English Explanatory Dictionary

aye-aye

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. The lemur Daubentonia madagascariensis, a solitary nocturnal quadruped found in Madagascar and remarkable for their long fingers, sharp nails, and rodent-like incisor teeth.
intj
  1. Alternative form of aye aye.

Pronunciation

/ˈaɪˌaɪ/ en-au-aye-aye.ogg

Word forms

aye-aye aye-ayes ayeaye

Etymology

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.

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