haiint.
/hʌɪ/, U.S. /haɪ/ South Asian (chiefly Indian English).
Expressing astonishment, grief, outrage, regret, or pain: ‘Oh no!’ ‘Oh dear!’
ΚΠ
1901 R. Kipling Kim iv, in McClure's Mag. Mar. 463/1 Hai, my son, thou hast never learned all that since thou camest from Belait (Europe).
1936 M. R. Anand Coolie ii. 31 He has gone and relieved himself at the doorstep of my kitchen! Heavens! Just imagine! Eater of his masters! May he die! Hai! Hai!
1961 A. Hosain Sunlight on Broken Column i. xii. 75 He says terrible things have happened, and many people have been killed. ‘Hai!’ wailed Aunt Majida. ‘Allah have mercy!’
1998 K. Desai Hullabaloo in Guava Orchard (1999) v. 42 ‘What! You have lost your job!’‘Hai, hai, this boy is nothing but trouble and misfortune.’
This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, December 2005; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
<
int.1901