Pronunciations

Definitions

• n. A term of endearment meaning 'I will take your place if you are to be sacrificed'.

Example Sentences

Languages of Origin

• Arabic / Judeo-Arabic

Etymology

• מדוורא יאנא or مدوّرة يانا mdūwra yāna, lit. 'turning I will'; in reference to the swinging of the sacrificial chicken (kapara) on Yom Kippur, during which one's sins are transferred to the chicken which is then sacrificed. This usage can be understood as meaning: 'I would take your place if you were to be sacrificed as a kapara' or 'I will be the one turning before death, instead of you, by taking your place'.

Who Uses This

• North African: Jews with ancestry in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, or Egypt

Regions

• North America

Dictionaries

• None

Alternative Spellings

mdurayenna, mdurayana, mdurayanna