Re: aye aye, Sir - today


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Posted by John Nichols on June 28, 2004 at 13:54:36 from 165.91.196.181 user Mcneacail.

In Reply to: Re: aye aye, Sir - today posted by Ian E-N on June 28, 2004 at 11:06:44:

aye-aye
Zool.

(aa) [a. F. aye-aye, a. Malagasy ai´ay´ (also dialectally ahay, haihay) ‘supposed to receive its name from its peculiar cry,’ Richardson Malagasy Dict.]

A quadrumanous animal (Cheiromys Madagascariensis), nocturnal, squirrel-like, of the size of a cat, found only in Madagascar, where it was first noticed by Sonnerat, c 1775; it is classed with the Lemurs, but in many points approaches the Rodentia.

1781 1862
1827


1781 PENNANT Quadrupeds (1792) II. 138 Aye-Aye S[quirrel], with broad ears..Inhabits Madagascar..takes its name from its cry. 1827 GRIFFITH Cuvier's Anim. K. III. 86 But one species of the Aye-Aye is known. 1862 Lond. Rev. 30 Aug. 198 The most interesting of recent acquisitions of the Zoological Society, is the Aye-Aye of Madagascar.

aye

(e) Forms: 3 a, 3-4 ai, 5 ei, aey, 6 aie, 4- aye, 3- ay. [Early ME. a, ai, ei: a. ON. ei, ey, cogn. with OE. á (:*áw), ME. o, oo, OS. eo, OHG. eo, io, MHG. ie, mod.G. je, Goth. aiw, acc. of aiws ‘age, eternity’:OTeut. *aiwo-z, cogn. w. L. ævu-m. Cf. Gr. , ‘ever,’ and - ‘age.’ Preceded in Eng. by the native á, ó, which also continued for several centuries as the southern form: the two were combined in the phrase ‘for ay and oo.’ Except in poetry, ay is still northern. The spelling fluctuates between ay and aye: the former is preferable on grounds of etymology, phonology, and analogy. The word rimes, in the literary speech, and in all the dialects, with the group bay, day, gay, hay, may, way. On the other hand, aye ‘yes’ does not rime with these, and should not be written ay. See AYE.]

1. a. Ever, always, continually; b. at all times, on all occasions. (Now only in Sc. and north. dial.)

c1250
c1220
c1200 c1386 1450
c1440
a1440
c1400 1562
1509 1605 1790
1724 1826


c1200 ORMIN 3212 Hiss drinnch wass waterr a occ a. c1220 Hali Meid. 21 Ah schulen weimeres lead ai mare in helle. c1250 Gen. & Ex. 5 Luuen god and seruen him ay. c1386 CHAUCER Monk's T. 197 An ydolaster was he ay. c1400 Apol. Loll. 27 He do ai o ingis at plesun God. a1440 Sir Degrev. 40 He bare the pryes aey. c1440 Sir Gowther (1883) 260 Hyt hong ei be his syde. 1450 MYRC 452 The ioye at laste ay. 1509 BARCLAY Ship of Fooles (1570) 210 Flatterers ay speake fayrest when they lye. 1562 LEIGH Armorie Prel., But from the light aie shrowds her selfe aside. 1605 SHAKES. Macb. IV. i. 134 Let this pernitious houre Stand aye accursed in the Kalender! 1724 A. RAMSAY Tea-T. Misc. (1733) I. 3 Its sweets I'll ay remember. 1790 BURNS Tam O'Shanter, And ay the ale was growing better. 1826 J. WILSON Noct. Ambr. Wks. 1855 I. 252 They aye behaved generously to me.

OED does not have aye aye.

JOhn


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