rkoppa

Maltese

Alternative forms

• rkobba (archaic)
• rkippa (Xagħra)

Etymology

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

• IPA^(key): /(ɪ)rˈkɔp.pa/

Noun

rkoppa f (dual rkupptejn or rkopptejn, plural rkupptejn or rkopptejn or rkopop)

1. (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

Inflected forms
Personal-pronoun- including forms	singular		plural
	m	f
1st person	rkoppti		rkoppitna
2nd person	rkopptek		rkoppitkom
3rd person	rkopptu	rkoppitha	rkoppithom