aye-aye
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aye-aye¹
- /ˈaɪˌaɪ/
Rhymes with -aɪaɪ
Where it comes from
From French aye-aye, from Malagasy aiay (also ahay, haihay or hay-hay in dialect), supposedly imitative of the animal's cry. However, this is doubted by Simons and Myers (2001) who note that the animal does not emit such a sound. They suggest a derivation from Malagasy heh heh (“I don't know”), used by the Malagasy people to avoid naming the animal, which they fear.
noun aye-ayes · ayeaye
- The lemur Daubentonia madagascariensis, a solitary nocturnal quadruped found in Madagascar and remarkable for their long fingers, sharp nails, and rodent-like incisor teeth. The other of these aberrant forms is the cheiromys, or aye-aye, which, from the peculiar form of its two lower front teeth, has been ranged with the Rodentia. In the general character, however, it is essentially a lemur; […]
aye-aye²
interjection
- Alternative form of aye aye “I have a thought that doth annoy my soul,” he may reply. “For teacher tells us all that we should leave the schoolhouse naturally, and furthermore says she is hep that only convicts must keep step, or men who play the soldiers game (which she believes is much the same”). / “Aye-aye, my son,” I said
Translations
Every language
noun nocturnal quadruped
| 한국어 | 아이아이 aiai |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | アイアイ aiai, 指猿 yubizaru |
| 中文 | 指猴 zhǐhóu |
| Português | aie-aie |
| Français | aye-aye |
| Deutsch | Aye-Aye, Fingertier |
| Italiano | aié-aié, aye-aye, chiromio |
| Ελληνικά | άι-άι ái-ái |
| Română | ai, aye-aye |
| Русский | ай-а́й aj-áj, руконо́жка rukonóžka |
| Tiếng Việt | khỉ aye-aye |
| العربية | آيْآي ʔāyʔāy |
| עברית | איי איי 'ay-'ay |
Talk about this word "aye-aye." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/aye-aye. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. aye-aye. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/aye-aye "aye-aye." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/aye-aye.Cite this
@misc{aye_aye_2026,
title = {aye-aye},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/aye-aye},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
