Where does “vai” come from?

vai (Latvian) comes from Estonian väi, from Proto-Finnic vävü, from Proto-Uralic wäŋew — son-in-law.

vai (Latvian): or; or, or else.; whether, if

Definitions

  1. or; or, or else.; whether, if

Ancestry of “vai”, step by step

vai traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Estonian väi

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Estonianväison-in-law
2Proto-Finnicvävüson-in-law
3Proto-Uralicwäŋewson-in-law

via Livonian vȯi

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Livonianvȯinetting-needle
Every word from Proto-Uralic wäŋew →Every word from Proto-Finnic vävü →Every word from Estonian väi →