lai

Meaning

Noun

a mostly North European medieval form of lyrical, narrative poem written in octosyllabic couplets that often deals with tales of adventure and romance., with stanzas that do not repeat

Adj

1. (archaic) lay (not clerical)
2. Still used in the terms frère lai, sœur laie, which see.

Concepts

laic

nonclerical

Synonyms

laïc

laïque

béotien

ignorant

lai narratif

lai lyrique

Translations

λαϊκός

leken-

leigo

laienhaft

wereldlijk

Lai

rahip olmayan

nicht fachmännisch

Pronounced as (IPA)

/lɛ/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle French: lai

Inherited from Old French: lai

Cognate with Old High German: leih

Cognate with Middle High German: leich

Cognate with Old English: lācan

Cognate with Old Irish: laíd

Inherited from Latin: lāicus

In summary

Inherited from Middle French lai, from Old French lai (“song, lyric, poem”), from Frankish *laik, *laih (“play, melody, song”), from Proto-Germanic *laikaz, *laikiz (“jump, play, dance, hymn”), from Proto-Indo-European *leyg- (“to jump, spring, play”). Akin to Old High German leih (“a play, skit, melody, song”), Middle High German leich (“piece of music, epic song played on a harp”), Old English lācan (“to move quickly, fence, sing”). More at lake. Alternatively from Celtic; compare Old Irish loíd (“poem”).