rkoppa
Maltese edit
Alternative forms edit
Etymology edit
From Arabic رُكْبَة (rukba). The modern Maltese form with metathesis, gemination and devoicing is a backformation from the plural (or original dual). From the expected *rokba, it would yield *rukbtejn, where the triple consonant cluster was simplified to *rkubtejn. Compare the same in mnifsejn (instead of *minfsejn), plural of minfes (“nostril”).
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
rkoppa f (dual rkupptejn or rkopptejn, plural rkupptejn or rkopptejn or rkopop)
- (anatomy) knee
- It-tubu ta’ l-irkoppa għandu żewġ toqob li jillimitaw il-moviment tar-riġel.
- The knee tube has two lugs which limit the movement of the lower leg.
Inflection edit
| Inflected forms | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal-pronoun- including forms |
singular | plural | |
| m | f | ||
| 1st person | rkoppti | rkoppitna | |
| 2nd person | rkopptek | rkoppitkom | |
| 3rd person | rkopptu | rkoppitha | rkoppithom |