amalayar

A regional verb from Andean and northern South American Spanish (especially Ecuador and Colombia), built from the interjection amalaya ("if only"), meaning to wish for or long for something wistfully. It has no real equivalent as a single verb in standard peninsular Spanish.

• Amalayo poder viajar contigo este verano. — I wish I could travel with you this summer.
• Siempre amalayaba tener una casa propia. — She always longed to have a house of her own.
• Amalayamos que todo salga bien en la entrevista. — We're hoping so much that everything goes well in the interview.

Using amalayar outside the regions where it's actually current — it will sound unfamiliar or confusing to speakers from Spain or the Southern Cone, where desear or ojalá + subjunctive is what's used instead.

Often confused with desear.