Hebrew

Adverb

דווקא \ דַּוְקָא • ‎(dávka)

1. (colloquial) unexpectedly
2. (colloquial) just to spite
3. (colloquial) specifically, precisely
4. (colloquial) in fact, actually

Usage notes

• When a negation directly precedes this word, Aramaic לָאו ‎(lav) is typically used instead of the native Hebrew לֹא ‎(lo), which is used when the negation is in any other position.

Yiddish

Etymology

From Aramaic דווקא.

Adverb

דווקא • ‎(dafke)

1. necessarily
2. deliberately
3. precisely