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Aye-aye
Definitions
- 1 Alternative form of aye aye. alt-of, alternative
"“I have a thought that doth annoy my soul,” he may reply. “For teacher tells us all that we should leave the schoolhouse naturally, and furthermore says she is hep that only convicts must keep step, or men who play the soldiers game (which she believes is much the same”). / “Aye-aye, my son,” I said, “proceed.”"
- 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.
"The other of these aberrant forms is the cheiromys, or aye-aye, which, from the peculiar form of its two lower front teeth, has been ranged with the Rodentia. In the general character, however, it is essentially a lemur; […]"
- 2 nocturnal lemur with long bony fingers and rodent-like incisor teeth closely related to the lemurs wordnet
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.
See also for "aye-aye"
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