1613 R. Harcourt Relation Voy. Guiana 26 Their Peeaios, (as they call them) Priests, or Southsayers, at some speciall times haue conference with the diuell.

1667 G. Warren Impart. Descr. Surinam 26 Their impostors, or, as they call them, Peeies.

a1712 J. Barbot Descr. N. & S.-Guinea Suppl. ii, in Churchill's Coll. Voy. (1732) V. 553 A Piaye, or doctor among them.

1777 W. Robertson Hist. Amer. I. iv. 391 The Piayas, the..diviners and charmers in other parts of America, were all the physicians of their respective tribes.

1796 J. G. Stedman Narr. Exped. Surinam I. xv. 399 Exorcised by the peii or priest.

1881 W. H. Brett Mission Work Guiana 53 These Piai sorcerers of the aborigines.

1896 Overland Monthly Oct. 177/1 (caption) The Piai of Guiana.

1936 J. Gillin Barama River Caribs of Brit. Guiana 158 When a neophyte completes his training for piai under an established medicine man, his teacher presents him with two stones representing respectively an individual of one of the above classes of spirits and that individual spirit's wife.

1949 A. Métraux in J. H. Steward Handbk. S. Amer. Indians V. 586 The Taino piai, like his colleagues on the mainland, healed the sick, but he also officiated at the Zemi ceremonies for the whole community.

1970 J. Wilbert Folk Lit. Warao Indians 15 285 Wau-uta was a woman in those days, indeed she was a piai woman, and she was just then singing with her shak-shak (rattle).

1882 E. F. Im Thurn in Jrnl. Anthropol. Inst. 366 To explain the system of peaiism.

1881 W. H. Brett Mission Work Guiana 53 I was warned that they were going to piai me, that is to cause sickness or death.

1896 A. Lang Cock Lane 39 We are fortunate in finding an educated observer who submitted to be peaied.

1876 C. B. Brown Brit. Guiana vi. 133 (heading) Karinambo—Vampire bats..Peai-ing—Indian Belief—Indian Warfare.