English

Etymology 1

From Latin ch?, from Ancient Greek (kheî).

Alternative forms

• khi

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ka?/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -a?

Noun

chi (plural chis)

1. The twenty-second letter of the Classical and Modern Greek alphabets.

Translations

Etymology 2

From the Wade-Giles romanization of Mandarin ?/? (qì), from Middle Chinese ? (MC ki^H), from Old Chinese ? (OC *kds, "breath, vapor"). Compare modern Japanese ? (?) (ki), Korean ? (?, gi) and Vietnamese khí (?).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /t?i:/

Noun

chi (usually uncountable, plural chis)

2. (philosophy) A life force in traditional Chinese philosophy, culture, medicine, etc, related (but not limited) to breath and circulation.
   • 2001, Eoin Colfer, Artemis Fowl, Viking Press, page 196:

     He took several deep breaths, finding his chi as Butler had taught him.

Alternative forms

• ki, qi

Translations

See also

Etymology 3

From the pinyin romanization of Mandarin Chinese ? (ch?)

Alternative forms

• chih, ch'ih

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /t/

Noun

chi (usually uncountable, plural chis)

1. The Chinese foot, a traditional Chinese unit of length based on the human forearm.
2. (Mainland China) The Chinese unit of length standardized in 1984 as ¹/₃ of a meter.
3. (Taiwan) The Taiwanese unit of length standardized as ¹⁰/₃₃ of a meter, identical to the Japanese shaku.
4. (Hong Kong) The chek or Hong Kong foot, a unit of length standardized as 0.371475 meters.

Synonyms

• (traditional, mainland): Chinese foot
• (Taiwan): Taiwanese foot
• (Hong Kong): Hong Kong foot, chek

Related terms

• shaku, the equivalent Japanese unit

Anagrams

• CIH, HCI, ICH, Ich, hic, ich

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Atsahuaca

Noun

chi

1. fire

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Chickasaw

Alternative forms

• che

Etymology 1

Pronoun

chi

1. you

Etymology 2

Pronoun

chi

1. my

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Cornish

Pronunciation

• (Revived Middle Cornish) IPA^(key): [t?i:]

Noun

chi m (plural chiow or treven)

1. Alternative form of chy

Mutation

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Esperanto

Particle

chi

1. H-system spelling of ?i

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Garo

Noun

chi

1. water

References

• The Bodos in Assam: a socio-cultural study, year 2005-2006 (2007)

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Guerrero Amuzgo

Noun

chi

1. grandfather

Adverb

chi

1. not

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Italian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [k?i]

• Audio

  (file)

Etymology 1

From Latin quis, from Proto-Indo-European *k?is, *k?os.

Pronoun

chi

1. (interrogative pronoun) who, whom
2. (interrogative pronoun) whoever

Etymology 2

From Latin qu?, from Old Latin quei, from Proto-Italic *k?oi.

Pronoun

chi

1. (relative pronoun) who, whom
2. (relative pronoun) whoever

Noun

chi m or f (invariable)

1. chi (Greek letter)

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Japanese

Romanization

chi

1. R?maji transcription of ?
2. R?maji transcription of ?

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K'iche'

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ti:/

Conjunction

chi

1. and
2. that
3. in

Related terms

• are chi ("in order that")
• chi chawal ("in secret")
• chi ik' ("monthly")
• chi jumul ("once again")
• chi nojimal ("slowly; little by little")
• chi saqil ("in the open; openly")
• libaj chi ("early")
• rajwaxik chi ("to be necessary to")
• taqom chi kaj ("commanded from heaven; sent from heaven")
• -umal chi ("because")
• wuqoj chi paq ("bubble")
• wuqüb chi wuqub ("7x7")

References

• Allen J. Christenson, K'iche-English dictionary

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Ladin

Pronoun

chi

1. who, whoever

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Mandarin

Romanization

chi

1. Nonstandard spelling of ch?.
2. Nonstandard spelling of chí.
3. Nonstandard spelling of ch?.
4. Nonstandard spelling of chì.

Usage notes

• English transcriptions of Mandarin speech often fail to distinguish between the critical tonal differences employed in the Mandarin language, using words such as this one without the appropriate indication of tone.

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Norman

Pronunciation

• Audio (Jersey)

  (file)

Adjective

chi m

1. Alternative form of chièr

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Portuguese

Noun

chi m (plural chis)

1. Alternative form of qi

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Sardinian

Etymology

From Latin quid, from Proto-Italic *k?id, from Proto-Indo-European *k?id.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ki/

Conjunction

chi

1. (Limba Sarda Comuna) that

Pronoun

chi

1. (relative, Limba Sarda Comuna) who, whom, which (nominative and accusative case)

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Vietnamese

Pronunciation

• (Hà N?i) IPA^(key): [ti]
• (Hu?) IPA^(key): [tj]
• (H? Chí Minh City) IPA^(key): [c?j]

Etymology 1

Sino-Vietnamese word from ? ("branch; to spend").

Noun

chi

1. (taxonomy) genus

Derived terms

Verb

chi

1. to spend (money); to pay out; to disburse

Derived terms

Etymology 2

Sino-Vietnamese word from ?.

Noun

chi

1. (formal, anatomy, chiefly zoology) a limb

Derived terms

Etymology 3

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.) Cognate with Muong chi.

Pronoun

chi o (?)

1. (Central Vietnam, literary elsewhere) Synonym of gì

   Mi m?n chi r?a?

   Whatcha doing over there?

   • (Can we date this quote?) "Tình n r?i ?i [Love Comes and Goes]", performed by Thu Th?y:

     Cu?c tình n r?i ?i. Bu?n làm chi nhung nh? làm gì.

     Love comes and goes. Why be sad? Why be tormented by it?

Adverb

chi o (?)

1. (Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) what for

   Làm v?y chi?

   What did you do that for?

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Welsh

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?i:/

Etymology 1

From Middle Welsh chwi, from Proto-Celtic *sw?s (compare Breton c'hwi, Cornish hwi, Old Irish síi), from Proto-Indo-European *wos.

Alternative forms

• chwi (literary)

Pronoun

chi

1. you (plural; polite)

Usage notes

Chi is primarily a feature of Colloquial Welsh. Literary Welsh uses chwi instead. In the singular, chi is a polite form like French vous or German Sie.

Etymology 2

Noun

chi m

1. aspirated form of ci

Mutation

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Yola

Noun

chi

1. A small quantity

References

• J. Poole W. Barnes, A Glossary, with Some Pieces of Verse, of the Old Dialect of the English Colony in the Baronies of Forth and Bargy (1867)