jai alai

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. a Basque ball game in which the players propel the ball using a long basket attached to the wrist

Pronunciation

/ˈhaɪlaɪ/ /ˈhaɪəlaɪ/ /haɪəˈlaɪ/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-jai alai.wav

Word forms

jai alai

Etymology

From Spanish, from Basque jai (“festival”) + alai (“merry”), coined by 19th century writer Serafín Baroja in order to replace the non-native name pilota. However, although jai alai is composed of Basque words, it is not the name actually used in Basque.

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