Iraq

Internationalism, ultimately from Arabic الْعِرَاق (al-ʕirāq). The pronunciation with /ʔ/ is probably spelling-based, but perhaps reinforced by a learned understanding that the Arabic ق (q) corresponds to Maltese q.

Repubblika tal-Iraq
Repubblika tal-Iraq#Maltese

Iraq (a country in Western Asia, in the Middle East; official name: Repubblika tal-Iraq)


Andorra

Prinċipat ta’ Andorra
Prinċipat ta' Andorra#Maltese

Andorra (a microstate in Southern Europe, between Spain and France; official name: Prinċipat ta’ Andorra)


Iran

Repubblika Iżlamika tal-Iran
Repubblika Iżlamika tal-Iran#Maltese

Iran (a country in West Asia, in the Middle East; official name: Repubblika Iżlamika tal-Iran)


Malta

→ English: Malta

French: Malte

Irish: Málta

→ Italian: Malta

→ Portuguese: Malta

→ Spanish: Malta
→ Tagalog: Malta

From Arabic مَالِطَا (māliṭā) etc., from Latin Melita, from Ancient Greek Μελίτη (Melítē).

inh

Arabic مَالِطَا (māliṭā)

Malta (an island country in Southern Europe)

Malta (The largest island in the Maltese Archipelago)


Oman

Oman (a country in Western Asia, in the Middle East; official name: Saltna tal-Oman)


Pakistan

Pakistan (a country in South Asia; official name: Repubblika Iżlamika tal-Pakistan)


Qatar

Qatar (a country in Western Asia, in the Middle East; official name: Stat tal-Qatar)


Sudan

Repubblika tas-Sudan
Repubblika tas-Sudan#Maltese

Sudan (a country in North Africa and East Africa; official name: Repubblika tas-Sudan)


Singapore

Repubblika ta’ Singapore
Repubblika ta' Singapore#Maltese

Singapore (an island and city-state in Southeast Asia, located off the southernmost tip of the Malay Peninsula; a former British crown colony; official name: Repubblika ta’ Singapore)


Chad

Repubblika taċ-Chad
Repubblika taċ-Chad#Maltese

Chad (a country in Central Africa; official name: Repubblika taċ-Chad)


Belarus

Synonym of Belarussja: Belarus (a country in Eastern Europe)


Belfast

Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland#English

Belfast (the capital city of Northern Ireland)


Londra

London (the capital city of the United Kingdom; capital city of England)


Afganistan

Afghanistan (A landlocked country between Central Asia and South Asia; official name: Repubblika Iżlamika tal-Afganistan)


Amerika

America (the continents of North America and South America)

United States of America
United States of America#English

United States of America (a country in North America)


Albanija

Southeast Europe
Southeast Europe#English

Repubblika tal-Albanija
Repubblika tal-Albanija#Maltese

Albania (a country in Southeast Europe; official name: Repubblika tal-Albanija)


Jemen

Repubblika tal-Jemen
Repubblika tal-Jemen#Maltese

Yemen (a country in Western Asia, in the Middle East; official name: Repubblika tal-Jemen)


Kosovo

Balkan Peninsula
Balkan Peninsula#English

Kosovo (A partly-recognized country on the Balkan Peninsula in Southeast Europe)


Perù

Repubblika tal-Perù
Repubblika tal-Perù#Maltese

Peru (a country in South America; official name: Repubblika tal-Perù)


Russja

Federazzjoni Russa
Federazzjoni Russa#Maltese

Russia (A transcontinental country in Eastern Europe and North Asia; official name: Federazzjoni Russa)


Bulgarija

Bulgaria (a country in Southeast Europe)


Spanja

Renju ta’ Spanja
Renju ta' Spanja#Maltese

Spain (a country in Southern Europe, including most of the Iberian peninsula; official name: Renju ta’ Spanja)


Stati Uniti

L-Istati Uniti (canonical masculine plural)

Borrowed from Italian Stati Uniti, from English United States.

United States (a country in North America)


Marsaxlokk

From marsa (“harbour”) + xlokk (“southeast”).

Marsaxlokk (a village and local council of the Southern Region, Malta)


Danimarka

Denmark (a country in Europe, the metropole of the sovereign nation of the same name)


Ġappun

Internationalism. Compare Italian Giappone.

Japan (a country and archipelago in East Asia)


Ġamajka

Internationalism, from Italian Giamaica.

Jamaica (an island and country in the Caribbean)


Lussemburgu

Internationalism, from Italian Lussemburgo.

Luxembourg (a small country in Western Europe)

Luxembourg (a province of Wallonia, Belgium)

Luxembourg, Luxembourg City (the capital city of Luxembourg)

Luxembourg (One of the twelve cantons of the country of Luxembourg, which includes its capital city)


Awstralja

Australia (A country in Oceania comprising the islands of Australia, Tasmania and other smaller islands in the Pacific Ocean, as well as a former colony in the British Empire)

(geology) Australia (a continent consisting of the islands of Australia, New Guinea and intervening islands)


Ingilterra

Internationalism, from Italian Inghilterra.

England (a constituent country of the United Kingdom in Europe)


Baħar l-Isfar

A loan translation, probably of Italian Mar Giallo. Compare the corresponding Arabic البَحْر الأَصْفَر (al-baḥr al-ʔaṣfar), which cannot be the source, however.

cog

البَحْر الأَصْفَر


Baħar l-Aħmar

Probably a loan translation of Italian Mar Rosso. Inheritance from Arabic الْبَحْر الْأَحْمَر (al-baḥr al-ʔaḥmar) cannot be ruled out entirely, but is very unlikely in light of the fact that Maltese has inherited virtually no geographical names from outside Malta at all.

الْبَحْر الْأَحْمَر


Nikosija

Nicosia (the capital city of Cyprus and Northern Cyprus)


Ġibiltà

Internationalism, from English Gibraltar.

Gibraltar (a peninsula, city, and overseas territory of the United Kingdom, at the southern end of Iberia)


Ukrajna

Ukraine (a country in Eastern Europe, bordering on the north shore of the Black Sea)


oċean

/ɔˈt͡ʃɛː.an/


Irlanda ta' Fuq

Northern Ireland (a country in northwestern Europe, a constituent country of the United Kingdom)


Urugwaj

Uruguay (a country in South America; official name: Repubblika Orjentali tal-Urugwaj)


Portugall

Repubblika Portugiża
Repubblika Portugiża#Maltese

Portugal (a country in Southern Europe, on the Iberian Peninsula; official name: Repubblika Portugiża)


Armenja

Repubblika tal-Armenja
Repubblika tal-Armenja#Maltese

Armenia (A country in the South Caucasus region of Asia, sometimes considered to belong politically to Europe; official name: Repubblika tal-Armenja)


Mdina

Literally, “the city”, from mdina (“city”, obsolete), from Arabic مَدِينَة (madīna, “city, town”).

Mdina (a city and local council of the Western Region; former capital city of Malta)


Mtarfa

Mtarfa (a town and local council of the Northern Region, Malta)


Baħar Adrijatiku

Il-Baħar Adrijatiku (canonical masculine)


Baħamas

Bahamas (an archipelago and country in the Caribbean)


għandi l-għatx

/ˌaˤːn.dɪ ˈlaˤːt͡ʃ/


għandi l-ġuħ

/ˌaːn.dɪ‿lˈd͡ʒuːħ/

/ˌaˤːn.dɪ‿lˈd͡ʒuːħ/


Angulja

Anguilla (an archipelago and overseas territory of the United Kingdom, in the Caribbean Sea)


Italja

Borrowed from Italian Italia, from Latin Italia.


mt-proper noun

Ir-Renju Unit tal-Gran Brittanja u l-Irlanda ta' Fuq

Ir-Renju Unit tal-Gran Brittanja u l-Irlanda ta’ Fuq m

/ɪrˈrɛn.ju wuˈniːt talˈɡram brɪtˈtan.ja‿w lɪrˈlan.da taˈfuːʔ/

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland#English

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (a country in Europe)


Gran Brittanja

Ir-Renju Unit tal-Gran Brittanja u l-Irlanda ta’ Fuq


Awstrija

Repubblika tal-Awstrija
Repubblika tal-Awstrija#Maltese

Austria (a country in Central Europe; official name: Repubblika tal-Awstrija)


Ażerbajġan

Azerbaijan (a country in the South Caucasus, Asia and Europe)


Ċipru

Borrowed from Sicilian Cipru and/or Italian Cipro.

Cyprus (an island and country in the Mediterranean Sea, normally considered politically part of Southeast Europe but geographically part of Western Asia)


Ġermanja

Germany (a country in Central Europe, formed in 1949 as West Germany, with its provisional capital Bonn until 1990, when it incorporated East Germany; official name: Repubblika Federali tal-Ġermanja)


Indja

Repubblika tal-Indja
Repubblika tal-Indja#Maltese

India (a country in South Asia; official name: Repubblika tal-Indja)


Serbja

Serbia (a country on the Balkan Peninsula in Southeast Europe)


Slovenja

Slovenia (a country on the Balkan Peninsula in Central Europe)


Polonja

Repubblika tal-Polonja
Repubblika tal-Polonja#Maltese

Poland (a country in Central Europe; official name: Repubblika tal-Polonja)


Kroazja

Repubblika tal-Kroazja
Repubblika tal-Kroazja#Maltese

Croatia (a country on the Balkan Peninsula in Southeast Europe; official name: Repubblika tal-Kroazja)


Marsa

Literally, “the harbour”, from marsa (“harbour”).

Marsa (a town and local council of the Southern Region, Malta)


Belġju

Renju tal-Belġju
Renju tal-Belġju#English

Belgium (a country in Western Europe that has borders with the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg and France; official name: Renju tal-Belġju)


Marokk

Borrowed from Italian Marocco, from Portuguese Marrocos and/or Spanish Marruecos, from Arabic مُرَّاكُش (murrākuš), probably from Berber; compare Moroccan Amazigh ⴰⵎⵓⵔ ⵏ ⴰⴽⵓⵛ (amur n akuc, literally “Land of God”).

cog

Renju tal-Marokk
Renju tal-Marokk#Maltese

Morocco (a country in North Africa; official name: Renju tal-Marokk)


Katalonja

autonomous community
autonomous community

Catalonia (an autonomous community of Spain)


Vjetnam

Vietnam (a country in Southeast Asia; official name: Repubblika Soċjalista tal-Vjetnam)


Sqallija

From Arabic صِقِلِّيَّة (ṣiqilliyya). One of the very few geographical names from outside Malta that were inherited.

Sicily (The largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, an autonomous region of Italy, close to Africa and separated from Tunisia and Libya by the Strait of Sicily)


gżira

mt-noun

gżira f (plural gżejjer or gżiriet, diminutive gżejra)

gżejjer (plural)
gżiriet (plural)
gżejra (diminutive)

From Arabic جَزِيرَة (jazīra). The affrication of the initial consonant was blocked, or early on reverted, under the influence of the following alveolar fricative. Compare Moroccan Arabic جزيرة (gzīra).

Ir-Repubblika ta’ Malta tikkonsisti minn arċipelago ta’ seba’ gżejjer.

The Republic of Malta consists of an archipelago of seven islands.

Imnalla għajjatlu Fredu u kellu jwaqqaf l-eloġju ta’ nannuh, għax naħseb l-istorja li kien imiss kienet li għandu xi gżira privata.

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

Tal-għaġeb kif tweġibna bil-ġustizzja tiegħek, o Alla tas-salvazzjoni tagħna. Int tama ta’ min jgħix fi truf l-art u fi gżejjer fl-ibħra mbiegħda.

c. 2015, Il-Bibbja : il-Kotba Mqaddsa, 5th edition, Valletta: Ghaqda Biblika Maltija, →OCLC, Il-Ktieb tas-Salmi 65:6:

New International Version translation: You answer us with awesome and righteous deeds, God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas

Għax wasal jum il-qerda tal-Filistin ilkoll kemm huma, biex jinqered għal Tir u għal Sidon, kull min għad fadal jgħinhom. Għax il-Mulej se jeqred il-Filistin, il-bqija tal-gżira ta’ Kaftor.

c. 2015, Il-Bibbja : il-Kotba Mqaddsa, 5th edition, Valletta: Ghaqda Biblika Maltija, →OCLC, Il-Ktieb tal-Profeta Ġeremija 47:4:

New International Version translation: For the day has come to destroy all the Philistines and to remove all survivors who could help Tyre and Sidon. The Lord is about to destroy the Philistines, the remnant from the coasts of Caphtor.

Għid lil Tir, sultana fuq dħul il-baħar, neguzjanta tal-popli f’ħafna gżejjer, dan jgħid Sidi l-Mulej; Tir, int għedt: ‘Jiena ġifen ta’ ġmiel bla qjies!’

c. 2015, Il-Bibbja : il-Kotba Mqaddsa, 5th edition, Valletta: Ghaqda Biblika Maltija, →OCLC, Il-Ktieb tal-Profeta Eżekjel 27:3:

New International Version translation: Say to Tyre, situated at the gateway to the sea, merchant of peoples on many coasts, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: “‘You say, Tyre, “I am perfect in beauty.”

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:


Għawdex

From Arabic غَوْدَش (ḡawdaš), eventually probably from a Phoenician root 𐤂-𐤅-𐤋 (g-w-l), meaning something like “turn around”. If this derivation is correct, the Arabs must have got the name from Ancient Greek Γαύδος (Gaúdos), Γαύλος (Gaúlos), perhaps through Latin Gaudos, Gaulos. The specifics of the borrowing are related to the question of the pre-Arabic language of Malta and whether there was any population continuity after the conquest.

Gozo (The second-largest island of the Republic of Malta)


Greċja

Southeast Europe
Southeast Europe#English


Fontana

Fontana (a village and local council of the Gozo Region, Malta)


Żagreb

Zagreb (the capital and largest city of Croatia)


Filippini

Repubblika tal-Filippini
Repubblika tal-Filippini#Maltese

Philippines (a country in Southeast Asia; official name: Repubblika tal-Filippini)


Masar

(obsolete) Synonym of Eġittu: Egypt (a country in North Africa and Western Asia)


Iżlanda

North Atlantic Ocean
North Atlantic Ocean#English

Iceland (a country in the North Atlantic Ocean, Europe)


Żvizzera

Borrowed from Italian Svizzera, from Early New High German.

Switzerland (a country in Western Europe and Central Europe)


Brażil

Brazil (A large Portuguese-speaking country in South America)


Magħreb

From Arabic الْمَغْرِب (al-maḡrib). The sense “North Africa” is likely not inherited, but a semantic loan from Italian Magreb, English Maghreb, themselves borrowed from the Arabic. Doublet of Magreb (Romance-based).

(purist) Morocco (a country in North Africa)


Ħ'Attard

Attard (a town and local council of the Northern Region, Malta)


Ħal Balzan

Balzan (a village and local council of the Northern Region, Malta)


Birgu

Birgu (a city and local council of the Port Region, Malta)


Birkirkara

From bir + karkar “running water” referring to the valley in town (literally “dragging well).

Birkirkara (a city and local council of the Eastern Region, Malta)


Birżebbuġa

bir + żebbuġa, literally “well of olive”

af

Birżebbuġa (a town and local council of the Southern Region, Malta)


Bormla

From old Maltese Bir Mula (“well of the Lord”).

Cospicua (a city and local council of the Port Region, Malta)


Ħad-Dingli

Dingli (a village and local council of the Western Region, Malta)


Eġittu

Borrowed from Italian Egitto, from Latin Aegyptus, from Ancient Greek Αἴγυπτος (Aíguptos).

Repubblika Għarbija tal-Eġittu
Repubblika Għarbija tal-Eġittu#English

Egypt (a country in North Africa and Western Asia; official name: Repubblika Għarbija tal-Eġittu)


Nadur

inh

Arabic نَاظُور (nāẓūr)

Nadur (a city and local council of the Gozo Region, Malta)


Floriana

Floriana (a town and local council of the Port Region, Malta)


Baħrejn

Calque of Arabic الْبَحْرَيْن (al-baḥrayn). By surface analysis, baħar (“sea”) + -ejn (dual suffix), literally “two seas”.

calque

الْبَحْرَيْن

surf

Bahrain (an archipelago, island, and country in Western Asia, in the Persian Gulf)


Afrika t'Isfel

Repubblika tal-Afrika t’Isfel
Repubblika tal-Afrika t'Isfel#Maltese

South Africa (a country in Southern Africa; official name: Repubblika tal-Afrika t’Isfel)


Alġerija

Repubblika Demokratika tal-Poplu tal-Alġerija#English

Algeria (a country in North Africa; official name: Repubblika Demokratika tal-Poplu tal-Alġerija)


Żvezja

Renju tal-Iżvezja
Renju tal-Iżvezja#Maltese

Sweden (a country in Scandinavia in Europe; official name: Renju tal-Iżvezja)


Żimbabwe

Repubblika taż-Żimbabwe
Repubblika taż-Żimbabwe#Maltese

Zimbabwe (a country in Southern Africa; official name: Repubblika taż-Żimbabwe)


Żambja

Repubblika taż-Żambja
Repubblika taż-Żambja#Maltese

Zambia (a country in Southern Africa; official name: Repubblika taż-Żambja)


Venezwela

Venezuela (a country in South America; official name: Repubblika Bolivarjana tal-Venezwela)


Sudan t'Isfel

Repubblika tas-Sudan t’Isfel
Repubblika tas-Sudan t'Isfel#Maltese

South Sudan (a country in East Africa, formerly the southern part of Sudan; official name: Repubblika tas-Sudan t’Isfel)


Maċedonja ta' Fuq

Il-Maċedonja ta’ Fuq (canonical feminine)

North Macedonia
North Macedonia#English:_Q221

Balkan Peninsula
Balkan Peninsula#English

Repubblika tal-Maċedonja ta' Fuq#Maltese

North Macedonia (a country on the Balkan Peninsula in Southeast Europe; official name: Repubblika tal-Maċedonja ta’ Fuq)


Tuneżija

Repubblika tat-Tuneżija
Repubblika tat-Tuneżija#Maltese

Tunisia (a country in North Africa; official name: Repubblika tat-Tuneżija)


Libja

Libya (a country in North Africa; official name: Stat tal-Libja)


Użbekistan

Repubblika tal-Użbekistan
Repubblika tal-Użbekistan#Maltese

Uzbekistan (a country in Central Asia; official name: Repubblika tal-Użbekistan)


Norveġja

Renju tan-Norveġja
Renju tan-Norveġja#Maltese

Norway (a country in Scandinavia, in northern Europe; official name: Renju tan-Norveġja)


Repubblika Ċentru-Afrikana

Ir-Repubblika Ċentru-Afrikana (canonical feminine)

Central African Republic
Central African Republic#English:_Q929

Central African Republic (a country in Central Africa)


Repubblika Demokratika tal-Kongo

Ir-Repubblika Demokratika tal-Kongo (canonical feminine)

Democratic Republic of the Congo#English:_Q974

Democratic Republic of the Congo (a country in Central Africa)


Repubblika Dominicana

Ir-Repubblika Dominicana (canonical feminine)

Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic#English:_Q786

Dominican Republic (a country in the Caribbean)


Emirati Għarab Magħquda

L-Emirati Għarab Magħquda (canonical plural)

LL-Q9166 (mlt)-GħawdxiVeru-Emirati Għarab Magħquda.wav

United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates#English:_Q878

United Arab Emirates (a country in Western Asia, in the Middle East)


Kuwajt

Kuwait (a country in Western Asia, in the Middle East; official name: Stat tal-Kuwajt)


Ġordan

Renju Ħaxemita tal-Ġordan
Renju Ħaxemita tal-Ġordan#Maltese

Jordan (a country in Western Asia, in the Middle East; official name: Renju Ħaxemita tal-Ġordan)

Kif temm dan id-diskors, Ġesù telaq mill-Galilija u mar il-Lhudija, fl-inħawi ’l hemm mill-Ġordan

c. 2015, Il-Bibbja : il-Kotba Mqaddsa, 5th edition, Valletta: Ghaqda Biblika Maltija, →OCLC, San Mattew 19:1:

New International Version translation: When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went into the region of Judea to the other side of the Jordan.

U Lot għażel l-inħawi kollha madwar il-Ġordan u telaq lejn il-Lvant; u hekk tbiegħdu minn xulxin.

c. 2015, Il-Bibbja : il-Kotba Mqaddsa, 5th edition, Valletta: Ghaqda Biblika Maltija, →OCLC, Il-Ktieb tal-Ġenesi 13:11:

New International Version translation: So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company: […]

U Mosè u Elgħażar il-qassis kellmuhom fil-wita ta’ Mowab, ħdejn il-Ġordan, biswit Ġeriko, u qalulhom: […]

c. 2015, Il-Bibbja : il-Kotba Mqaddsa, 5th edition, Valletta: Ghaqda Biblika Maltija, →OCLC, Il-Ktieb tan-Numri 26:3:

New International Version translation: So on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho, Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke with them and said, […]

Jordan (a river in Western Asia, in the Middle East, that empties into the Dead Sea, flowing through Israel, the Golan Heights, the West Bank and Jordan)


Arabja Sawdija

Renju tal-Arabja Sawdija
Renju tal-Arabja Sawdija#Maltese

Saudi Arabia (a country in Western Asia, in the Middle East; official name: Renju tal-Arabja Sawdija)


Xam

(obsolete) Synonym of Damasku: Damascus (the capital city of Syria)


Liżbona

Iberian Peninsula
Iberian Peninsula#English

Lisbon (a port city on the Iberian Peninsula, at the mouth of the Tagus River on the Atlantic Ocean; capital city of Portugal)


Namibja

Repubblika tan-Namibja
Repubblika tan-Namibja#Maltese

Namibia (a country in Southern Africa; official name: Repubblika tan-Namibja)


Tal-Imħammed

ta’ + l- + Imħammed, literally “(of the) Muhammad”.

af

Tal-Imħammed (a locality in Marsaxlokk, Southern Region, Malta)


Siċilja

Sicily (The largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, an autonomous region of Italy, close to Africa and separated from Tunisia and Libya by the Strait of Sicily)


Mġarr

Literally, “the wharf”, from mġarr (“the wharf, the landing place”).

Mġarr (a village and local council of the Northern Region, Malta)

Mġarr (a town in the Gozo Region, Malta)


Mosta

Noun of place from wast, literally Middle Place.

Mosta (a city and local council of the Northern Region, Malta)


Brażilja

Distrito Federal
Distrito Federal#English

Brasília (a municipality, the capital city of Brazil; state capital of Distrito Federal, Brazil)


Mellieħa

Mellieħa (a village and local council of the Northern Region, Malta)


Ħal Għargħur

From għar (“cave”) + għul (“ogre”). Modern irregular pronunciation possibly due to other old name of Casal Gregorio, Girgor or in this case Gargur in Maltese. The generally-considered-folk etymology of ‘the English mixing up the pronunciation of the name’ might have also taken effect.

Għargħur (a village and local council of the Eastern Region, Malta)


Fgura

From fgura or else from old surname Ficura.

Fgura (a town and local council of the Port Region, Malta)


Għajnsielem

From għajn (“spring”) + sielem (a name), literally “spring of Sielem”.

Għajnsielem (a village and local council of the Gozo Region, Malta)


Għarb

Għarb (a village and local council of the Gozo Region, Malta)


San Pawl il-Baħar

St. Paul's Bay (a village and local council of the Northern Region, Malta)


Tas-Sliema

Sliema (a town and local council of the Eastern Region, Malta)


Ħal Qormi

Qormi (a city and local council of the Southern Region, Malta)


Ħaż-Żabbar

Żabbar (a city and local council of the Port Region, Malta)


Unjoni Sovjetika

(historical) Soviet Union (a former transcontinental country in Europe and Asia (1922–1991), now split into Russia and 14 other countries)


Parlament Ewropew

Il-Parlament Ewropew (canonical masculine)