We had been seen.) → Häntä/Minua/Meitä ei ollut nähty. (S/he / I / We had not been seen.)

• Conditional:

• Hänet/Minut/Meidät nähtäisiin. (S/he / I / We would be seen.) → Häntä/Minua/Meitä ei nähtäisi. (S/he / I / We would not be seen.)
• Hänet/Minut/Meidät olisi nähty. (S/he / I / We would have been seen.) → Häntä/Minua/Meitä ei olisi nähty. (S/he / I / We would not have been seen.)

• Potential:

• Hänet/Minut/Meidät nähtäneen. (S/he is / I am / We are probably seen.) → Häntä/Minua/Meitä ei nähtäne. (S/he is / I am / We are probably not seen.)
• Hänet/Minut/Meidät lienee nähty. (S/he has / I have / We have probably been seen.) → Häntä/Minua/Meitä ei liene nähty. (S/he has / I have / We have probably not been seen.)

• Note that the accusative objects (e.g. minut, sinut, hänet, meidät, teidät, heidät), the genitive-looking accusative objects singular (talon, kissan, koiran) and the nominative-looking accusative objects plural (talot, kissat, koirat) are never used in a sentence together with the negative verb – in these cases, the partitive is used:

• Hän näkee koiran (accusative). (S/he sees a dog.) → Hän ei näe koiraa (partitive). (S/he does not see a dog.)
• Hän näkee naiset (accusative). (S/he sees the women.) → Hän ei näe naisia (partitive). (S/he does not see women/the women)

Conjugation

• The negation verb has no infinitive form.
• Indicative, conditional and potential moods use the indicative forms (stem e-), for which the verb is conjugated only in person.
• In the imperative mood the negation verb has the stem äl-.
• An archaic optative mood exists and is used mainly in poetry.

person	indicative mood	imperative mood	optative mood
1st sing.	en	(älkääni, älkäämi)	(ällön)
2nd sing.	et	älä	(ällös)
3rd sing.	ei	älköön	(älköön)
1st plur.	emme	älkäämme	(älköömme)
2nd plur.	ette	älkää	(älköötte)
3rd plur.	eivät	älkööt	(älkööt)

Derived terms

• eih
• eittämättä

Related terms

• epä-
• evätä

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Galician

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈej]

Interjection

ei

1. gee up

   Synonym: arre

   Antonym: xo

2. hey

   Synonyms: eh, oi

References

• “ei” in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega, SLI - ILGA 2006–2013.
• “ei” in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega. Santiago: ILG.
• “ei” in Álvarez, Rosario (coord.): Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués, Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega.

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Gothic

Romanization

ei

1. Romanization of 𐌴𐌹

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Icelandic

Etymology 1

From Old Norse ei. A clipping of eigi, from Proto-Germanic *ni aiw-gin (“never”), from *ne, *ni (“not”) + *aiw (“always, for ever”) + *-gin. Not related to Finnish ei (“no”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈeiː/
• Rhymes: -eiː
• Homophones: ey, Ey

Adverb

ei

1. (archaic, poetic) not

   Örvæntið ei!

   Despair not!

   Ég veit ei hvað skal segja.

   I know not what to say.

Synonyms

• (not): eigi, ekki

Derived terms

• eður ei
• gleym-mér-ei

Etymology 2

See e.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɛːɪ/
• Rhymes: -ɛːɪ

Noun

ei

1. dative singular indefinite of e

References

• “ei” and “eigi” in: 

Ásgeir Blöndal Magnússon — Íslensk orðsifjabók, 1st edition, 2nd printing (1989). Reykjavík, Orðabók Háskólans.

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Ingrian

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *e-, from the Proto-Uralic *e-. Cognates include Finnish ei and Estonian ei.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈei̯/
• Hyphenation: ei

Verb

ei

1. not
   • 1936, N. A. Iljin and V. I. Junus, Bukvari iƶoroin șkouluja vart, Leningrad: Riikin Ucebno-pedagogiceskoi Izdateljstva, page 63:

     Linnuil ono nälkä, evät rooka saa.

     The cities are hungry, they don't get food.

Conjugation

Inflection of ei
	indicative	imperative
1st singular	en	-
2nd singular	et	elä
3rd singular	ei	elkää
1st plural	emmä	-
2nd plural	että	elkää
3rd plural	evät	elkäässe

References

• V. I. Junus (1936) Iƶoran Keelen Grammatikka‎^[1], Leningrad: Riikin Ucebno-pedagogiceskoi Izdateljstva, page 128
• Ruben E. Nirvi (1971) Inkeroismurteiden Sanakirja, Helsinki: Suomalais-Ugrilainen Seura, page 29
• Olga I. Konkova; Nikita A. Dyachkov (2014) Inkeroin Keel: Пособие по Ижорскому Языку‎^[2], →ISBN, page 15

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Italian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈej/
• Rhymes: -ej
• Hyphenation: éi

Etymology 1

Syncopated form of elli (“he”), from Vulgar Latin *illi, from Latin ille (“that”).

Pronoun

ei m

1. (poetic, archaic, after the verb) Alternative form of elli

Etymology 2

Syncopated form of elli (“they”), from Latin illī (“those”).

Pronoun

ei m pl

1. (archaic) Alternative form of elli

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Japanese

Romanization

ei

1. Rōmaji transcription of えい

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Karelian

Verb

ei

1. (does) not

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Kott

Etymology 1

From Proto-Yeniseian *ʔej- ("pine"). Compare Arin aja (“pine”).

Noun

ei (plural en)

1. pine tree

Etymology 2

From Proto-Yeniseian *ʔej ("tongue"). Compare Pumpokol aj (“tongue”).

Noun

ei (plural ējaŋ)

1. voice, sound

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Latin

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ei̯/, [ɛi̯]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ei̯/, [ɛi̯]

Interjection

ei

1. Alternative form of hei (“expression of grief or fear”)

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈe.iː/, [ˈeiː]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈe.i/, [ˈɛːi]

Pronoun

eī

1. inflection of is:
   1. dative masculine/feminine/neuter singular
   2. nominative masculine plural

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Latvian

Interjection

ei

1. used to stimulate somebody's attention
2. used to express pleasure, surprise or admiration

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Limburgish

Etymology

From Middle Dutch ei, from Old Dutch *ei, from Proto-West Germanic *aij, from Proto-Germanic *ajją, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ōwyóm.

Noun

ei n

1. egg

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Livvi

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *ei. Cognates include Finnish ei and Estonian ei.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈei̯/
• Hyphenation: ei
• Rhymes: -ei̯

Verb

ei

1. not

Conjugation

Inflection of ei
	indicative	imperative
1st singular	en	-
2nd singular	et	älä
3rd singular	ei	älgäh
1st plural	emmo	älgiämmö
2nd plural	etto	älgiä
3rd plural	ei	äldähes

References

• N. Gilojeva; S. Rudakova (2009) Karjalan kielen Livvin murdehen algukursu [Beginners' course of Karelian language's Livvi dialect] (in Livvi), Petrozavodsk, →ISBN, page 20
• Tatjana Boiko (2019), “ei”, in Suuri Karjal-Venʹalaine Sanakniigu (livvin murreh) [The Big Karelian-Russian dictionary (Livvi dialect)], 2nd edition, →ISBN, page 38

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Malasanga

Noun

ei

1. fire

Further reading

• Malcolm Ross, Proto Oceanic and the Austronesian Languages of Western Melanesia, Pacific Linguistics, series C-98 (1988)

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Mandarin

Romanization

ei

1. Nonstandard spelling of ēi.
2. Nonstandard spelling of ěi.
3. Nonstandard spelling of èi.

Usage notes

• English transcriptions of Mandarin speech often fail to distinguish between the critical tonal differences employed in the Mandarin language, using words such as this one without the appropriate indication of tone.

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Middle Dutch

Etymology

From Old Dutch *ei, from Proto-West Germanic *aij, from Proto-Germanic *ajją, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ōwyóm.

Noun

ei n

1. egg

Inflection

This noun needs an inflection-table template.

Descendants

• Dutch: ei
  • Afrikaans: eier
  • Berbice Creole Dutch: airi
  • Jersey Dutch: āi
  • Negerhollands: ee, eiu, eyu, eju
• Limburgish: ei

Further reading

• “ei”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
• Verwijs, E.; Verdam, J. (1885–1929), “ei”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN

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Middle English

Alternative forms

• æȝe, aye, ey

Etymology

From Old English ǣġ, from Proto-West Germanic *aij, from Proto-Germanic *ajją, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ōwyóm. Cognate to Middle Dutch ei.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɛi/

Noun

ei (plural eire or eiren)

1. An egg, especially of a chicken or other fowl.

Synonyms

• egge

Descendants

• English: ey

References

• “ei, n.(1).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-02-23.

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Murui Huitoto

Etymology

From Proto-Huitoto-Ocaina *ḗʔī-.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈɛi̯]
• Hyphenation: ei

Root

ei

1. mother

Derived terms

• eiño

Noun

ei

1. vocative of eiño (“mother”)

Noun

ei

1. Synonym of eiño (“mother”)

Coordinate terms

• moo

References

• Shirley Burtch (1983) Diccionario Huitoto Murui (Tomo I) (Linguistica Peruana No. 20)‎^[3] (in Spanish), Yarinacocha, Peru: Instituto Lingüístico de Verano, page 75
• Katarzyna Izabela Wojtylak (2017) A grammar of Murui (Bue): a Witotoan language of Northwest Amazonia.‎^[4], Townsville: James Cook University press (PhD thesis), page 125

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Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Old Norse einn.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɛj/, [æɪ̯]

Article

ei

1. feminine singular of en

Pronoun

ei

1. feminine singular of en

Adverb

ei

1. (archaic) not

Synonyms

• (not): ikke

Verb

ei

1. imperative of eie

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Norwegian Nynorsk

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /æɪ̯/ (example of pronunciation) (example of pronunciation)

Etymology 1

From Old Norse einn.

Article

ei f (masculine ein, neuter eit)

1. a, an (indefinite article)

   Ei ny bok.

   A new book.

Pronoun

ei

1. feminine singular of ein

Etymology 2

From Middle Norwegian eigh, from Old Norse eigi.

Adverb

ei

1. not

   Synonyms: ikkje, kje

References

• “ei” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.
• “ei”, in Norsk Ordbok: ordbok over det norske folkemålet og det nynorske skriftmålet, Oslo: Samlaget, 1950-2016

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Old High German

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *aij, from Proto-Germanic *ajją, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ōwyóm. Akin to Old English ǣġ, Old Norse egg.

Further Indo-European cognates include Latin ōvum and Ancient Greek ᾠόν (ōión)

Noun

ei n

1. (zoology) an egg

Descendants

• Middle High German: ei
  • Alemannic German:

    Swabian: Oi

  • Bavarian: Oa

    Mòcheno: oi

  • German: Ei
  • Luxembourgish: Ee
  • Vilamovian: e
  • Yiddish: איי‎ (ey)

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Old Portuguese

Alternative forms

• ex
• ey

Etymology

Uncertain.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈej/

Adverb

ei

1. here is, here are
   • 13th century C.E., Alfonso X of Castile, Cantigas de Santa Maria, , E codex, cantiga 147 (facsimile):

     eimeaca eimaca

     «ei-me aca; ei-m'aca!»

     "Here I am, here I am!"

Descendants

• Portuguese: ei, eis

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Old Saxon

Alternative forms

• eig, egg

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *aij, from Proto-Germanic *ajją, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ōwyóm.

Noun

ei n

1. egg

Descendants

• Middle Low German: ei, egg, eig
  • Low German:
    • German Low German: Ei

      Westphalian:

      Lippisch: Egg

      Märkisch: Ägg

      Ravensbergisch: Åich

      Sauerländisch: Ai

      Westmünsterländisch: Äi

    • Plautdietsch: Ei

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Papiamentu

Etymology

From Portuguese eis.

Pronoun

ei

1. there

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Portuguese

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Brazil) /ˈej/, [ˈeɪ̯]

 

• IPA^(key): (Portugal) /ˈɐj/, [ˈɐɪ̯]

• IPA^(key): (Lisbon) /ˈɐj/, [ˈɐɪ̯]
• IPA^(key): (non-Lisbon Portugal) /ˈej/, [ˈeɪ̯]

Etymology 1

Adverb

ei (not comparable)

1. Apocopic form of eis; used preceding the pronouns lo, la, los or las

Etymology 2

Interjection

ei

1. hey (exclamation to get attention)

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Romanian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /jej/

• Audio

  (file)

Etymology 1

From Latin illī, nominative masculine plural of ille.

Pronoun

ei m pl (third-person plural, feminine equivalent ele)

1. (nominative form) they (used for an all-male or mixed-sex group)

Declension

Nominative
ei
Accusative
stressed		unstressed
ei		îi
Genitive
one form for all numbers and genders
lor
Dative
stressed		unstressed
lor		le
Reflexive
Accusative		Dative
stressed	unstressed	stressed	unstressed
sine	se	sieși	își

Synonyms

• dumnealor (polite form)

Pronoun

ei m (stressed accusative form of ei)

1. (direct object, preceded by preposition, such as "pe", "cu", "la", or "pentru") them (all-male or mixed-sex group)

Related terms

• el (third-person masculine singular)
• ea (third-person feminine singular)
• ele (third-person feminine plural)

See also

Romanian personal pronouns

		singular	plural
1st person		eu	noi
2nd person	plain	tu	voi
	semi-polite	dumneata	dumneavoastră
	polite	dumneavoastră
3rd person familiar	m	el	ei
	f	ea	ele
3rd person polite	m	dumnealui	dumnealor
	f	dumneaei

Etymology 2

From Vulgar Latin *illaei, from Latin illa, from ille.

Pronoun

ei f (genitive form of ea, masculine equivalent lui, plural lor)

1. her

   Ai cartea ei?

   Do you have her book?

Declension

declension of ei

		singular			plural
		masculine	neuter	feminine	masculine	neuter	feminine
nominative/ accusative	indefinite	ei		ei	ei	ei
	definite	—		—	—	—
genitive/ dative	indefinite	ei		ei	ei	ei
	definite	—		—	—	—

Synonyms

• său

Pronoun

ei f (stressed dative form of ea, masculine equivalent lui, plural lor)

1. to her

Synonyms

• îi (unstressed form)

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Sabu

ei

Etymology

From Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ.

Noun

ei

1. water (clear liquid H₂O)

References

• ABVD
• Comparative Austronesian Dictionary

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Scots

Noun

ei (plural een)

1. (South Scots) an eye.

Pronoun

ei

1. (South Scots, personal) he (alternative form of hei)

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Veps

Etymology

Cognate with Finnish ei.

Verb

ei

1. not; expresses negation.

Inflection

Inflection of ei
	indicative	imperative
1st singular	en	—
2nd singular	ed	ala
3rd singular	ei	algha
1st plural	em	algam
2nd plural	et	algat
3rd plural	ei	algha

References

• Zajceva, N. G.; Mullonen, M. I. (2007), “не, ни”, in Uz’ venä-vepsläine vajehnik / Novyj russko-vepsskij slovarʹ [New Russian–Veps Dictionary], Petrozavodsk: Periodika

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Welsh

Etymology 1

From Proto-Celtic *esyo m and *esyās f; compare Old Irish a (“his, her, its, their”) and Sanskrit अस्य (asyá, “his, its”) and अस्यास् (asyā́s, “her”).

Alternative forms

• ’i (after vowels)
• ’w (after i)

Pronunciation

• (standard) IPA^(key): /ei̯/
  • (colloquial) IPA^(key): /iː/, /ɪ/
• Homophone: eu

Determiner

ei (triggers soft mutation of following word)

1. his, its

   Dw i’n gweld ei dŷ e.

   I see his house.

2. him, it (as object of a verbal noun)
   • 18th century, Wil Hopcyn, “Bugeilio’r gwenith gwyn”:

     Myfi’n bugeilio’r gwenith gwyn,
     Ac arall yn ei fedi.

     Me watching the white wheat,
     And another reaping it.

Usage notes

e or o often follows the noun when it ends in a consonant and either fe or fo follows when it ends in a vowel.

Determiner

ei (triggers aspirate mutation or h-prosthesis of following word)

1. her, its

   Dw i’n gweld ei thŷ hi.

   I see her house.

2. her, it (as object of a verbal noun)

Usage notes

hi often follows the noun.

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ei̯/

Verb

ei

1. second-person singular future of mynd (also present tense in the literary language)

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Zou

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /əi̯˧/

Pronoun

ei

1. we (exclusive)

Synonyms

• key

References

• Lukram Himmat Singh (2013) A Descriptive Grammar of Zou, Canchipur: Manipur University, page 40