# lai

> English word · Noun · IPA /laɪ/ · frequency rank #19,883

## Definitions
1. 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.

## Etymology
From Middle English lai, lay, from Old French lai (“song, lyric, poem”), from Old 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”), Gothic 𐌻𐌰𐌹𐌺𐍃 (laiks, “a dance”), Old English lācan (“to move quickly, fence, sing”). More at lake.

## Easily confused with
- **le** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lai-vs-le)
- **li** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lai-vs-li)
- **Lt** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lai-vs-lt)
- **lo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lai-vs-lo)
- **lb** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lai-vs-lb)
- **LP** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lai-vs-lp)
- **LN** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lai-vs-ln)
- **Ls** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lai-vs-ls)
- **lg** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lai-vs-lg)
- **lu** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lai-vs-lu)
- **LC** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lai-vs-lc)
- **LF** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lai-vs-lf)
- **LV** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lai-vs-lv)
- **LR** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lai-vs-lr)
- **LM** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lai-vs-lm)
- **LJ** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lai-vs-lj)
- **lx** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lai-vs-lx)
- **LZ** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lai-vs-lz)
- **lot** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lai-vs-lot)
- **let** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lai-vs-let)

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/lai