Sai

What does Sai mean?

Sai means ‘lord’ or ‘saint’: it is a devotional name based on an honorific. Wiktionary records the Hindi word and traces it through Prakrit to Sanskrit svāmin, ‘master’. Its use as a given name is associated with figures bearing the title Sai Baba. This distinction separates the older vocabulary from the naming use: the honorific has a documented linguistic history, while the personal name carries a particular devotional context.

Source: Wiktionary, साँई. How we use sources.

Spelling and pronunciation

साँई is the dictionary form, with a nasal opening vowel; साई is a form without that nasal marking. Both can be read approximately saa-ee, with the vowels running together in faster speech. Saai and Sayee are alternative Roman spellings. An English ‘sigh’ reading may obscure the two vowel sounds.

Also spelled Saai, Sayee.

Sai in tradition and story

Sai is associated with Sai Baba of Shirdi and with Sathya Sai Baba of Puttaparthi. The same honorific is used for both figures, so a devotional reference depends on the particular tradition intended.