indokra

Maltese

Alternative forms

  • ndokra (chiefly informal, after a vowel)

Etymology

Probably from a variant of Sicilian aducchiari (to have an eye on), derived from occhiu, from Latin oculum (eye). The appropriate form *nducchirari is cited in Maltese literature. Otherwise the incorporation of the Sicilian infinitive ending in the Maltese verb would be unusual.

An alternative suggestion derives it from riguardari (to watch). This would plausibly have been borrowed as *rgorda, but the further development requires several steps of dissimilation and metathesis (e.g. *rgodra → *ngodra → *ndokra), which ultimately makes this derivation unlikely. Aquilina, finally, proposes ndagari (to investigate), which however involves the same problem concerning the -r- as aducchiari and is semantically further off.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ɪnˈdɔːk.ra/

Verb

indokra (imperfect jindokra, past participle indokrat)

  1. to care for, look after
    Synonym: ħa ħsieb
  2. to watch, guard, supervise
    Synonym: ħares

Conjugation

    Conjugation of indokra
singular plural
1st person 2nd person 3rd person 1st person 2nd person 3rd person
perfect m indokrajt indokrajt indokra indokrajna indokrajtu indokraw
f indokrat
imperfect m nindokra tindokra jindokra nindokraw tindokraw jindokraw
f tindokra
imperative indokra indokraw
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