Meaning of inay

prep. instead of

n. 1. short for Nánay mother. Háin man si inay mu (ang ímung inay)? Where’s your mother? 2. exclamation expressing great emotion. Inay, bitin, Mama! A snake! -an n. mother hen or mother of other kind of fowl; v. raise a mother bird.

instead of (doing so-and-so). Inay magtuun nagpúnay man hinúug liguy, Instead of studying he was always truant.

I don’t know. Inay diin kahà nákù tu ikabutang ang lápis, I don’t know where I must have put the pencil.