banana

Borrowed from Italian banana, from Wolof banaana.


tin

fig, figs: (several fruits; fig as a mass or taste)


far

mt-noun

far m (plural firien or fariet, feminine fara)

firien (plural)
fariet (plural)
fara (feminine)

Inherited from Arabic فَأْر (faʔr, “mouse”).


klin

From Arabic إِكْلِيل الْجَبَل (ʔiklīl al-jabal).

inh

إِكْلِيل الْجَبَل

Salvia rosmarinus
Salvia rosmarinus#Translingual

Rosmarinus officinalis
Rosmarinus officinalis#Translingual

rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus, syn. Rosmarinus officinalis)


serra

red-breasted merganser
red-breasted merganser

Mergus serrator
Mergus serrator#Translingual

red-breasted merganser (Mergus serrator)


rand

Laurus nobilis
Laurus nobilis#Translingual


ward

warda (singulative)
wardtajn (dual)
wardtejn (dual)
urad (plural)
uradi (plural)
urud (plural)
uradijiet (plural)
wardiet (paucal)

U waqt li nħares fuq ta’ qalbi x-xitla
tat-tifkiriet tinbet tifkira ġdida,
b’warda ta’ swied il-qalb fejn tilma demgħa
minn ħbub għajnejja.

1949, Anton Buttigieg, “Fuq Qabar Oħti”, in Fanali bil-Lejl:


simar

Juncus effusus
Juncus effusus#Translingual


dib

From Arabic ذِئْب (ḏiʔb). Compare Moroccan Arabic ديب (dīb), Egyptian Arabic ديب (dīb).


arpa

Pandion haliaetus
Pandion haliaetus#Translingual


lupu

Dicentrarchus labrax
Dicentrarchus labrax#Translingual


serp

mt-noun

serp m (plural sriep, feminine serpa, diminutive srejjep)

sriep (plural)
serpa (feminine)
srejjep (diminutive)

Kleopatra qatlet ruħha b’idejha b’gidma ta’ serp velenuż.

Cleopatra single-handedly killed herself with the bite of a poisonous snake.


nemus

nemusa (singulative)
nwiemes (plural)
nemusiet (paucal)


debba

From Arabic دَابَّة (dābba, “mount, beast of burden”).


tonn

Borrowed from Italian tonno and/or Sicilian tunnu.


ross

Etymology tree
Proto-Iranian *wrinǰišder.
Ancient Greek ὄρυζα (óruza)bor.
Arabic رُزّ (ruzz)
Maltese ross
From Arabic رُزّ (ruzz).

etymon

Il-Ħajja ma’ l-għarajjes
daret kollha daħkana;
għalihom ferħ biss kellha
u daqq u żfin u għana,
xita ta’ ross, xewqiet
f’għomor mimli għaxqiet;

1975, Anton Buttigieg, “Il-Ħajja u l-Għarajjes”, in L-Għanja tas-Sittin:


bordi

Cyperus papyrus
Cyperus papyrus#Translingual


volpi

mt-noun

volpi m (plural volpijiet, feminine volpi mara)

volpijiet (plural)
volpi mara (feminine)

Borrowed from Italian volpe. Doublet of gilpa.


astun

Milvus milvus
Milvus milvus#Translingual


ġemel

ġemel m (plural iġmla or ġmula, feminine ġemla)

iġmla (plural)
ġmula (plural)
ġemla (feminine)


papra

From Sicilian papira and/or Italian papera, both “gosling” (sometimes also “duckling”).


farfett

Probably inherited from dialectal Arabic; compare especially Tunisian Arabic فرططو/فرفطو (farṭaṭṭu/farfaṭṭu), Moroccan Arabic فرططو (farṭuṭṭu, “butterfly”), but also Moroccan Arabic فرطوط (farṭūṭ, “moth”) etc. Eventually from Berber; compare Kabyle aferṭeṭṭu. The second -f- might be due to influence by Italian farfalla, which is either unrelated or itself from the Arabic (see the entry).

cog

Pereżempju qatt innutajtu s-simetrija bilaterali perfetta tal-ġwienaħ ta’ farfett, tad-denb ta’ pagun, jew għall-inqas tal-wiċċ uman?

2018, Antoinette Borg, Amina, Merlin Publishers, →ISBN:

For example, have you ever noticed the perfect bilateral symmetry of a butterfly’s wings, a peacock’s tail, or at least the human face?

Ta’ ferħ u serħ imlietni, u bħall-għasafar
u l-friefet jien għamilt: minn fjur għal fjur
ħsiebi tar bħal farfett, taħt siġra kbira
qalbi fesdqet il-għana bħal għasfur.

1970, Anton Buttigieg, “Fil-Ġnien”, in Fl-Arena:


żiemel

mt-noun

żiemel m (plural żwiemel, feminine debba, diminutive żwejmel)

żwiemel (plural)
debba (feminine)
żwejmel (diminutive)

From Arabic زَامِل (zāmil, “horse or wild ass”), related to زَامِلَة (zāmila, “(she-)camel used to carrying something”).


qaqoċċ

qaqoċċa (singulative)
qaqoċċiet (paucal)

Borrowed from Sicilian *cacoccia, older variant of cacòcciula, which see. Ultimately from Arabic خَرْشُوف (ḵaršūf).

der

Arabic خَرْشُوف (ḵaršūf)


fenek

mt-noun

fenek m (plural fniek, paucal fenkiet, feminine fenka)

fniek (plural)
fenkiet (paucal)
fenka (feminine)

From Arabic فَنَك (fanak, “fennec fox”).

Għalliema fl-istat Amerikan ta’ Idaho qed taffaċja l-possibilta’ ta’ azzjoni dixxiplinarja wara li qatlet fenek fil-klassi quddiem l-istudenti sekondarji.

2014 November 16, “Toqtol fenek quddiem klassi sħiħa”, in NETnews.com.mt, archived from the original on 2020-11-01:

A teacher in the American state of Idaho is facing the possibility of disciplinary action after she killed a rabbit in class in front of high school students.


liebru

liebru m (plural liebri, feminine liebra, diminutive lebrot or leprot)

liebri (plural)
liebra (feminine)
lebrot (diminutive)
leprot (diminutive)


ors

Etymology tree
Proto-Italic *orssos
Latin ursus
Italian orsobor.
Maltese ors
Borrowed from Italian orso and/or Sicilian ursu, both from Latin ursus. The Maltese o- may point to Italian origin, but can also be explained through a native development.


lampun

lampuna (singulative)
lampuni (plural)
lampunijiet (paucal)


kannella

From Italian cannella or a Sicilian equivalent.


qattusa

mt-noun

qattusa f (plural qtates, masculine qattus)


ljunfant

Ultimately from Latin elephās, elephantem (“elephant”), with contamination of ljun (“lion”). Compare Italian leonfante, leofante, Sicilian liufanti.


dundjan

dundjan m (plural dundjani, feminine dundjana)

Borrowed from Sicilian d'India, from gaddu d'India, variant of gaddu d'Innia.


ġurdien

ġurdien m (plural ġrieden, feminine ġurdiena, diminutive ġrejden)

ġrieden (plural)
ġurdiena (feminine)
ġrejden (diminutive)

From Arabic جُرْذَان (jurḏān), plural of جُرَذ (juraḏ, “rat”).


għasfur

għasfur m (plural għasafar, feminine għasfura, diminutive għasajfar)

għasafar (plural)
għasfura (feminine)
għasajfar (diminutive)

From Arabic عَصْفُور (ʕaṣfūr, “small bird, sparrow”).

inh

Kull għasfur tal-faċilità jew unità ta’ kwarantina infettata jrid jinqatel jew jinqered.

All birds of the infected quarantine facility or unit have to be killed and destroyed.

U tela’ għas-sur, wisq imgħaddab,
u kaxkar kull xitla, kull żrara,
u l-bejta dlonk ħataf, ġarr miegħu
bl-għasafar, jaħasra xi ħsara!

1949, Anton Buttigieg, “Il-Bejta fis-Sur”, in Mill-Gallerija ta’ Żgħożiti:


serduq

mt-noun

serduq m (plural sriedaq or sriedeq, diminutive srejdeq)

sriedaq (plural)
sriedeq (plural)
srejdeq (diminutive)

Inherited from dialectal Maghrebi Arabic. Compare Tunisian Arabic سردوك (sardūk) and Moroccan Arabic سردوك (sardūk).


bies

bies m (plural bisien or bjies or ibies or ibsa)

bisien (plural)
bjies (plural)
ibies (plural)
ibsa (plural)

Falco peregrinus
Falco peregrinus#Translingual

Falco subbuteo
Falco subbuteo#Translingual


ajkla

Borrowed from Sicilian aicula (alongside àcula), from Latin aquila.


siġra

siġra f (plural siġar or sġar or sġur, paucal siġriet or siġrat, diminutive sġajra)

siġar (plural)
sġar (plural)
sġur (plural)
siġriet (paucal)
siġrat (paucal)
sġajra (diminutive)

From Arabic شَجَرَة (šajara) with dissimilation of š- against the following -j- (as in some Arabic dialects). Cognate with South Levantine Arabic سجرة (sajara) and North Levantine Arabic سجرة (sajra)

L-irrigazzjoni hija permessa matul il-perjodu veġetattiv tas-siġra.

Irrigation is permitted during the tree's growing period.


żrinġ

żrinġ m (plural żrinġijiet or (obsolete) żrinġiet, diminutive żrejneġ)

żrinġijiet (plural)
żrinġiet (obsolete plural)
żrejneġ (diminutive)

From a Maghrebi Arabic form akin to Moroccan Arabic جران (jrān), from a Berber language; compare Kabyle ajṛun. Possibly from an alteration of Latin rāna with initial g- imitating the croaking sound of a frog, as in Catalan granota and French grenouille.

U s-saħħara bis-sħarijiet tagħhom tellgħu huma wkoll iż-żrinġijiet għal fuq l-art ta’ l-Eġittu.

c. 2015, Il-Bibbja : il-Kotba Mqaddsa, 5th edition, Valletta: Ghaqda Biblika Maltija, →OCLC, Il-Ktieb tal-Eżodu 8:3:

King James Version translation: And the magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt.


trombetta

longspine snipefish (Macroramphosus scolopax)


pingwin

Borrowed from Italian pinguino. Doublet of pengwin, from English.


nemes

nemes m (plural inmsa or nemsijiet, feminine nemsa)

inmsa (plural)
nemsijiet (plural)
nemsa (feminine)

From Arabic نِمْس (nims), though the Maltese form is slightly irregular and points to an underlying *namas.


paletta

Platalea leucorodia
Platalea leucorodia#Translingual

Eurasian spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia)


kokk

kokka (singulative)
kokki (plural)
kokok (plural)
kokkiet (paucal)


babun

babun m (plural babuni, feminine babuna)

Borrowed from English baboon. Doublet of babwin.


annimal

annimal m (plural annimali, feminine annimala)

laħam frisk prodott minn annimali vaċinati

fresh meat produced from vaccinated animals


naħal

bee, bees (several insects; the bee as a species)


ċerv

ċerv m (plural ċriev, feminine ċerva, diminutive ċrejjev)

ċriev (plural)
ċerva (feminine)
ċrejjev (diminutive)


baqra

baqra f (plural baqar, paucal baqriet, diminutive bqajra)

baqar (plural)
baqriet (paucal)
bqajra (diminutive)


frawla

frawla f (plural frawli, paucal frawliet)


tuffieħ

tuffieħa (singulative)
tuffiħat (paucal)
tuffiħiet (paucal)

apple, apples (several fruits; apple as a mass, taste, species)


lanġas

lanġasa (singulative)
lanġasiet (paucal)

From a nasalised variant of Arabic الإجّاص (al-ʔijjāṣ), from إجّاص (ʔijjāṣ) with fused definite article اَل (al-). Compare Algerian Arabic لنجاص (lanjāṣ), Moroccan Arabic لنجاص (langāṣ) or نجاص (ngāṣ), and South Levantine Arabic إنجاص (injāṣ).


larinġ

larinġa (singulative)
larinġiet (paucal)

Probably inherited from Arabic نارَنْج (nāranj, “bitter orange”), from Persian نارنگ (nârang). The -i- seems to be the result of imala and does not appear in any of the relevant Romance cognates. Since bitter oranges were cultivated in Sicily since the Arab reign, inheritance is also historically likely. The initial l- may be due to influence by Sicilian l’arancia, though it could be explained as dissimilation.


frott

Borrowed from Sicilian fruttu or Italian frutto, from Latin fructus.

U qal Alla: “Ħa tnibbet l-art il-ħaxix, ħaxix li jagħmel iż-żerriegħa, siġar li jagħmlu l-frott biż-żerriegħa ġo fih skont għamliethom, fuq l-art.” U hekk sar.

c. 2015, Il-Bibbja : il-Kotba Mqaddsa, 5th edition, Valletta: Ghaqda Biblika Maltija, →OCLC, Il-Ktieb tal-Ġenesi 1:11:

New International Version translation: Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so.


nagħaġ

Back-formation from nagħġa, from Arabic نَعْجة (naʕja, “ewe”).


felu

mt-noun

felu m (plural fliewi or filwa or fliewa, feminine felwa)

fliewi (plural)
filwa (plural)
fliewa (plural)
felwa (feminine)

foal, colt (a preadult horse or ass which has been weaned)


tiġieġ

/tɪˈd͡ʒɪːt͡ʃ/

From Arabic دَجَاج (dajāj), with a change of initial by dissimilation.


bebbux

bebbuxu (singulative)
bebbuxa (singulative)
bwiebex (plural)
bebbuxiet (paucal)

From Maghrebi Arabic, from a Berber language. Compare Kabyle ababbuc, Moroccan Arabic ببوش (babbūš) and Sicilian babbaluci.


falkun

Borrowed from Sicilian falcuni, from Latin falcō (“falcon”), of Germanic origin, probably via Frankish *falko (“falcon, hawk”), from Proto-Germanic *falkô (“falcon”), from Proto-Indo-European *pol̑- (“pale”), from *pel- (“fallow”).


farfett il-lejl

farfett il-lejl m (plural friefet il-lejl)

farfett (“butterfly”) + il- (definite article) + lejl (“night”), literally “butterfly of the night”.


skwiril

Borrowed from English squirrel, from Middle English squirel, from Anglo-Norman esquirel and Old French escurel, from a Vulgar Latin development of Latin sciūrus, ultimately from Ancient Greek σκίουρος (skíouros). Doublet of skojjattlu.


skojjattlu

Borrowed from Sicilian scuiàttulu and/or Italian scoiattolo, from a Vulgar Latin development of Latin sciūrus, ultimately from Ancient Greek σκίουρος (skíouros). Doublet of skwiril.


pagun

mt-noun

pagun m (plural paguni, feminine paguna)

Borrowed from Sicilian paguni, variant of pagu.


sparvier

Eurasian sparrowhawk
Eurasian sparrowhawk

Accipiter nisus
Accipiter nisus#Translingual


ġeru

ġeru m (plural ġriewi or (Gozo) ġriewa, feminine ġerwa, diminutive ġrejju)

ġriewi (plural)
ġriewa (plural)
ġerwa (feminine)
ġrejju (diminutive)


fellus

fellus m (plural flieles, diminutive flejles)

Inherited from dialectal Maghrebi Arabic (compare Tunisian Arabic فَلّوس (fallūs), Libyan Arabic فِلُّوس (fillūs), Moroccan Arabic فلوس (fallūs)), from a Berber language, from Latin pullus.

Ġerusalemm, Ġerusalemm, int li toqtol il-profeti u tħaġġar il-messaġġiera mibgħutin lilek, kemm-il darba ridt niġbor lil uliedek bħalma l-qroqqa tiġbor il-flieles taħt ġwenħajha, u int ma ridtx!

c. 2015, Il-Bibbja : il-Kotba Mqaddsa, 5th edition, Valletta: Ghaqda Biblika Maltija, →OCLC, San Mattew 23:37:

New International Version translation: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.

Ġerusalemm! Ġerusalemm! Int li toqtol il-profeti u tħaġġar il-messaġġiera li jibgħatlek Alla; kemm ridt niġbor lil uliedek bħalma l-qroqqa tiġbor il-flieles tagħha taħt ġwenħajha, u int ma ridtx!

c. 2015, Il-Bibbja : il-Kotba Mqaddsa, 5th edition, Valletta: Ghaqda Biblika Maltija, →OCLC, San Luqa 13:34:


ferħ

Wara l-bibien,
fit-tul tat-toroq twal,
batejt
il-għeja
il-qtigħ ta’ qalb,
batejt fuq kollox il-mistħija;
iżda ġarrabt ukoll
il-ferħ u l-għaxqa
li kull tallab iħoss
x’ħin jasal wisq għajjien bil-ħorġa f’idu
bil-ħobż għand ommu mġewħa.

1970, Anton Buttigieg, “It-Tallab”, in Fl-Arena:

Il-Għanja ta’ Żgħożiti
- bil-ferħ insiġtha jien, -
hi għanja lis-Sbuħija
Sultana tal-ħolqien.

1949, Anton Buttigieg, “Il-Għanja ta’ Żgħożiti”, in Mill-Gallarija ta’ Żgħożiti:


ferħ

From Arabic فَرْخ (farḵ, “chick”, formerly also “young of any animal”).


xadin

mt-noun

xadin m (plural xadini, feminine xadina)

From dialectal Arabic, from Persian شادی (šâdi, “monkey”). Compare Algerian Arabic شادي (šādi, “monkey”) and Gulf Arabic شاذي (šāḏi, “monkey”).


ħmar

Root
 ħ-m-r (2)
 0 terms
From Arabic حِمَار (ḥimār).

(figuratively) ignorant, foolish person; jackass


seqer

seqer m (plural isqra or soqra, diminutive sejqer or swejqer)

isqra (plural)
soqra (plural)
sejqer (diminutive)
swejqer (diminutive)

From Arabic صَقْر (ṣaqr). The expected form would *saqar due to the originally emphatic ṣ, but this articulation was dissimilated against the q (as in several other words).


ħanżir

ħanżir m (plural ħnieżer, feminine ħanżira)


qażquż

From the verb qażqaż (“to grunt”), from regional Arabic قَزْقَزَ (qazqaza), قَصْقَصَ (qaṣqaṣa, “to cry, call, make noise”).


bagħal

bagħal m (plural bgħula or ibgħal or bgħal, feminine bagħla, diminutive bgħajjel)

bgħula (plural)
ibgħal (plural)
bgħal (plural)
bagħla (feminine)
bgħajjel (diminutive)
bagħli (first-person singular)
bagħalna (first-person singular)
bagħlek (second-person singular)
bagħalkom (second-person singular)
bagħlu (masculine singular third-person)
bagħalha (feminine singular third-person)
bagħalhom (singular third-person)


ċirasa

Borrowed from Sicilian cirasa, from Vulgar Latin ceresia.


gremxul

gremxula (singulative)
gremxuliet (paucal)

Unknown, suggested Arabic دَرَمَ (darama, “to run with short steps (said of a hare or hedgehog); to be thick and salient (said of houghs)”) + شَوِل (šawil), شَوْل (šawl, “agile, swift”).

der

gremxula griża

gremxula ħadra

u lili firdu minn mal-art għal dejjem,
u jien sfajt blata u gżira l-aktar ċkejkna,
bi ftit faqqiegħ u ftit gremxul sewdieni
ngħix ħajja waħdi.

1949, Anton Buttigieg, “Il-Ġebla tal-Ġeneral”, in Fanali bil-Lejl:

pipefish
greater pipefish (Syngnathus acus)

straightnose pipefish (Nerophis ophidion)

pipefish
broadnosed pipefish (Syngnathus typhle)


ħaruf

mt-noun

ħaruf m (plural ħrief, feminine ħarufa, diminutive ħrejjef or ħrajjef or ħwajref)

ħrief (plural)
ħarufa (feminine)
ħrejjef (diminutive)
ħrajjef (diminutive)
ħwajref (diminutive)


beċċun

beċċun m (plural bċieċen, feminine beċċuna, diminutive bċejċen)

bċieċen (plural)
beċċuna (feminine)
bċejċen (diminutive)

Early borrowing (with b- for p-) from Sicilian picciuni, from Latin pīpiōnem, of onomatopoeic origin.


fekruna

fekruna f (plural fkieren, paucal fekruniet)

Inherited from Maghrebi Arabic, from a Berber language. Compare Tunisian Arabic فكرون (fakrūn), Moroccan Arabic فكرون (fakrūn).

Sittax-il ferħ ta’ fekruna faqqsu minn bejta fil-Bajja tal-Għadira. Il-frieħ tal-fkieren dehru joħorġu mill-bejta għall-ħabta tad-9.30 p.m. tal-bieraħ wara perjodu ta’ inkubazzjoni li kien meqjus li kien suċċess.

2020 September 23, “Ifaqqsu 16-il ferħ ta’ fekruna fil-Bajja tal-Għadira; Mistennijin ifaqqsu aktar fil-jiem li ġejjin”, in iNews Malta, archived from the original on 2020-11-01:

Sixteen tortoise hatchlings have hatched from a nest in Għadira Bay. The tortoise hatchlings appeared leaving the nest at exactly 9.30 p.m. last night after an incubation period which has been considered successful.


dubbien

dubbiena (singulative)
dbieben (plural)
dubbiniet (paucal)


qanfud

qanfud m (plural qniefed, feminine qanfuda)

From Arabic قُنْفُذ (qunfuḏ), through a common Maghrebi variant with a long ū for the second vowel; compare Tunisian Arabic قنفود (qanfūd), Moroccan Arabic قنفود (qanfūd).


gendus

Probably of Berber origin. Compare Kabyle agenduz (“calf”).


għoġol

għoġol m (plural għoġġiela or għeġejjel, feminine għoġla)

għoġġiela (plural)
għeġejjel (plural)
għoġla (feminine)

/ˈɔˤː.d͡ʒɔl/


żarmuġ

żarmuġ m (plural żrameġ, paucal żarmuġiet, feminine żarmuġa, diminutive żrajmeġ)

żrameġ (plural)
żarmuġiet (paucal)
żarmuġa (feminine)
żrajmeġ (diminutive)


muntun

Borrowed from Sicilian muntuni, from Latin moltō, from Gaulish *multon-, from Proto-Celtic *moltos (“wether”). The plural mtaten instead of expected *mnaten seems to imply that the singular was formerly (also) pronounced *muttun.

laħam tal-muntun


żunżan

żunżan m (plural żnażan or żunżan, paucal żunżaniet, feminine żunżana)

żnażan (plural)
żunżan (plural)
żunżaniet (paucal)
żunżana (feminine)


bergħud

inh

Arabic بُرْغُوث (burḡūṯ)


qroqqa

Inherited from dialectal Arabic. The exactly corresponding form is found in Tunisian Arabic قرقّة (ʔruʔʔa, qroqqa, “brooding hen”), South Levantine Arabic قرقة (ʔruʔʔa, qruqqa, “brooding hen”). Compare also North Levantine Arabic قرقة (ʔirʔa, qirqa), كركة (krikka). Related with Arabic قَرَّقَ (qarraqa), كَرَّكَ (karraka, “to cluck”), eventually onomatopoetic.


namra

Native derivation from the root, which is from Sicilian nnamurari, itself derived from Latin amor. Compare Italian innamorare, French enamourer.


rummien

rummiena (singulative)
rumminiet (paucal)

pomegranate, pomegranates (several fruits; pomegranate as a mass, taste, species)


berquq

berquqa (singulative)
berquqiet (paucal)

From Arabic بَرْقُوق (barqūq), from Classical Syriac ܒܰܪܩܽܘܩܳܐ (barqūqā), from Ancient Greek πραικόκῐον (praikókĭon), from Latin praecox (“overripe”).


ħuttaf

ħuttafa (singulative)
ħuttafiet (paucal)

inh

Arabic خُطَّاف (ḵuṭṭāf)


ċawl

ċawla (singulative)
ċawlu (singulative)
ċwal (plural)
ċawliet (paucal)

Coloeus monedula
Coloeus monedula#Translingual


għasfur tal-bejt

Passer domesticus
Passer domesticus#Translingual


farruġ

Coracias garrulus
Coracias garrulus#Translingual


kukkudrill

Borrowed from Italian coccodrillo, with metathesis from Latin crocodīlus, from Ancient Greek κροκόδειλος (krokódeilos).

“O bniedem, għanni lamentazzjoni għall-Fargħun, sultan tal-Eġittu, u għidlu: Int tistħajlek iljun fost il-ġnus, imma int bħall-kukkudrill fl-ibħra, u terfa’ rasek minn ġox-xmajjar, u tħawwad l-ilma b’riġlejk, u ddardar ix-xmajjar tiegħek.

c. 2015, Il-Bibbja : il-Kotba Mqaddsa, 5th edition, Valletta: Ghaqda Biblika Maltija, →OCLC, Il-Ktieb tal-Profeta Eżekjel 32:2:

New International Version translation: “Son of man, take up a lament concerning Pharaoh king of Egypt and say to him: “‘You are like a lion among the nations; you are like a monster in the seas thrashing about in your streams, churning the water with your feet and muddying the streams.


għargħar

From Arabic عَرْعار (ʕarʕār), variant of عَرْعَر (ʕarʕar, “juniper”).


skorpjun

Borrowed from Sicilian scorpiuni, from Latin scorpiō, from Ancient Greek σκορπίος (skorpíos).


xitla

mt-noun

xitla f (plural xtieli or xitel or xtiel or xtul or xtejjel, paucal xitliet, diminutive xtejla)

xtieli (plural)
xitel (plural)
xtiel (plural)
xtul (plural)
xtejjel (plural)
xitliet (paucal)
xtejla (diminutive)

U waqt li nħares fuq ta’ qalbi x-xitla
tat-tifkiriet tinbet tifkira ġdida,
b’warda ta’ swied il-qalb fejn tilma demgħa
minn ħbub għajnejja.


għakrux

Origin uncertain. Perhaps related to Moroccan Arabic عقروش (ʕaqrūš, “messy, tousled”, of hair) if the whorls of the snail shell were compared to curls. Variation between q and k occurs more often in the vicinity of għ; compare għakreb, għanqbut.

cog

Coordinate term: bebbux

Hemm ħafna iktar speċi ta’ bebbux. Fost oħrajn hemm ukoll il-bebbux tal-baħar. L-Għawdxin isejħu bebbuxu lil dak tal-baħar. Dak tal-art jgħidulu għakrux.

2020 February 4, “Il-Bebbuxu”, in Television Malta, archived from the original on 2022-09-27:

There are many other species of snails. Among others there are also sea snails. The Gozitans say bebbuxu only for a sea snail. A land snail they will call għakrux.


għattuqa

mt-noun

għattuqa f (plural għawwietaq, paucal għattuqiet, diminutive għetejqa)

għawwietaq (plural)
għattuqiet (paucal)
għetejqa (diminutive)

From Arabic عَتُّوقَة (ʕattūqa). Compare Tunisian Arabic عتوقة (ʕattūqa, “pullet”), Algerian Arabic عتوقة (ʕattūqa, “pullet”), Moroccan Arabic عتوقة (ʕattūqa, “pullet; young girl”).


gidi

mt-noun

gidi m (plural gidjien or gidien, feminine gidja)

gidjien (plural)
gidien (plural)
gidja (feminine)


tamar

tamra (singulative)
itmra (plural)
tmar (plural)
tamriet (paucal)


fjur

fjura (singulative)
fjuri (plural)
fjuriet (paucal)

Borrowed from Sicilian ciuri (once fiuri), from Latin flōs. The singular in -a and the collective are backformations from the plural.

flower, blossom (reproductive structure on plants)


qamħ

qamħa (singulative)
qamħtejn (dual)
qmuħ (plural)
qmieħ (plural)
qamħiet (paucal)


tadam

Clipping of tuffieħa t’Adam (literally “Adam’s apple”), referring to the fruit of the forbidden tree in paradise. Compare the same in archaic German Paradiesapfel (literally “paradise apple”), whence Austrian German Paradeiser (“tomato”) and equivalent forms in several eastern European languages. The phonetic similarity with English tomato, Spanish tomate is probably coincidental. The Maltese might of course be a folk-etymological alteration of the Spanish word, but the clearly unrelated forms in other languages make this seem less likely. Compare also Italian pomodoro (literally “gold apple”), archaic English love apple.

cog

tomato, tomatoes (several fruits; tomato as a mass, taste, species)


ġummar

ġummara (singulative)
ġummariet (paucal)


pitarra

Tetrax tetrax
Tetrax tetrax#Translingual


nagħniegħ

From Arabic نَعْناع (naʕnāʕ), from Hurrian.


ħawħ

peach, peaches (several fruits; peach as a mass, taste, species)


ajl

Possibly from Arabic أيّل (ʔayyil, ʔuyyal, “wild goat, ibex” as well as “deer”). The already ambiguous word may have been transferred to the porcupine, perhaps on account of its spines vis-à-vis the wild goat’s pointed horns. It must be considered that many of the inherited Arabic animal names lost their reference points in the limited fauna of the Maltese islands, which made these words liable to semantic reassignment. Compare Maltese fenek (“rabbit”) from Arabic فَنَك (fanak, “fennec fox”).


fażola

fażola (singulative)
fażoli (plural)
fażoliet (paucal)

Borrowed from Sicilian fasola, from Latin phaseolus, from Ancient Greek φάσηλος (phásēlos).


qronfol

qronfla (singulative)
qronfliet (paucal)

From Arabic قَرَنْفُل (qaranful). Compare Sicilian Garòfalu.

Syzygium aromaticum
Syzygium aromaticum#Translingual

Dianthus caryophyllus
Dianthus caryophyllus#Translingual


ħenna

From Arabic حِنّاء (ḥinnāʔ). Probably not inherited, but borrowed through English henna, Italian henna.


dulliegħ

dulliegħa (singulative)
dlielagħ (plural)
dulligħat (paucal)

watermelon (as a mass or species); several watermelons


tgħal

mt-noun

tgħal m (plural tgħala or tgħul, feminine tgħala)

tgħala (plural)
tgħul (plural)
tgħala (feminine)


tgħal

mt-verb

tgħal (imperfect jitgħal, past participle mitgħal, verbal noun tgħil or titgħil)

jitgħal (imperfect)
mitgħal (participle past)
tgħil (noun-from-verb)
titgħil (noun-from-verb)
tgħalt (first-person masculine perfect singular)
tgħalt (masculine perfect second-person singular)
tgħal (masculine perfect singular third-person)
tgħalna (first-person masculine perfect singular)
tgħaltu (masculine perfect plural second-person)
tgħalu (masculine perfect plural third-person)
tgħalt (feminine first-person perfect singular)
tgħalt (feminine perfect second-person singular)
tgħalet (feminine perfect singular third-person)
tgħalna (feminine first-person perfect singular)
tgħaltu (feminine perfect plural second-person)
tgħalu (feminine perfect plural third-person)
nitgħal (first-person imperfect masculine singular)
titgħal (imperfect masculine second-person singular)
jitgħal (imperfect masculine singular third-person)
nitgħalu (first-person imperfect masculine singular)
titgħalu (imperfect masculine plural second-person)
jitgħalu (imperfect masculine plural third-person)
nitgħal (feminine first-person imperfect singular)
titgħal (feminine imperfect second-person singular)
titgħal (feminine imperfect singular third-person)
nitgħalu (feminine first-person imperfect singular)
titgħalu (feminine imperfect plural second-person)
jitgħalu (feminine imperfect plural third-person)
tgħal (imperative second-person singular)
tgħalu (imperative plural second-person)


kurrat

kurrata (singulative)
kurratiet (paucal)


summien

summiena (singulative)
summiniet (paucal)

Coturnix coturnix
Coturnix coturnix#Translingual

common quails (Coturnix coturnix) (several birds; the quail as a species)


erħa

mt-noun

erħa f (plural erħiet or erieħ, diminutive erejħa)

erħiet (plural)
erieħ (plural)
erejħa (diminutive)

From Maghrebi Arabic أَرْخَة (ʔarḵa). Compare Tunisian Arabic أرخة (ʔarḵa).


akaċja tax-xewk żgħir

LL-Q9166 (mlt)-GħawdxiVeru-akaċja tax-xewk żgħir.wav


biżbula tal-ilma

Alisma plantago-aquatica
Alisma plantago-aquatica#Translingual

common water plantain (Alisma plantago-aquatica)


xabla

Borrowed from Sicilian sciabula and/or Italian sciabola, from Polish szabla, from Hungarian szablya.


lewż

almond, almonds (several nuts; almond as a mass or species)


ġewż

ġewża (singulative)
ġewżtejn (dual)
ġwież (plural)
ġewżiet (paucal)

walnuts (several nuts; walnut as a mass or species)


bugħaddas

bugħaddas m (plural bugħaddasa, feminine bugħaddasa)

bugħaddasa (plural)
bugħaddasa (feminine)

Gavia stellata
Gavia stellata#Translingual


ħafur

From Arabic خَافُور (ḵāfūr). The similarity with German Hafer etc. is coincidental.

inh

Arabic خَافُور (ḵāfūr)


sabbara

mt-noun

sabbara f (plural sabbariet or sabbarat)


qarabagħli

qarabagħlija (singulative)
qarabagħliet (paucal)

Univerbation of qara’ (“squash, pumpkin”) + bagħli (“unirrigated”).

univerbation

marrow, courgette/zucchini (kind of vegetable)


sfarġel

sfarġla (singulative)
sfarġliet (paucal)


ħarrub

ħarruba (singulative)
ħarrubiet (paucal)

Ceratonia siliqua
Ceratonia siliqua#Translingual

carob (fruit and tree of Ceratonia siliqua L.)


brunġiel

brunġiela (singulative)
brunġiliet (paucal)

Etymology tree
Proto-Dravidian *waẓVtVder.
Sanskrit वातिङ्गण (vātiṅgaṇa)bor.
Classical Persian بَاذِنْگَان (bāzingān)bor.
Arabic بَاذِنْجَان (bāḏinjān)
Maltese brunġiel
From Arabic بَاذِنْجَان (bāḏinjān). The word shows a great variety of phonetic alterations among Arabic dialects. The same form as in Maltese appears to underly in Portuguese beringela.

inh

Arabic بَاذِنْجَان (bāḏinjān)


bunittien

bunittiena (singulative)
bunittiena (plural)

Hydrobates pelagicus
Hydrobates pelagicus#Translingual


bqajla

From Arabic, from the root ب ق ل (b q l). Related to بَقْل (baql, “vegetables, green plants, herbs”). Compare Moroccan Arabic بقولة (baqqūla, “spinach”), Andalusian Arabic رييس البقول (rayīs el-buqūl, “spinach”).


budebbus

budebbusa (singulative)
budebbusiet (paucal)

bu + debbus. Compare Tunisian Arabic بودبّوس (“broomrape”)


ħanfus

ħanfusa (singulative)
ħniefes (plural)
ħanfusiet (paucal)

From Arabic خُنْفُس (ḵunfus). Compare Moroccan Arabic خنفوس (ḵanfūs).


bukħajla

spectacled warbler (Sylvia conspicillata, Curruca conspicillata, Melizophilus conspicillatus)


saġġar

mt-verb

saġġar (imperfect jsaġġar, past participle msaġġar)

jsaġġar (imperfect)
msaġġar (participle past)
saġġart (first-person masculine perfect singular)
saġġart (masculine perfect second-person singular)
saġġar (masculine perfect singular third-person)
saġġarna (first-person masculine perfect singular)
saġġartu (masculine perfect plural second-person)
saġġru (masculine perfect plural third-person)
saġġart (feminine first-person perfect singular)
saġġart (feminine perfect second-person singular)
saġġret (feminine perfect singular third-person)
saġġarna (feminine first-person perfect singular)
saġġartu (feminine perfect plural second-person)
saġġru (feminine perfect plural third-person)
nsaġġar (first-person imperfect masculine singular)
ssaġġar (imperfect masculine second-person singular)
jsaġġar (imperfect masculine singular third-person)
nsaġġru (first-person imperfect masculine singular)
ssaġġru (imperfect masculine plural second-person)
jsaġġru (imperfect masculine plural third-person)
nsaġġar (feminine first-person imperfect singular)
ssaġġar (feminine imperfect second-person singular)
ssaġġar (feminine imperfect singular third-person)
nsaġġru (feminine first-person imperfect singular)
ssaġġru (feminine imperfect plural second-person)
jsaġġru (feminine imperfect plural third-person)
saġġar (imperative second-person singular)
saġġru (imperative plural second-person)


alwett

alwetta (singulative)
alwetti (plural)
alwettiet (paucal)

Eventually from Old French aloete, from a diminutive of Latin alauda. The word may have been borrowed directly from the Normans, or later from modern French alouette.


tawes

inh

Arabic طَاوُوس (ṭāwūs)


bużbież

bużbieża (singulative)
bużbiżiet (paucal)


bużbież tal-ġidra

bużbieża tal-ġidra (singulative)
bużbiżiet tal-ġidra (paucal)

Foeniculum vulgare
Foeniculum vulgare#Translingual


bużbież tar-roqba

bużbieża tar-roqba (singulative)
bużbiżiet tar-roqba (paucal)


ġellewż

ġellewża (singulative)
ġellewżiet (paucal)

hazelnut, hazelnuts (several nuts; hazelnut as a mass or species)


furrax

furraxa (singulative)
furraxiet (paucal)

From dialectal Arabic فُرَّاش (furrāš, “vermin”).


sultan is-summien

furrax is-summien
furrax is-summien#Maltese


buqrajq

From bu + qrajq, with qrajq diminutive form of obsolete qarq, from Arabic قَرْق (qarq, “clucking”).

Caprimulgus europaeus
Caprimulgus europaeus#Translingual

Eurasian nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus)


blonġun żgħir

Tachybaptus ruficollis
Tachybaptus ruficollis#Translingual


blonġun prim

Podiceps cristatus
Podiceps cristatus#Translingual

great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus)


blonġun sekond

mt-noun

blonġun sekond m (plural blonġuni sekondi)

Podiceps nigricollis
Podiceps nigricollis#Translingual

black-necked grebe (Podiceps nigricollis)


garnija tal-Atlantiku

Puffinus puffinus
Puffinus puffinus#Translingual


garnija

Puffinus yelkouan
Puffinus yelkouan#Translingual


garnija tal-Baleariku

Puffinus mauretanicus
Puffinus mauretanicus#Translingual

Balearic shearwater (Puffinus mauretanicus)


kanġu ta' Filfla

kanġu ta’ Filfla m (plural kanġijiet ta’ Filfla)

kanġu ta’ Filfla (canonical masculine)
kanġijiet ta’ Filfla (plural)


kanġu tal-Atlantiku

kanġu tal-Atlantiku m (plural kanġijiet tal-Atlantiku)

Oceanodroma leucorhoa
Oceanodroma leucorhoa#Translingual

Leach's Storm Petrel (Oceanodroma leucorhoa)


granċ

Borrowed from Sicilian granciu, from Latin cancrulus, diminutive of cancer, or from the accusative form cancrum, through an intermediate form *cranclo or *crancro.


qabru

Ultimately from Byzantine Greek κάβουρας (kábouras), from Koine Greek κάβουρος (kábouros, “crab”). Compare Sardinian cavuru.


margun żgħir

Microcarbo pygmaeus
Microcarbo pygmaeus#Translingual


margun

Phalacrocorax carbo
Phalacrocorax carbo#Translingual


margun tat-toppu

Phalacrocorax aristotelis
Phalacrocorax aristotelis#Translingual


pellikan

Pelecanus onocrotalus
Pelecanus onocrotalus#Translingual

great white pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus)


kappun

Botaurus stellaris
Botaurus stellaris#Translingual


russett tas-siġar

Ixobrychus minutus
Ixobrychus minutus#Translingual


kwakka

Nycticorax nycticorax
Nycticorax nycticorax#Translingual


agrett isfar

Ardeola ralloides
Ardeola ralloides#Translingual


agrett tal-bhejjem

Bubulcus ibis
Bubulcus ibis#Translingual


agrett tax-xatt

Egretta gularis
Egretta gularis#Translingual


agrett abjad

Egretta garzetta
Egretta garzetta#Translingual


russett griż

Ardea cinerea
Ardea cinerea#Translingual


russett aħmar

Ardea purpurea
Ardea purpurea#Translingual


ċikonja sewda

Ciconia nigra
Ciconia nigra#Translingual


ċikonja bajda

Ciconia ciconia
Ciconia ciconia#Translingual


velleran

Plegadis falcinellus
Plegadis falcinellus#Translingual


fjamingu

Phoenicopterus roseus
Phoenicopterus roseus#Translingual

greater flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus)


wiżża tal-ful

Anser fabalis
Anser fabalis#Translingual


wiżża tal-maskra

Anser albifrons
Anser albifrons#Translingual


wiżża ħamra

Branta ruficollis
Branta ruficollis#Translingual


wiżża tal-Eġittu

Alopochen aegyptiaca
Alopochen aegyptiaca#Translingual


kuluvert aħmar

Tadorna ferruginea
Tadorna ferruginea#Translingual


kuluvert tas-salib

Tadorna tadorna
Tadorna tadorna#Translingual


silfjun Ewropew

Mareca penelope
Mareca penelope#Translingual

Eurasian wigeon (Mareca penelope, syn. Anas penelope)


kuluvert griż

Anas strepera
Anas strepera#Translingual


sarsella

From French sarcelle, from Latin querquedula.


kuluvert

Anas platyrhynchos
Anas platyrhynchos#Translingual


sarsella ħamra

Anas querquedula
Anas querquedula#Translingual


palettuna

Spatula clypeata
Spatula clypeata#Translingual

Anas clypeata
Anas clypeata#Translingual

northern shoveler (Spatula clypeata, formerly Anas clypeata)


sarsella mnaqqxa

marbled teal (Marmaronetta angustirostris)


brajmla

Aythya ferina
Aythya ferina#Translingual


brajmla ħamra

Aythya nyroca
Aythya nyroca#Translingual


brajmla tat-toppu

Aythya fuligula
Aythya fuligula#Translingual


brajmla rasha sewda

Literally, “pochard with its head black”.

lit

Aythya marila
Aythya marila#Translingual


brajmla sewda

Melanitta nigra
Melanitta nigra#Translingual


brajmla tal-għajn

Bucephala clangula
Bucephala clangula#Translingual


serra bajda

Mergellus albellus
Mergellus albellus#Translingual


serra prima

Mergus merganser
Mergus merganser#Translingual


brajmla rasha bajda

Literally, “pochard with its head white”.

Oxyura leucocephala
Oxyura leucocephala#Translingual


kuċċarda

Borrowed from Sicilian cucciarda (“Eurasian skylark”).

bor+

European honey buzzard
European honey buzzard

Pernis apivorus
Pernis apivorus#Translingual

European honey buzzard (Pernis apivorus)


astun iswed

Milvus migrans
Milvus migrans#Translingual


astun aħmar

Milvus milvus
Milvus milvus#Translingual


ajkla tal-baħar

Haliaeetus albicilla
Haliaeetus albicilla#Translingual

white-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla)


avultun abjad

Neophron percnopterus
Neophron percnopterus#Translingual

Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus)


ajkla bajda

short-toed snake eagle
short-toed snake eagle

Circaetus gallicus
Circaetus gallicus#Translingual

short-toed snake eagle (Circaetus gallicus)


bagħdan aħmar

western marsh harrier
western marsh harrier

Circus aeruginosus
Circus aeruginosus#Translingual

western marsh harrier (Circus aeruginosus)


bagħdan ikħal

Circus cyaneus
Circus cyaneus#Translingual


bagħdan abjad

Circus macrourus
Circus macrourus#Translingual


bagħdan griż

Circus pygargus
Circus pygargus#Translingual


kuċċarda ħamra

Buteo rufinus
Buteo rufinus#Translingual


kuċċarda tal-kalzetti

rough-legged buzzard
rough-legged buzzard

Buteo lagopus
Buteo lagopus#Translingual


ajkla tat-tikek

lesser spotted eagle
lesser spotted eagle

Clanga pomarina
Clanga pomarina#Translingual


ajkla rjali

Aquila chrysaetos
Aquila chrysaetos#Translingual


ajkla tal-kalzetti

Hieraaetus pennatus
Hieraaetus pennatus#Translingual


spanjulett sekond

Falco naumanni
Falco naumanni#Translingual


spanjulett

Falco tinnunculus
Falco tinnunculus#Translingual


spanjulett Amerikan

Falco sparverius
Falco sparverius#Translingual


żumbrell

From a diminutive form of żgombru (“mackerel”), from Italian sgombro (“mackerel”).

Falco vespertinus
Falco vespertinus#Translingual


seqer ta' denbu

Falco columbarius
Falco columbarius#Translingual


seqer tal-ħannieqa

Falco subbuteo
Falco subbuteo#Translingual


bies tar-reġina

Falco eleonorae
Falco eleonorae#Translingual


żumbrell Għarbi

Falco concolor
Falco concolor#Translingual


bies tad-deżert

Falco biarmicus
Falco biarmicus#Translingual


bies tal-Lvant

Falco cherrug
Falco cherrug#Translingual


bies ta' Barbarija

bies ta’ Barbarija (canonical masculine)

Falco pelegrinoides
Falco pelegrinoides#Translingual


gallozz tax-xitwa

Rallus aquaticus
Rallus aquaticus#Translingual


gallozz tat-tikek

Porzana porzana
Porzana porzana#Translingual


gallozz żgħir

Porzana parva
Porzana parva#Translingual


gallozz tal-faxxi

Porzana pusilla
Porzana pusilla#Translingual

Baillon's crake (Zapornia pusilla, syn. Porzana pusilla)


gallozz tal-istrixxi

Aenigmatolimnas marginalis
Aenigmatolimnas marginalis#Translingual

striped crake (Aenigmatolimnas marginalis)


gallozz iswed

Gallinula chloropus
Gallinula chloropus#Translingual


gallozz tal-Afrika

Porphyrio alleni
Porphyrio alleni#Translingual


gallozz prim

Porphyrio porphyrio
Porphyrio porphyrio#Translingual


tiġieġ tat-toppu

Fulica cristata
Fulica cristata#Translingual


grawwa

Borrowed from Italian grua, an obsolete form of gru.


bettieħ

bettieħa (singulative)
btietaħ (plural)
bettiħat (paucal)
bettiħiet (paucal)

From Arabic بِطِّيخ (biṭṭīḵ). The etymologically more justified (and prescriptively preferred) spelling bettiħ is very rare in practice since the word is treated as belonging to the common measure C-e-CC-ie-C. (The phonemes /iː/ and /ɪː/ are merged before /ħ/ and /ʔ/.)

inh

Arabic بِطِّيخ (biṭṭīḵ)


gallina tal-baħar

Haematopus ostralegus
Haematopus ostralegus#Translingual

Eurasian oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus)


fras-servjent

Himantopus himantopus
Himantopus himantopus#Translingual

black-winged stilt (Himantopus himantopus)


xifa

From Arabic شِيف (šīf, “prickles on the stems and branches of palm-trees”). The biological uses by analogy with the form of the beak and shell respectively.

Recurvirostra avosetta
Recurvirostra avosetta#Translingual

pied avocet (a bird, Recurvirostra avosetta)

tusk shell, especially of the genus Dentalium


tellerit

Borrowed from Sicilian taddarita, tallarita.

bor+

Eurasian stone-curlew
Eurasian stone-curlew

Burhinus oedicnemus
Burhinus oedicnemus#Translingual

Eurasian stone-curlew (Burhinus oedicnemus)


nankina

cream-colored courser
cream-colored courser

Cursorius cursor
Cursorius cursor#Translingual

cream-colored courser (Cursorius cursor)


perniċjotta

Glareola pratincola
Glareola pratincola#Translingual

collared pratincole (Glareola pratincola)


monakella

little ringed plover
little ringed plover

Charadrius dubius
Charadrius dubius#Translingual

little ringed plover (Charadrius dubius)


monakella prima

Charadrius hiaticula
Charadrius hiaticula#Translingual


monakella żgħira

Charadrius alexandrinus
Charadrius alexandrinus#Translingual

Kentish plover (Charadrius alexandrinus)


birwin tal-lvant

Charadrius leschenaultii
Charadrius leschenaultii#Translingual

greater sand plover (Charadrius leschenaultii)


birwin tal-Asja

Charadrius asiaticus
Charadrius asiaticus#Translingual


birwin

birwina (singulative)
briewen (plural)
birwiniet (paucal)

Charadrius morinellus
Charadrius morinellus#Translingual

Eurasian dotterel (Charadrius morinellus)


pluviera żgħira

Pluvialis fulva
Pluvialis fulva#Translingual


pluviera

mt-noun

pluviera f (plural pluvieri or pluveriet)

Ultimately from Vulgar Latin *pluviārius

Eurasian golden plover
Eurasian golden plover

Pluvialis apricaria
Pluvialis apricaria#Translingual

Eurasian golden plover (Pluvialis apricaria)


pluviera griża

Pluvialis squatarola
Pluvialis squatarola#Translingual


venewwa tal-ixpruni

Vanellus spinosus
Vanellus spinosus#Translingual


venewwa tal-qtajja'

venewwa tal-qtajja’ (canonical feminine)

Vanellus gregarius
Vanellus gregarius#Translingual


venewwa denbha abjad

white-tailed lapwing
white-tailed lapwing

Vanellus leucurus
Vanellus leucurus#Translingual

white-tailed lapwing (Vanellus leucurus)


venewwa

Vanellus vanellus
Vanellus vanellus#Translingual

lapwing (bird):
northern lapwing (Vanellus vanellus)


pispisella prima

Calidris canutus
Calidris canutus#Translingual


pispisella bajda

Calidris alba
Calidris alba#Translingual


tertux

tertux m (plural trietex, feminine tertuxa)

Calidris minuta
Calidris minuta#Translingual


tertuxa griża

Calidris temminckii
Calidris temminckii#Translingual


pispisella Amerikana

Calidris melanotos
Calidris melanotos#Translingual


pispisella ħamra

Calidris ferruginea
Calidris ferruginea#Translingual


pispisella tad-dabra

Calidris alpina
Calidris alpina#Translingual


wiżagħ

lizards (in practice especially geckos or lacertids)


xaħmet

Clipping of xaħmet l-art (“skink”, literally “fat of the soil”).


xaħmet l-art

xaħma (“piece of fat”) + il- (definite article) + art (“ground, soil”), literally “piece of fat of the soil”.


qastan

From Arabic قَسْطَن (qasṭan), a variant of كَسْتَنَاء (kastanāʔ), from Ancient Greek κάστανα (kástana).


sebuqa

Borrowed from Sicilian savucu, from Latin sambūcus.


gellux

mt-noun

gellux m (plural glielex, paucal gelluxiet, feminine gelluxa, diminutive glejlex)

glielex (plural)
gelluxiet (paucal)
gelluxa (feminine)
glejlex (diminutive)


għaniqa

/aˤːˈnɪː.ʔa/

a young goat (at roughly one year of age)


wiżż

wiżża (singulative)
wiżeż (plural)
wiżżiet (paucal)


bagħdan

Alteration of older bagħdam, probably from *bugħ(a)dam, from bu + għadam, literally “the one with the bones”, probably referring to its pellet. Għadam is here an obsolete plural from Arabic عِظام (ʕiẓām), which explains the final stress.

af

western marsh harrier
western marsh harrier

harrier, especially the western marsh harrier


blonġun

Podiceps cristatus
Podiceps cristatus#Translingual

great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus)


gallozz

From a variant form of Sicilian gadduzzu d'acqua.


pappagall

(figuratively) parrot (person who repeats what was said)


karfus

karfusa (singulative)
krafes (plural)
karfusiet (paucal)

By back-formation from the plural krafes, from a variant of Arabic كَرَفْس (karafs) reinterpreted as a plural form. Compare Moroccan Arabic كرافس (krāfis, “celery”), Tunisian Arabic كرافس (krāfis, “celery”).


xnien

From Arabic أُشْنَان (ʔušnān), شِنَان (šinān).

inh

Arabic أُشْنَان (ʔušnān)


brinġiel

brinġiela (singulative)
brinġiliet (paucal)


durrajsa

mt-noun

durrajsa f (plural durrajs, paucal durrajsiet)

Emberiza calandra
Emberiza calandra#Translingual


durrajsa ħamra

yellow-breasted bunting
yellow-breasted bunting

Emberiza aureola
Emberiza aureola#Translingual

yellow-breasted bunting (Emberiza aureola)


durrajsa qerqnija

Emberiza pusilla
Emberiza pusilla#Translingual


durrajsa rasha sewda

black-headed bunting
black-headed bunting

Emberiza melanocephala
Emberiza melanocephala#Translingual

black-headed bunting (Emberiza melanocephala)


durrajsa safra

Emberiza citrinella
Emberiza citrinella#Translingual


durrajsa sekonda

Emberiza schoeniclus
Emberiza schoeniclus#Translingual


durrajsa selvaġġa

Emberiza rustica
Emberiza rustica#Translingual


durrajsa skura

Emberiza cineracea
Emberiza cineracea#Translingual


durrajsa tal-maltemp

Plectrophenax nivalis
Plectrophenax nivalis#Translingual


durrajsa tan-nord

Calcarius lapponicus
Calcarius lapponicus#Translingual


ortolan rasu blu

Cretzschmar's bunting
Cretzschmar's bunting

Emberiza caesia
Emberiza caesia#Translingual


ortolan iswed

Emberiza cirlus
Emberiza cirlus#Translingual


ħafur kbir rari

sterile oat (Avena sterilis subsp. altherantha)


ħafur żgħir

slender wild oat (Avena barbata subsp. barbata)


ħafur kbir ta' Ludovik

ħafur kbir ta’ Ludovik (canonical masculine)

winter wild-oat (Avena sterilis subsp. ludoviciana)


bies rari

Falco biarmicus
Falco biarmicus#Translingual


bies tal-barr

Falco pelegrinoides
Falco pelegrinoides#Translingual


bies prim

Falco peregrinus
Falco peregrinus#Translingual


bies sekond

Falco subbuteo
Falco subbuteo#Translingual


brimb

brimba (singulative)
brimbejn (dual)
brimbiet (paucal)

Ninżel fuq tarf is-siġġu u ngħolli għajnejja ’l fuq bis-slow motion. Il-brimba ta’ fuq moħħha ma tidhirx feroċi daqskemm ħsibt, ejja.


sensiela

Pimpinella saxifraga
Pimpinella saxifraga#Translingual


pastard

pastarda (singulative)
pastardiet (paucal)


żiemel tax-xmara

żiemel tax-xmara m (plural żwiemel tax-xmara)


qattus saqajh suwed

Felis nigripes
Felis nigripes#Translingual


qattus rasu ċatta

Prionailurus planiceps
Prionailurus planiceps#Translingual

flat-headed cat (Prionailurus planiceps)


qattus tat-tikek lewn is-sadid

rusty-spotted cat (Prionailurus rubiginosus)


qattus imraħħam

Pardofelis marmorata
Pardofelis marmorata#Translingual


ors xufftejh kbar

Melursus ursinus
Melursus ursinus#Translingual


ors tax-xemx

/ˌɔrs taʃˈʃɛmʃ/


ors tan-nuċċali

Tremarctos ornatus
Tremarctos ornatus#Translingual


jena bl-istrixxi

Hyaena hyaena
Hyaena hyaena#Translingual


ċawl ta' Sqallija

ċawl ta’ Sqallija (canonical masculine)
ċawla ta’ Sqallija (singulative)

Synonym of ċawl abjad: magpie (Pica pica)


ċawl griż

Corvus cornix
Corvus cornix#Translingual


ċawlun griż

Synonym of ċawl griż: hooded crow (Corvus cornix)


sultan iċ-ċawl

sultan iċ-ċawl m (plural slaten iċ-ċawl)

Garrulus glandarius
Garrulus glandarius#Translingual


ċawlun

Corvus corone
Corvus corone#Translingual


gilpa

Borrowed from Sicilian gulpi. Doublet of volpi.


babwin

babwin m (plural babwini, feminine babwina)

Borrowed from Italian babuino. Doublet of babun.


qaraboċċ

Sorghum bicolor
Sorghum bicolor#Translingual


lampuka tat-Torok

lampuka tat-Torok f (plural lampuki tat-Torok)


malvizz

malvizz m (plural mlievez or mlavez or malvizzi)

mlievez (plural)
mlavez (plural)
malvizzi (plural)


malvizz iswed

Turdus merula
Turdus merula#Translingual


dirbi

dirbi m (plural driebi, feminine dirbija)

Probably from Arabic ظِرْبَاء (ẓirbāʔ), a variant of ظَرِبَان (ẓaribān).

inh

Arabic ظِرْبَاء (ẓirbāʔ)


venewwa Ingliża

Vanellus gregarius
Vanellus gregarius#Translingual


ċerna

ċeren (plural)
ċrun (plural)
ċrien (plural)

Borrowed from Sicilian cernia and/or Italian cernia.


fanfru

mt-noun

fanfru m (plural fanfri, feminine fanfra)


ċerna tal-fond

ċerna tal-fond f (plural ċeren tal-fond or ċrun tal-fond or ċrien tal-fond)

ċeren tal-fond (plural)
ċrun tal-fond (plural)
ċrien tal-fond (plural)

Synonym of ċerna: wreckfish (Polyprion americanus)


fanfru barrani

lampuka tat-Torok
lampuka tat-Torok#Maltese

Synonym of lampuka tat-Torok: blackfish (Centrolophus niger)


spnott

spnotta (singulative)
spnotti (plural)
spnottiet (paucal)

Dicentrarchus labrax
Dicentrarchus labrax#Translingual

spotted seabass (Dicentrarchus punctatus)


gurbell

Borrowed from Sicilian curveddu, curbeddu.


gurbell rar

Synonym of gurbell: meagre (Argyrosomus regius)


spnott tat-tbajja'

spnott tat-tbajja’ (canonical masculine)
spnotta tat-tbajja’ (singulative)
spnotti tat-tbajja’ (plural)
spnottiet tat-tbajja’ (paucal)

Synonym of spnott: spotted seabass (Dicentrarchus punctatus)


difla

Nerium oleander
Nerium oleander#Translingual


trombettier

trombettier m (plural trombettieri or trombettiera, feminine trombettiera)

trombettieri (plural)
trombettiera (plural)
trombettiera (feminine)

Bucanetes githagineus
Bucanetes githagineus#Translingual