Yoruba

Proper noun

Ayo

1. A male given name.
2. A surname​.

English

Interjection

ayo

1. (African American Vernacular, informal) A greeting.
   • 2004, Michael Daniel Baptiste, Cracked Dreams, page 73:

     "Ayo, Red. It's the homie Spits on the jack for you, blood." "Ayo, homeboy," said Red as he excitedly picked up the telephone receiver. "What's up, fool?"

   • 2007, Reginald L. Hall, In Love with a Thug, page 38:

     “Ayo, wassup, girl,” he said to Keisha as he continued to walk toward the back area where I stood. ... “Ayo, wassup, playa?

   • 2007, Tony J. Ward, Jr., I've Got to Make It to Heaven for Going Through ****: Part 1, page 39:

     Ayo Toine, you think they'd put me down?

   • 2007, Nikki Turner, Christmas in the Hood, page 289:

     "Ayo, fam, you a'ight down there?" Victorious's cell mate asked.

   • 2008, Treasure Hernandez, Resurrection, page 106:

     "Ayo, ma, where you going?" a dude asked her as she walked by him.

   • 2008, Ashley JaQuavis, The Trophy Wife, page 103:

     "Ayo, Kalil!" a man's voice said from amidst the crowd. Kalil looked up and saw his lil' man, Peanut, distributing packets of heroin and taking money from the fiends.

   • 2010, R Green Damon, Somethin' to Think about, page 197:

     "Ayo, Cee, listen to this **** here," said Matt, passing him his cell.

Synonyms

• (greeting): hey, hi, yo

Etymology 2

From Yoruba

Noun

ayo

1. (West African English) A strategy game.

Synonyms

• (strategy game): oware, awari

See also

• Oware on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Classical Nahuatl

Noun

ayo ‎(inanimate)

1. Obsolete spelling of āyoh

Hiligaynon

Noun

ayô

1. a pet name
2. bargain, discount

Verb

ayô

1. to ask or request

Indonesian

Interjection

ayo

1. come on!

Portuguese

Noun

ayo m (plural ayos, feminine aya, feminine plural ayas)

1. Obsolete spelling of aio

Spanish

Etymology

From the hypothetical Gothic word *𐌷𐌰𐌲𐌾𐌰 ‎(hagja).

Noun

ayo m ‎(plural ayos)

1. Person who takes care of children; tutor

Related terms

• aya f

Yoruba

Noun

ayo

1. joy

Yurumanguí

Noun

ayo

1. river

References

• Prehistoria: Lenguas y dialectos indigenas de Colombia (Luis Duque Gómez, ‎Sergio Elías Ortiz, 1965), citing Romero's wordlist