Etymology

lai lai

Today it means: An exclamation to express encouragement, or to precede a request. Full definition →

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The story

Borrowed from Mandarin or Hokkien. Reduplication of 來 /来, Mandarin 來/来 (lái) or Hokkien 來/来 (lâi).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.