guay
See also: Guay
Ladino
Alternative forms
Interjection
guay (Hebrew spelling גואי)
- woe!
Derived terms
Spanish
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈɡwai/ [ˈɡwai̯]
- Rhymes: -ai
- Syllabification: guay
Etymology 1
Unknown, maybe related to French gai, Italian gaio, English gay, of Germanic origin, or from Arabic كُوَيِّس (kuwayyis, “good”).
Interjection
guay
Adjective
guay m or f (masculine and feminine plural guay or guais)
Usage notes
- This adjective is most often treated as invariable, with the form guay being used regardless of gender or number; however, the plural form guais is also often found. Hence, “They're very cool” may be expressed either as son muy guay or as son muy guais.
Adverb
guay
Usage notes
- Sometimes expanded to guay del Paraguay or guay de Paraguay.
Etymology 2
Inherited from Old Spanish guay (“woe”), from Latin vae (“woe”) or Gothic 𐍅𐌰𐌹 (wai, “woe”), the latter from Proto-Germanic *wai, both from Proto-Indo-European *wai. Cognate with Portuguese guai, Catalan guai and Italian guai.
Interjection
guay
Further reading
- “guay”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 10 December 2024