lai
word
Definition
A 'lai' is a short lyrical or narrative poem from medieval France, usually written in verse and often telling stories of love, adventure, or the supernatural.
Usage & Nuances
'Lai' is rarely used in modern English except in academic or literary discussions of medieval poetry. Plural is 'lais'. Not used for contemporary poems.
Spanish: lai (forma poética medieval)Portuguese (BR): lai (forma poética medieval)Portuguese (PT): lai (forma poética medieval)Chinese (Simplified): 抒情短诗 (中古欧洲)Chinese (Traditional): 抒情短詩 (中古歐洲)Hindi: लाई (मध्यकालीन यूरोपीय कविता स्वरूप)Arabic: لاي (شكل شعري أوروبي قديم)Bengali: লাই (মধ্যযুগীয় কবিতা)Russian: лей (средневековая поэма)Japanese: ライ（中世の詩）Vietnamese: lai (thơ bóng trung cổ)Korean: 라이 (중세 시)Turkish: lai (ortaçağ şiiri)Urdu: لائی (قرون وسطی کی نظم)Indonesian: lai (puisi liris abad pertengahan)
Example Sentences
We studied the structure of a lai in literature class.
basic
A lai often tells a story about knights and adventure.
basic
The professor asked us to compare two famous lais from the 12th century.
natural
It’s rare to find a modern poem written as a lai these days.
natural
Some students found the language of the lai difficult to understand.
natural
A medieval poet wrote a lai about true love.
basic