Dhivehi

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Etymology

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Learned borrowing from Sanskrit नायक (nāyaka). Cognate to Sinhalese නායකය (nāyakaya)

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /n̪aː.ja.ka/, [n̪aː.jä.kä]
  • Hyphenation: ނާ‧ޔަ‧ކަ

Noun

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ނާޔަކަ (nāyaka) (plural ނާޔަކަތައް (nāyakatak̊))

  1. (archaic) leader, official, office-holder, functionary, person of eminence
    Synonym: ވެރިޔާ (veriyā)

References

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  • Hassan Ahmed Maniku (2000) “ނާޔަކަ”, in A Concise Etymological Vocabulary of Dhivehi Language, Colombo: The Royal Asiatic Society of Sri Lanka, page 186