ਖੋਤਾ

Punjabi

Etymology

Inherited from Prakrit *𑀔𑁄𑀢𑁆𑀢 (*khŏtta, “donkey”) + Middle Indo-Aryan -𑀓- (-ka-), of uncertain origin; possibly related to Sanskrit घोट (ghoṭa, “horse”) (whence ਘੋੜਾ (ghoṛā)).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Punjabi) IPA^(key): /kʰoː.t̪ːäː/
• Rhymes: -äː
• Hyphenation: ਖੋ‧ਤਾ

Noun

ਖੋਤਾ • (khotā) m (feminine ਖੋਤੀ, Shahmukhi spelling کھوتا)

1. donkey
2. (slang, derogatory) idiot

   ਖੋਤਾ ਨਾ ਹੋਵੇ ਤਾਂ! ― khotā nā hove tā̃! ― you idiot! (literally, “if not the donkey!”)

Declension

Declension of ਖੋਤਾ

	singular	plural
direct	ਖੋਤਾ (khotā)	ਖੋਤੇ (khote)
oblique	ਖੋਤੇ (khote)	ਖੋਤਿਆਂ (khotiā̃)
vocative	ਖੋਤਿਆ (khotiā)	ਖੋਤਿਓ (khotio)
ablative	ਖੋਤਿਓਂ (khotiõ)	—
locative	ਖੋਤੇ (khote)	—
instrumental	ਖੋਤੇ (khote)	—

Further reading

• Singh, Bhai Maya (1895) “ਖੋੱਤਾ”, in The Panjabi Dictionary, Lahore: Munshi Gulab Singh and Sons, page 603.