صمنديقة

Gulf Arabic

Alternative forms

• سمنديقة (samandēga)

Etymology

From Hindi सामान (sāmān, “luggage, goods, stuff, things”) +‎ देख (dekh, “wathces, keeps an eye on”). Said of the person who had nothing to do but guard and keep an eye on the merchandise as it was loaded in ships in the past, and thus semantically developed to its current sense.

Pronunciation

• (Kuwait) IPA^(key): /sˤəˈməndeːɡə/, (construct state) /sˤəˈməndeːɡət/

Noun

صَمَنْديقة • (ṣamandēga) m or f (dual صَمَنْديقْتين (ṣamandēgtēn), plural صَمَنْديقات (ṣamandēgāt))

1. (mildly derogatory in some contexts) a person who has nothing to do, a person who does nothing