ngai

British  

/ əŋˈɡɑːiː /

prefix

1. clan or tribe: used before the names of certain Māori tribes

   Ngai Tahu

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Etymology

Origin of ngai

Māori

Example Sentences

Tei te ngai mangúngú—anga no te an ngaru roro'a Ki rúnga no te púnga matoato'a Ngàru kerekere, ngáru mamaáta e tini Ki rúnga no te 'Akau-Pipíni.

From Bees in Amber A Little Book of Thoughtful Verse by Oxenham, John

Wawp' yinu ngai purteiunaige = I did not eat your fish.

From Narrative of the Voyage of H.M.S. Rattlesnake, Commanded By the Late Captain Owen Stanley, R.N., F.R.S. Etc. During the Years 1846-1850. Including Discoveries and Surveys in New Guinea, the Louisiade Archipelago, Etc. to Which Is Added the Account of Mr. E.B. Kennedy's Expedition for the Exploration of the Cape York Peninsula. By John Macgillivray, F.R.G.S. Naturalist to the Expedition. — Volume 2 by MacGillivray, John

The tu, of course, is non-radical, the Gudang form being ngai.

From Narrative of the Voyage of H.M.S. Rattlesnake, Commanded By the Late Captain Owen Stanley, R.N., F.R.S. Etc. During the Years 1846-1850. Including Discoveries and Surveys in New Guinea, the Louisiade Archipelago, Etc. to Which Is Added the Account of Mr. E.B. Kennedy's Expedition for the Exploration of the Cape York Peninsula. By John Macgillivray, F.R.G.S. Naturalist to the Expedition. — Volume 2 by MacGillivray, John

The italicized letters in the French mon galant = nga; mon gaillard = ngai; son gosier = ngo. p as in English. p’ The Irish pronunciation of party, parliament.

From Myths and Legends of China by Werner, E. T. C. (Edward Theodore Chalmers)

Wawp' yinu ngai purteipakaige = I shall not eat your fish.

From Narrative of the Voyage of H.M.S. Rattlesnake, Commanded By the Late Captain Owen Stanley, R.N., F.R.S. Etc. During the Years 1846-1850. Including Discoveries and Surveys in New Guinea, the Louisiade Archipelago, Etc. to Which Is Added the Account of Mr. E.B. Kennedy's Expedition for the Exploration of the Cape York Peninsula. By John Macgillivray, F.R.G.S. Naturalist to the Expedition. — Volume 2 by MacGillivray, John