Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A form of popular Algerian music combining traditional Arabic vocal styles with various elements of popular Western music and featuring outspoken, often controversial lyrics.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun Alternative spelling of raï.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Algerian French raï, perhaps from dialectal Arabic (ha er-)ray, (here is the) view (frequently heard in the songs), from Arabic ra’y, view, from ra’ā, to observe; see rℵy in Semitic roots.]

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Examples

  • rai is a fascinating writer readers of English will want more of.

    Esther's Inheritance by Sandor Marai: Book summary 2010

  • rai is in the almost unique position of having attained posthumous best-sellerdom (in country after country) because he distills plot and description to a magic essence of atmosphere, empathy and narrative tension that no European writer has achieved since Joseph Roth.

    Embers: Summary and book reviews of Embers by Sandor Marai. 2001

  • Taken literally, rai translates to "opinion," and Khaled has taken this idea to heart in his music, speaking out to his countrymen with a voice that transcends borders.

    NPR Topics: News 2010

  • ROBERT SIEGEL, host: Khaled is Algeria's best-known singer and a pioneer of the music known as rai, which means opinion in Arabic.

    Khaled: Out Of Exile, Finding 'Liberte' 2009

  • I have tried reading a few signets with the substitution of a value 'rai', 'lai', 'ra' or 'la', and they seem to sound reasonably well for a Linear A word.

    New info on 'lily' 2010

  • Had to agree with him that that is as close to "rai" as one can get here.

    Archive 2008-02-01 2008

  • Din fericire, niciunul dintre mogulii romani "rai" nu m-a abordat, deci ma preocupa doar lucrurile care imi ridica probleme.

    Hotnews.ro 2010

  • Din fericire, niciunul dintre mogulii romani "rai" nu m-a abordat, deci ma preocupa doar lucrurile care imi ridica probleme.

    Hotnews.ro 2010

  • Din fericire, niciunul dintre mogulii romani "rai" nu m-a abordat, deci ma preocupa doar lucrurile care imi ridica probleme.

    Hotnews.ro 2010

  • A family of four people or more typically owns a plot no bigger than five rai which is barely enough to grow rice for the family to consume in a year.

    Bangkokpost.com : Breaking News 2010

Comments

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  • A large disc-shaped stone (up to 12 feet in diameter) with a hole in the middle, historically used as currency on the island of Yap.

    March 9, 2007

  • Wow. What must the malls be like on Saturdays?

    March 9, 2007

  • Not a lot of pickpockets, though.

    March 9, 2007

  • Vending machines?

    March 9, 2007

  • Must be like a lottery ticket payout...you know, that monster check everybody sees on teevee for $80 million zylotys, or, you know, like that?

    March 10, 2007

  • an Algerian music style

    January 19, 2008