A

The first letter of the Maltese alphabet, written in the Latin script.


April

Qalbi xebgħet bil-bejta
li dejjem ta’ kull sena
titwaqqa’ kull ħarifa,
u kull April tinbena,

1949-1952, Anton Buttigieg, “Il-Bejta ta’ Dejjem”, in Qasba mar-Riħ, published 1977:


f

The sixth letter of the Maltese alphabet, written in the Latin script.


kun

second-person singular imperative of kien


plural

plural sħiħ

plural miksur


o

The nineteenth letter of the Maltese alphabet, written in the Latin script.


i

long phoneme before the letters għ, ħ, h, q; merges with ie

after għ; variation is regional and idiolectal

The twelfth letter of the Maltese alphabet, written in the Latin script.


umbrella

mt-noun

umbrella f (plural umbrelel, diminutive umbrellin or umbrellina)

umbrelel (plural)
umbrellin (diminutive)
umbrellina (diminutive)


port

Borrowed from Sicilian portu, from Latin portus.


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)


bank

bank (financial building or institution)

bank (an underwater area of higher elevation, a sandbank)


bank

bank m (plural bankijiet, diminutive bnajjak or banketta)

bankijiet (plural)
bnajjak (diminutive)
banketta (diminutive)

counter (table or board on which business is transacted)


but

but m (plural bwiet, diminutive bwejjet or buta or bwejta)

bwiet (plural)
bwejjet (diminutive)
buta (diminutive)
bwejta (diminutive)


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 archipelago and country in Southern Europe, in the Mediterranean Sea)

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 and state of Malaysia (1963-1965); official name: Repubblika ta’ Singapore)


Chad

Repubblika taċ-Chad
Repubblika taċ-Chad#Maltese

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


amar

jamar (imperfect)
amart (first-person masculine perfect singular)
amart (masculine perfect second-person singular)
amar (masculine perfect singular third-person)
amarna (first-person masculine perfect plural)
amartu (masculine perfect plural second-person)
amru (masculine perfect plural third-person)
amart (feminine first-person perfect singular)
amart (feminine perfect second-person singular)
amret (feminine perfect singular third-person)
amarna (feminine first-person perfect plural)
amartu (feminine perfect plural second-person)
amru (feminine perfect plural third-person)
namar (first-person imperfect masculine singular)
tamar (imperfect masculine second-person singular)
jamar (imperfect masculine singular third-person)
namru (first-person imperfect masculine plural)
tamru (imperfect masculine plural second-person)
jamru (imperfect masculine plural third-person)
namar (feminine first-person imperfect singular)
tamar (feminine imperfect second-person singular)
amar (feminine imperfect singular third-person)
namru (feminine first-person imperfect plural)
tamru (feminine imperfect plural second-person)
jamru (feminine imperfect plural third-person)
tamru (imperative second-person singular)
amru (imperative plural second-person)

From Arabic أَمَرَ (ʔamara). An obsolete word that was revived by purists in the early 20th century on the basis of early Maltese sources.

(Australia, elsewhere archaic, literary, puristic) to command; to order; to decree


Belarus

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


dar

mt-verb

dar (imperfect jdur, past participle midur)

jdur (imperfect)
midur (participle past)
dort (first-person masculine perfect singular)
dort (masculine perfect second-person singular)
dar (masculine perfect singular third-person)
dorna (first-person masculine perfect plural)
dortu (masculine perfect plural second-person)
daru (masculine perfect plural third-person)
dort (feminine first-person perfect singular)
dort (feminine perfect second-person singular)
daret (feminine perfect singular third-person)
dorna (feminine first-person perfect plural)
dortu (feminine perfect plural second-person)
daru (feminine perfect plural third-person)
ndur (first-person imperfect masculine singular)
ddur (imperfect masculine second-person singular)
jdur (imperfect masculine singular third-person)
nduru (first-person imperfect masculine plural)
dduru (imperfect masculine plural second-person)
jduru (imperfect masculine plural third-person)
ndur (feminine first-person imperfect singular)
ddur (feminine imperfect second-person singular)
ddur (feminine imperfect singular third-person)
nduru (feminine first-person imperfect plural)
dduru (feminine imperfect plural second-person)
jduru (feminine imperfect plural third-person)
dur (imperative second-person singular)
duru (imperative plural second-person)

(intransitive) to turn; to veer; to change direction

(intransitive) to wander; to walk about; to travel


banana

banana (singulative)
bananiet (paucal)
banan (alternative)
fikabanana (alternative obsolete)
figabanana (alternative obsolete)


henna

henna (imperfect jhenni, past participle mhenni)

jhenni (imperfect)
mhenni (participle past)
hennejt (first-person masculine perfect singular)
hennejt (masculine perfect second-person singular)
henna (masculine perfect singular third-person)
hennejna (first-person masculine perfect plural)
hennejtu (masculine perfect plural second-person)
hennew (masculine perfect plural third-person)
hennejt (feminine first-person perfect singular)
hennejt (feminine perfect second-person singular)
henniet (feminine perfect singular third-person)
hennejna (feminine first-person perfect plural)
hennejtu (feminine perfect plural second-person)
hennew (feminine perfect plural third-person)
nhenni (first-person imperfect masculine singular)
thenni (imperfect masculine second-person singular)
jhenni (imperfect masculine singular third-person)
nhennu (first-person imperfect masculine plural)
thennu (imperfect masculine plural second-person)
jhennu (imperfect masculine plural third-person)
nhenni (feminine first-person imperfect singular)
thenni (feminine imperfect second-person singular)
thenni (feminine imperfect singular third-person)
nhennu (feminine first-person imperfect plural)
thennu (feminine imperfect plural second-person)
jhennu (feminine imperfect plural third-person)
henni (imperative second-person singular)
hennu (imperative plural second-person)
hennejtx (first-person masculine perfect singular)
hennejtx (masculine perfect second-person singular)
henniex (masculine perfect singular third-person)
hennejniex (first-person masculine perfect plural)
hennejtux (masculine perfect plural second-person)
hennewx (masculine perfect plural third-person)
hennejtx (feminine first-person perfect singular)
hennejtx (feminine perfect second-person singular)
hennietx (feminine perfect singular third-person)
hennejniex (feminine first-person perfect plural)
hennejtux (feminine perfect plural second-person)
hennewx (feminine perfect plural third-person)
nhennix (first-person imperfect masculine singular)
thennix (imperfect masculine second-person singular)
jhennix (imperfect masculine singular third-person)
nhennux (first-person imperfect masculine plural)
thennux (imperfect masculine plural second-person)
jhennux (imperfect masculine plural third-person)
nhennix (feminine first-person imperfect singular)
thennix (feminine imperfect second-person singular)
thennix (feminine imperfect singular third-person)
nhennux (feminine first-person imperfect plural)
thennux (feminine imperfect plural second-person)
jhennux (feminine imperfect plural third-person)
thennix (imperative second-person singular)
thennux (imperative plural second-person)

(often religion, of God or godly life) to make happy; to enbliss


X

The twenty-eighth letter of the Maltese alphabet, written in the Latin script.


art

mt-noun

art f (plural artijiet or (obsolete) iradi)

artijiet (plural)
iradi (obsolete plural)
arti (first-person singular)
artna (first-person singular)
artek (second-person singular)
artkom (second-person singular)
artu (masculine singular third-person)
artha (feminine singular third-person)
arthom (singular third-person)
ard (alternative obsolete)

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:

art twelidi

bla art


rat

third-person feminine singular perfect of ra


tin

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

Alternative form: tint


hi

hija (positive)
hi (positive)
mhijiex (negative)
mhix (negative)
tagħha (possessive pronoun)
-ha (suffix)
-ha (direct-object suffix)
-lha (indirect-object suffix)


bad

mt-verb

bad (imperfect jbid, past participle mibjud, verbal noun bidien)

jbid (imperfect)
mibjud (participle past)
bidien (noun-from-verb)
bidt (first-person masculine perfect singular)
bidt (masculine perfect second-person singular)
bad (masculine perfect singular third-person)
bidna (first-person masculine perfect plural)
bidtu (masculine perfect plural second-person)
badu (masculine perfect plural third-person)
bidt (feminine first-person perfect singular)
bidt (feminine perfect second-person singular)
badet (feminine perfect singular third-person)
bidna (feminine first-person perfect plural)
bidtu (feminine perfect plural second-person)
badu (feminine perfect plural third-person)
nbid (first-person imperfect masculine singular)
tbid (imperfect masculine second-person singular)
jbid (imperfect masculine singular third-person)
nbidu (first-person imperfect masculine plural)
tbidu (imperfect masculine plural second-person)
jbidu (imperfect masculine plural third-person)
nbid (feminine first-person imperfect singular)
tbid (feminine imperfect second-person singular)
tbid (feminine imperfect singular third-person)
nbidu (feminine first-person imperfect plural)
tbidu (feminine imperfect plural second-person)
jbidu (feminine imperfect plural third-person)
bid (imperative second-person singular)
bidu (imperative plural second-person)


vers

mt-noun

vers m (dual versejn, plural versi or vrus or vrejjes, diminutive vrejjes)

versejn (dual)
versi (plural)
vrus (plural)
vrejjes (plural)
vrejjes (diminutive)

Borrowed from Italian verso and/or Sicilian versu, from Latin versus.


pizza

Borrowed from Sicilian pizza and/or Italian pizza. Further origin uncertain.


re

Borrowed from Sicilian re and/or Italian re, from Latin rēx.


dada

dadi (plural)
dad (alternative)
dadu (alternative)

Borrowed from Italian dado and/or Sicilian dadu.

die, dice (polyhedron used in games of chance)

cube (object more or less in the form of a cube)


bell

mt-verb

bell (imperfect jbell, past participle miblul)

jbell (imperfect)
miblul (participle past)
bellejt (first-person masculine perfect singular)
bellejt (masculine perfect second-person singular)
bell (masculine perfect singular third-person)
bellejna (first-person masculine perfect plural)
bellejtu (masculine perfect plural second-person)
bellew (masculine perfect plural third-person)
bellejt (feminine first-person perfect singular)
bellejt (feminine perfect second-person singular)
bellet (feminine perfect singular third-person)
bellejna (feminine first-person perfect plural)
bellejtu (feminine perfect plural second-person)
bellew (feminine perfect plural third-person)
nbell (first-person imperfect masculine singular)
tbell (imperfect masculine second-person singular)
jbell (imperfect masculine singular third-person)
nbellu (first-person imperfect masculine plural)
tbellu (imperfect masculine plural second-person)
jbellu (imperfect masculine plural third-person)
nbell (feminine first-person imperfect singular)
tbell (feminine imperfect second-person singular)
tbell (feminine imperfect singular third-person)
nbellu (feminine first-person imperfect plural)
tbellu (feminine imperfect plural second-person)
jbellu (feminine imperfect plural third-person)
bell (imperative second-person singular)
bellu (imperative plural second-person)
bellejtx (first-person masculine perfect singular)
bellejtx (masculine perfect second-person singular)
bellx (masculine perfect singular third-person)
bellejniex (first-person masculine perfect plural)
bellejtux (masculine perfect plural second-person)
bellewx (masculine perfect plural third-person)
bellejtx (feminine first-person perfect singular)
bellejtx (feminine perfect second-person singular)
bellitx (feminine perfect singular third-person)
bellejniex (feminine first-person perfect plural)
bellejtux (feminine perfect plural second-person)
bellewx (feminine perfect plural third-person)
nbellx (first-person imperfect masculine singular)
tbellx (imperfect masculine second-person singular)
jbellx (imperfect masculine singular third-person)
nbellux (first-person imperfect masculine plural)
tbellux (imperfect masculine plural second-person)
jbellux (imperfect masculine plural third-person)
nbellx (feminine first-person imperfect singular)
tbellx (feminine imperfect second-person singular)
tbellx (feminine imperfect singular third-person)
nbellux (feminine first-person imperfect plural)
tbellux (feminine imperfect plural second-person)
jbellux (feminine imperfect plural third-person)
tbellx (imperative second-person singular)
tbellux (imperative plural second-person)

to dip (immerse something shortly or partly into a liquid)


rid

second-person singular imperative of ried


bi

Alternative form of b’: used before a consonant cluster


bied

bied (imperfect jbid, past participle mibjud, verbal noun bidien)

jbid (imperfect)
mibjud (participle past)
bidien (noun-from-verb)
bidt (first-person masculine perfect singular)
bidt (masculine perfect second-person singular)
bied (masculine perfect singular third-person)
bidna (first-person masculine perfect plural)
bidtu (masculine perfect plural second-person)
biedu (masculine perfect plural third-person)
bidt (feminine first-person perfect singular)
bidt (feminine perfect second-person singular)
biedet (feminine perfect singular third-person)
bidna (feminine first-person perfect plural)
bidtu (feminine perfect plural second-person)
biedu (feminine perfect plural third-person)
nbid (first-person imperfect masculine singular)
tbid (imperfect masculine second-person singular)
jbid (imperfect masculine singular third-person)
nbidu (first-person imperfect masculine plural)
tbidu (imperfect masculine plural second-person)
jbidu (imperfect masculine plural third-person)
nbid (feminine first-person imperfect singular)
tbid (feminine imperfect second-person singular)
tbid (feminine imperfect singular third-person)
nbidu (feminine first-person imperfect plural)
tbidu (feminine imperfect plural second-person)
jbidu (feminine imperfect plural third-person)
bid (imperative second-person singular)
bidu (imperative plural second-person)
bad (alternative)

From Arabic بَاضَ (bāḍa). The phonetically expected form is archaic bad, but the vowel was altered by analogy (as in many other hollow roots).

It-tiġieġa biedet tliet bajdiet.


biet

biet (imperfect jbit, past participle mibjut)

jbit (imperfect)
mibjut (participle past)
bitt (first-person masculine perfect singular)
bitt (masculine perfect second-person singular)
biet (masculine perfect singular third-person)
bitna (first-person masculine perfect plural)
bittu (masculine perfect plural second-person)
bietu (masculine perfect plural third-person)
bitt (feminine first-person perfect singular)
bitt (feminine perfect second-person singular)
bietet (feminine perfect singular third-person)
bitna (feminine first-person perfect plural)
bittu (feminine perfect plural second-person)
bietu (feminine perfect plural third-person)
nbit (first-person imperfect masculine singular)
tbit (imperfect masculine second-person singular)
jbit (imperfect masculine singular third-person)
nbitu (first-person imperfect masculine plural)
tbitu (imperfect masculine plural second-person)
jbitu (imperfect masculine plural third-person)
nbit (feminine first-person imperfect singular)
tbit (feminine imperfect second-person singular)
tbit (feminine imperfect singular third-person)
nbitu (feminine first-person imperfect plural)
tbitu (feminine imperfect plural second-person)
jbitu (feminine imperfect plural third-person)
bit (imperative second-person singular)
bitu (imperative plural second-person)


bir

mt-noun

bir m (plural bjar or birien, diminutive bwejra)

bjar (plural)
birien (plural)
bwejra (diminutive)

Kulħadd jimxi, kollox lajma,
jirkeb biss xi sinjur kbir:
bini l-għatx u tawni nixrob
minn ġos-satal fuq il-bir.

1970, Anton Buttigieg, “Il-Pjazza”, in Fl-Arena:


far

far m (plural firien or fariet, feminine fara)

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

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


far

mt-verb

far (imperfect jfur, verbal noun fawran)

jfur (imperfect)
fawran (noun-from-verb)
fort (first-person masculine perfect singular)
fort (masculine perfect second-person singular)
far (masculine perfect singular third-person)
forna (first-person masculine perfect plural)
fortu (masculine perfect plural second-person)
faru (masculine perfect plural third-person)
fort (feminine first-person perfect singular)
fort (feminine perfect second-person singular)
faret (feminine perfect singular third-person)
forna (feminine first-person perfect plural)
fortu (feminine perfect plural second-person)
faru (feminine perfect plural third-person)
nfur (first-person imperfect masculine singular)
tfur (imperfect masculine second-person singular)
jfur (imperfect masculine singular third-person)
nfuru (first-person imperfect masculine plural)
tfuru (imperfect masculine plural second-person)
jfuru (imperfect masculine plural third-person)
nfur (feminine first-person imperfect singular)
tfur (feminine imperfect second-person singular)
tfur (feminine imperfect singular third-person)
nfuru (feminine first-person imperfect plural)
tfuru (feminine imperfect plural second-person)
jfuru (feminine imperfect plural third-person)
fur (imperative second-person singular)
furu (imperative plural second-person)


lil

lili (first-person singular)
lilna (first-person plural)
lilek (second-person singular)
lilkom (plural second-person)
lilu (masculine singular third-person)
lilha (feminine singular third-person)
lilhom (plural third-person)
liċ- · lid- · lin- (definite feminine masculine xemxin-assimilation)
liċ- · lid- · lin- (definite singular xemxin-assimilation)
liċ- · lid- · lin- (definite xemxin-assimilation)
liċ- · lid- · lin- (definite feminine masculine singular xemxin-assimilation)
lir- · lis- · lit- · (definite feminine masculine xemxin-assimilation)
lir- · lis- · lit- · (definite singular xemxin-assimilation)
lir- · lis- · lit- · (definite xemxin-assimilation)
lir- · lis- · lit- · (definite feminine masculine singular xemxin-assimilation)
lix- · liz- · liż- (definite feminine masculine xemxin-assimilation)
lix- · liz- · liż- (definite singular xemxin-assimilation)
lix- · liz- · liż- (definite xemxin-assimilation)
lix- · liz- · liż- (definite feminine masculine singular xemxin-assimilation)
lill- (qamrin-unassimilation)

From Arabic لِ (li). The final -l may be due to backformation from the personal forms, themselves derived by reduplication. Compare Moroccan Arabic ليل (līl, “for”), North Levantine Arabic لإلي (laʔilli, “to me”), لإلك (laʔillak, “to you”), etc., reduplicated personal forms of ل (la). And compare a similar backformation from the personal forms in Maltese lejn.

cog

Għafastha għax emozzjonata ħafna u għandi bżonn kbir li nħoss lil xi ħadd qrib tiegħi.

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


klin

From Arabic إِكْلِيل الْجَبَل (ʔiklīl al-jabal).

inh

إِكْلِيل الْجَبَل

iklin (alternative)
iklil (alternative)
inklin (alternative)
klil (alternative)

Salvia rosmarinus
Salvia rosmarinus#Translingual

Rosmarinus officinalis
Rosmarinus officinalis#Translingual

rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus, syn. Rosmarinus officinalis)


sal

mt-verb

sal (imperfect jsul, past participle misul)

jsul (imperfect)
misul (participle past)
solt (first-person masculine perfect singular)
solt (masculine perfect second-person singular)
sal (masculine perfect singular third-person)
solna (first-person masculine perfect plural)
soltu (masculine perfect plural second-person)
salu (masculine perfect plural third-person)
solt (feminine first-person perfect singular)
solt (feminine perfect second-person singular)
salet (feminine perfect singular third-person)
solna (feminine first-person perfect plural)
soltu (feminine perfect plural second-person)
salu (feminine perfect plural third-person)
nsul (first-person imperfect masculine singular)
ssul (imperfect masculine second-person singular)
jsul (imperfect masculine singular third-person)
nsulu (first-person imperfect masculine plural)
ssulu (imperfect masculine plural second-person)
jsulu (imperfect masculine plural third-person)
nsul (feminine first-person imperfect singular)
ssul (feminine imperfect second-person singular)
ssul (feminine imperfect singular third-person)
nsulu (feminine first-person imperfect plural)
ssulu (feminine imperfect plural second-person)
jsulu (feminine imperfect plural third-person)
sul (imperative second-person singular)
sulu (imperative plural second-person)


e

The fifth letter of the Maltese alphabet, written in the Latin script.


e

Onomatopoeic. Compare Italian eh and English eh.

Used as a hook, to request that the listener express an opinion about what has been said

Used to emphasize the (often negative) emotion felt by the speaker


b

The second letter of the Maltese alphabet, written in the Latin script.


d

The fourth letter of the Maltese alphabet, written in the Latin script.


g

The eighth letter of the Maltese alphabet, written in the Latin script.


h

In pre-modern Maltese, ‘‘h’’ still represented the sound [h], as recorded by Agius de Soldanis (1750) and Mikiel Anton Vassalli (1796). The modern pronunciation first appeared in the dialect known as lsien tal-bliet (“tongues of the cities”, referring to the urban areas around the Grand Harbour according to Vassalli), and eventually replaced the increasingly archaic [h] sound in the surrounding regions.

The tenth letter of the Maltese alphabet, written in the Latin script.

Giovanni Pietro Francesco Agius de Soldanis


k

The fifteenth letter of the Maltese alphabet, written in the Latin script.


l

The sixteenth letter of the Maltese alphabet, written in the Latin script.


m

The seventeenth letter of the Maltese alphabet, written in the Latin script.


n

The eighteenth letter of the Maltese alphabet, written in the Latin script.


p

The twentieth letter of the Maltese alphabet, written in the Latin script.


q

dialectal, now especially among the elderly

The twenty-first letter of the Maltese alphabet, written in the Latin script.


r

The twenty-second letter of the Maltese alphabet, written in the Latin script.


s

The twenty-third letter of the Maltese alphabet, written in the Latin script.


t

The twenty-fourth letter of the Maltese alphabet, written in the Latin script.


u

The twenty-fifth letter of the Maltese alphabet, written in the Latin script.


u

From Arabic وَ (wa), from Proto-Semitic *wa. Cognate with Hebrew וְ־ (wə-).

il-kelb u l-qattus

tpejjep u tixrob

Kulħadd jibża’ u ħadd ma jabbuża jmissu!

2008, Trevor Żahra, Il-Ġenn li Jżommni f’Sikti, Merlin Publishers, →ISBN:

and; used to connect words, phrases, etc.

huma u reqdin

aħna u nitkellmu

when, as; used after a personal pronoun and followed by an active participle or imperfect verb


v

The twenty-sixth letter of the Maltese alphabet, written in the Latin script.


w

The twenty-seventh letter of the Maltese alphabet, written in the Latin script.


w

superseded spelling of u, before or after a vowel


z

The thirtieth letter of the Maltese alphabet, written in the Latin script.


bass

bass (imperfect jboss, verbal noun bass)

jboss (imperfect)
bass (noun-from-verb)
bassejt (first-person masculine perfect singular)
bassejt (masculine perfect second-person singular)
bass (masculine perfect singular third-person)
bassejna (first-person masculine perfect plural)
bassejtu (masculine perfect plural second-person)
bassew (masculine perfect plural third-person)
bassejt (feminine first-person perfect singular)
bassejt (feminine perfect second-person singular)
basset (feminine perfect singular third-person)
bassejna (feminine first-person perfect plural)
bassejtu (feminine perfect plural second-person)
bassew (feminine perfect plural third-person)
nboss (first-person imperfect masculine singular)
tboss (imperfect masculine second-person singular)
jboss (imperfect masculine singular third-person)
nbossu (first-person imperfect masculine plural)
tbossu (imperfect masculine plural second-person)
jbossu (imperfect masculine plural third-person)
nboss (feminine first-person imperfect singular)
tboss (feminine imperfect second-person singular)
tboss (feminine imperfect singular third-person)
nbossu (feminine first-person imperfect plural)
tbossu (feminine imperfect plural second-person)
jbossu (feminine imperfect plural third-person)
boss (imperative second-person singular)
bossu (imperative plural second-person)
bassejtx (first-person masculine perfect singular)
bassejtx (masculine perfect second-person singular)
bassx (masculine perfect singular third-person)
bassejniex (first-person masculine perfect plural)
bassejtux (masculine perfect plural second-person)
bassewx (masculine perfect plural third-person)
bassejtx (feminine first-person perfect singular)
bassejtx (feminine perfect second-person singular)
bassitx (feminine perfect singular third-person)
bassejniex (feminine first-person perfect plural)
bassejtux (feminine perfect plural second-person)
bassewx (feminine perfect plural third-person)
nbossx (first-person imperfect masculine singular)
tbossx (imperfect masculine second-person singular)
jbossx (imperfect masculine singular third-person)
nbossux (first-person imperfect masculine plural)
tbossux (imperfect masculine plural second-person)
jbossux (imperfect masculine plural third-person)
nbossx (feminine first-person imperfect singular)
tbossx (feminine imperfect second-person singular)
tbossx (feminine imperfect singular third-person)
nbossux (feminine first-person imperfect plural)
tbossux (feminine imperfect plural second-person)
jbossux (feminine imperfect plural third-person)
tbossx (imperative second-person singular)
tbossux (imperative plural second-person)

Inherited from dialectal Arabic; compare Tunisian Arabic بص (baṣṣ, “to fart”).


start

first/second-person singular perfect of satar


Andorran

mt-adjective

Andorran (feminine singular Andorrana, plural Andorrani)

Andorrana (feminine singular)
Andorrani (plural)


Andorran

mt-noun

Andorran m (plural Andorrani, feminine Andorrana)


Angolan

mt-adjective

Angolan (feminine singular Angolana, plural Angolani)

Angolana (feminine singular)
Angolani (plural)


Angolan

mt-noun

Angolan m (plural Angolani, feminine Angolana)


il-

l- (alternative)
iċ- (alternative)
id- (alternative)
in- (alternative)
ir- (alternative)
is- (alternative)
it- (alternative)
ix- (alternative)
iz- (alternative)
iż- (alternative)
ċ- (alternative)
d- (alternative)
n- (alternative)
r- (alternative)
s- (alternative)
t- (alternative)
x- (alternative)
z- (alternative)
ż- (alternative)


sir

second-person singular imperative of sar


dud

dudu (singulative)
duda (singulative)
dwied (plural)
dudiet (paucal)


elf

mt-numeral

elf m or f (dual elfejn, plural eluf or elufijiet, paucal elef)

elfejn (dual)
eluf (plural)
elufijiet (plural)
elef (paucal)


ta

mt-verb

ta (imperfect jagħti, past participle mogħti, verbal noun għoti or għati)

jagħti (imperfect)
mogħti (participle past)
għoti (noun-from-verb)
għati (noun-from-verb)
tajt (first-person masculine perfect singular)
tajt (masculine perfect second-person singular)
ta (masculine perfect singular third-person)
tajna (first-person masculine perfect plural)
tajtu (masculine perfect plural second-person)
taw (masculine perfect plural third-person)
tajt (feminine first-person perfect singular)
tajt (feminine perfect second-person singular)
tat (feminine perfect singular third-person)
tajna (feminine first-person perfect plural)
tajtu (feminine perfect plural second-person)
taw (feminine perfect plural third-person)
nagħti (first-person imperfect masculine singular)
tagħti (imperfect masculine second-person singular)
jagħti (imperfect masculine singular third-person)
nagħtu (first-person imperfect masculine plural)
tagħtu (imperfect masculine plural second-person)
jagħtu (imperfect masculine plural third-person)
nagħti (feminine first-person imperfect singular)
tagħti (feminine imperfect second-person singular)
tagħti (feminine imperfect singular third-person)
nagħtu (feminine first-person imperfect plural)
tagħtu (feminine imperfect plural second-person)
jagħtu (feminine imperfect plural third-person)
agħti (imperative second-person singular)
agħtu (imperative plural second-person)
tajtx (first-person masculine perfect singular)
tajtx (masculine perfect second-person singular)
tax (masculine perfect singular third-person)
tajniex (first-person masculine perfect plural)
tajtux (masculine perfect plural second-person)
tawx (masculine perfect plural third-person)
tajtx (feminine first-person perfect singular)
tajtx (feminine perfect second-person singular)
tatx (feminine perfect singular third-person)
tajniex (feminine first-person perfect plural)
tajtux (feminine perfect plural second-person)
tawx (feminine perfect plural third-person)
nagħtix (first-person imperfect masculine singular)
tagħtix (imperfect masculine second-person singular)
jagħtix (imperfect masculine singular third-person)
nagħtux (first-person imperfect masculine plural)
tagħtux (imperfect masculine plural second-person)
jagħtux (imperfect masculine plural third-person)
nagħtix (feminine first-person imperfect singular)
tagħtix (feminine imperfect second-person singular)
tagħtix (feminine imperfect singular third-person)
nagħtux (feminine first-person imperfect plural)
tagħtux (feminine imperfect plural second-person)
jagħtux (feminine imperfect plural third-person)
tagħtix (imperative second-person singular)
tagħtux (imperative plural second-person)

Tani l-flus.

Qabdu jagħtu.

Tawh sakemm qatluh.

Kemm għandi nagħtik?

(usually with the verb kell) to owe (money)

Taha għan-nisa

+obj

to become addicted [with -ha ‘dummy pronominal suffix’ and għal]


ta

Din hija ħaġa importanti, ta, tinsihiex.

This is important, you know, don’t forget it.

Postpositioned after a statement, used for minor emphasis.


miel

jmil (imperfect)
mejl (noun-from-verb)
milt (first-person masculine perfect singular)
milt (masculine perfect second-person singular)
miel (masculine perfect singular third-person)
milna (first-person masculine perfect plural)
miltu (masculine perfect plural second-person)
mielu (masculine perfect plural third-person)
milt (feminine first-person perfect singular)
milt (feminine perfect second-person singular)
mielet (feminine perfect singular third-person)
milna (feminine first-person perfect plural)
miltu (feminine perfect plural second-person)
mielu (feminine perfect plural third-person)
mmil (first-person imperfect masculine singular)
tmil (imperfect masculine second-person singular)
jmil (imperfect masculine singular third-person)
mmilu (first-person imperfect masculine plural)
tmilu (imperfect masculine plural second-person)
jmilu (imperfect masculine plural third-person)
mmil (feminine first-person imperfect singular)
tmil (feminine imperfect second-person singular)
tmil (feminine imperfect singular third-person)
mmilu (feminine first-person imperfect plural)
tmilu (feminine imperfect plural second-person)
jmilu (feminine imperfect plural third-person)
mil (imperative second-person singular)
milu (imperative plural second-person)


test

Borrowed from English test, ultimately from Latin testum.

Għamluli test tad-droga.


dawn

Coordinate term: hedawn (hedawna)


idea

ideat (plural)
ideja (alternative)
idija (alternative)


mela

From Arabic بَلَى (balā, “why, certainly!, yes, of course!”), in dialects also with prefixed m-. Compare North Levantine Arabic مبلا (mbala) and Gulf Arabic امبلة (ambala).


mela

Alternative form: mmela

Mela, ħa nibdew!


mela

mt-verb

mela (imperfect jimla, past participle mimli, verbal noun mili)

jimla (imperfect)
mimli (participle past)
mili (noun-from-verb)
mlejt (first-person masculine perfect singular)
mlejt (masculine perfect second-person singular)
mela (masculine perfect singular third-person)
mlejna (first-person masculine perfect plural)
mlejtu (masculine perfect plural second-person)
mlew (masculine perfect plural third-person)
mlejt (feminine first-person perfect singular)
mlejt (feminine perfect second-person singular)
mliet (feminine perfect singular third-person)
mlejna (feminine first-person perfect plural)
mlejtu (feminine perfect plural second-person)
mlew (feminine perfect plural third-person)
nimla (first-person imperfect masculine singular)
timla (imperfect masculine second-person singular)
jimla (imperfect masculine singular third-person)
nimlew (first-person imperfect masculine plural)
timlew (imperfect masculine plural second-person)
jimlew (imperfect masculine plural third-person)
nimla (feminine first-person imperfect singular)
timla (feminine imperfect second-person singular)
timla (feminine imperfect singular third-person)
nimlew (feminine first-person imperfect plural)
timlew (feminine imperfect plural second-person)
jimlew (feminine imperfect plural third-person)
imla (imperative second-person singular)
imlew (imperative plural second-person)

From Arabic مَلَأَ (malaʔa), أَمْلَأَ (ʔamlaʔa).

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:

(intransitive, of the sea) to rise, to flood


dam

dam (imperfect jdum, verbal noun dewm or dewmien or dawmien)

jdum (imperfect)
dewm (noun-from-verb)
dewmien (noun-from-verb)
dawmien (noun-from-verb)
domt (first-person masculine perfect singular)
domt (masculine perfect second-person singular)
dam (masculine perfect singular third-person)
domna (first-person masculine perfect plural)
domtu (masculine perfect plural second-person)
damu (masculine perfect plural third-person)
domt (feminine first-person perfect singular)
domt (feminine perfect second-person singular)
damet (feminine perfect singular third-person)
domna (feminine first-person perfect plural)
domtu (feminine perfect plural second-person)
damu (feminine perfect plural third-person)
ndum (first-person imperfect masculine singular)
ddum (imperfect masculine second-person singular)
jdum (imperfect masculine singular third-person)
ndumu (first-person imperfect masculine plural)
ddumu (imperfect masculine plural second-person)
jdumu (imperfect masculine plural third-person)
ndum (feminine first-person imperfect singular)
ddum (feminine imperfect second-person singular)
ddum (feminine imperfect singular third-person)
ndumu (feminine first-person imperfect plural)
ddumu (feminine imperfect plural second-person)
jdumu (feminine imperfect plural third-person)
dum (imperative second-person singular)
dumu (imperative plural second-person)

Alternative form: diem

to last; to take (time, especially long time)


xi

From Arabic شَيْء (šayʔ, “thing, a thing, something”). Compare the same use as a determiner in Moroccan Arabic شي (ši) and North Levantine Arabic شي (ši).

inh

xi mkien

xi ħadd

xi ħaġa

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


xi

Alternative form of x’ (used before a consonant cluster)


li

From Arabic اَلَّذِي (allaḏī, relative pronoun). Compare common dialectal Arabic اللي (illi, lli). The use as a conjunction is widely found in Maghrebi Arabic, so there is no reason to consider it a Romance influence (as might otherwise be thought; compare Italian che, which is both a relative pronoun and the conjunction “that”).

Dan huwa r-raġel li seraq il-karozza.

Din hija ħaġa li tħawwadni.


li

Nixtieq ngħidilha li nħobbha.


bus

second-person singular imperative of bies


se

Sometimes thought to have been inherited from Arabic سَ (sa), from سَوْفَ (sawfa). However, it is more likely that the similarity is entirely coincidental and that Maltese se(r) is merely a shortened form of sejjer.


tar

mt-verb

tar (imperfect jtir, verbal noun tajran)

jtir (imperfect)
tajran (noun-from-verb)
tirt (first-person masculine perfect singular)
tirt (masculine perfect second-person singular)
tar (masculine perfect singular third-person)
tirna (first-person masculine perfect plural)
tirtu (masculine perfect plural second-person)
taru (masculine perfect plural third-person)
tirt (feminine first-person perfect singular)
tirt (feminine perfect second-person singular)
taret (feminine perfect singular third-person)
tirna (feminine first-person perfect plural)
tirtu (feminine perfect plural second-person)
taru (feminine perfect plural third-person)
ntir (first-person imperfect masculine singular)
ttir (imperfect masculine second-person singular)
jtir (imperfect masculine singular third-person)
ntiru (first-person imperfect masculine plural)
ttiru (imperfect masculine plural second-person)
jtiru (imperfect masculine plural third-person)
ntir (feminine first-person imperfect singular)
ttir (feminine imperfect second-person singular)
ttir (feminine imperfect singular third-person)
ntiru (feminine first-person imperfect plural)
ttiru (feminine imperfect plural second-person)
jtiru (feminine imperfect plural third-person)
tir (imperative second-person singular)
tiru (imperative plural second-person)


la

From Arabic لَا (lā). Doublet of le (“no”).

La tisraqx!

Used—optionally—with a negated second-person imperfect verb to express the negated imperative.


la

La jiekol u la jixrob.


ra

ra (imperfect jara, past participle muri)

jara (imperfect)
muri (participle past)
rajt (first-person masculine perfect singular)
rajt (masculine perfect second-person singular)
ra (masculine perfect singular third-person)
rajna (first-person masculine perfect plural)
rajtu (masculine perfect plural second-person)
raw (masculine perfect plural third-person)
rajt (feminine first-person perfect singular)
rajt (feminine perfect second-person singular)
rat (feminine perfect singular third-person)
rajna (feminine first-person perfect plural)
rajtu (feminine perfect plural second-person)
raw (feminine perfect plural third-person)
nara (first-person imperfect masculine singular)
tara (imperfect masculine second-person singular)
jara (imperfect masculine singular third-person)
naraw (first-person imperfect masculine plural)
taraw (imperfect masculine plural second-person)
jaraw (imperfect masculine plural third-person)
nara (feminine first-person imperfect singular)
tara (feminine imperfect second-person singular)
tara (feminine imperfect singular third-person)
naraw (feminine first-person imperfect plural)
taraw (feminine imperfect plural second-person)
jaraw (feminine imperfect plural third-person)
ara (imperative second-person singular)
araw (imperative plural second-person)
rajtx (first-person masculine perfect singular)
rajtx (masculine perfect second-person singular)
rax (masculine perfect singular third-person)
rajniex (first-person masculine perfect plural)
rajtux (masculine perfect plural second-person)
rawx (masculine perfect plural third-person)
rajtx (feminine first-person perfect singular)
rajtx (feminine perfect second-person singular)
ratx (feminine perfect singular third-person)
rajniex (feminine first-person perfect plural)
rajtux (feminine perfect plural second-person)
rawx (feminine perfect plural third-person)
narax (first-person imperfect masculine singular)
tarax (imperfect masculine second-person singular)
jarax (imperfect masculine singular third-person)
narawx (first-person imperfect masculine plural)
tarawx (imperfect masculine plural second-person)
jarawx (imperfect masculine plural third-person)
narax (feminine first-person imperfect singular)
tarax (feminine imperfect second-person singular)
tarax (feminine imperfect singular third-person)
narawx (feminine first-person imperfect plural)
tarawx (feminine imperfect plural second-person)
jarawx (feminine imperfect plural third-person)
tarax (imperative second-person singular)
tarawx (imperative plural second-person)

From Arabic رَأَى (raʔā). An oft-cited archaism in Maltese as the verb has been displaced in most contemporary dialects (some preserved it though like the dialect of Sfax/Tunisia). The peculiar use of the imperative is similar to Maghrebi forms like راني (rāni) etc., which ultimately developed into pronouns.

Tkellem u għid: Dan jgħid Sidi l-Mulej: Arani kontrik, ja Fargħun, sultan tal-Eġittu, il-kukkudrill il-kbir imxaħxaħ f’nofs in-Nil, li qal: ‘Tiegħi n-Nil. Jien għamiltu.’

c. 2015, Il-Bibbja : il-Kotba Mqaddsa, 5th edition, Valletta: Ghaqda Biblika Maltija, →OCLC, Il-Ktieb tal-Profeta Eżekjel 29:3:

New International Version translation: Speak to him and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: “‘I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, you great monster lying among your streams. You say, “The Nile belongs to me;

(imperative) look!, behold!; often construed with a pronominal suffix referring to the subject of the following context


mus

From Arabic مُوسًى (mūsan). Compare Moroccan Arabic موس (mūs), Libyan Arabic موس (mūs).

pocket knife, folding knife, jack-knife, switchblade


belt

f’żarbun ġa ssikkat. irkiekel dahri
tat-terrakotta － ’kk tmisshom,
isiru frak. dil-belt tentakli waħedha －
għoddha qalftitni fatat.

2022, Nadia Mifsud, meta tinfetaq il-folla, Ede Books, →ISBN:


Belfast

Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland#English

Belfast (the capital city of Northern Ireland)


Sri Lankan

mt-adjective

Sri Lankan (feminine singular Sri Lankana, plural Sri Lankani)

Sri Lankana (feminine singular)
Sri Lankani (plural)

Sri Lankan (of, from or relating to Sri Lanka)


Sri Lankan

mt-noun

Sri Lankan m (plural Sri Lankani, feminine Sri Lankana)

Sri Lankani (plural)
Sri Lankana (feminine)

Sri Lankan (native or inhabitant of Sri Lanka) (usually male)


Turkmen

mt-adjective

Turkmen (feminine singular Turkmena, plural Turkmeni)

Turkmena (feminine singular)
Turkmeni (plural)

Turkmen (of, from or relating to Turkmenistan)


Turkmen

mt-noun

Turkmen m (plural Turkmeni, feminine Turkmena)

Turkmen (native or inhabitant of Turkmenistan)


Tongan

mt-adjective

Tongan (feminine singular Tongana, plural Tongani)

Tongana (feminine singular)
Tongani (plural)


Tongan

mt-noun

Tongan m (plural Tongani, feminine Tongana)

Tongan (native or inhabitant of Tonga) (usually male)


lewa

mt-verb

lewa (imperfect jilwi, past participle milwi, verbal noun liwi)

jilwi (imperfect)
milwi (participle past)
liwi (noun-from-verb)
lwejt (first-person masculine perfect singular)
lwejt (masculine perfect second-person singular)
lewa (masculine perfect singular third-person)
lwejna (first-person masculine perfect plural)
lwejtu (masculine perfect plural second-person)
lwew (masculine perfect plural third-person)
lwejt (feminine first-person perfect singular)
lwejt (feminine perfect second-person singular)
lwiet (feminine perfect singular third-person)
lwejna (feminine first-person perfect plural)
lwejtu (feminine perfect plural second-person)
lwew (feminine perfect plural third-person)
nilwi (first-person imperfect masculine singular)
tilwi (imperfect masculine second-person singular)
jilwi (imperfect masculine singular third-person)
nilwu (first-person imperfect masculine plural)
tilwu (imperfect masculine plural second-person)
jilwu (imperfect masculine plural third-person)
nilwi (feminine first-person imperfect singular)
tilwi (feminine imperfect second-person singular)
tilwi (feminine imperfect singular third-person)
nilwu (feminine first-person imperfect plural)
tilwu (feminine imperfect plural second-person)
jilwu (feminine imperfect plural third-person)
ilwi (imperative second-person singular)
ilwu (imperative plural second-person)
rewa (alternative)

(intransitive) to turn (left or right on one’s way)


drama

Ultimately Latin drama. Doublet of dramm.


patata

From Spanish patata, likely through Sicilian patata.

Inħobb niekol il-patata.

Kilt patata waħda biss.

Għandna bżonn ħames patati.

Il-patata titlob trab ħamri, u fejn jista’ jcun m’għandhiex tinżara’ fi trab ieħor.

1932-1935, Melita agricola; rivista ta' cull xahar li tohrog mill-ufficciu tal-biedja, page 261:

Potatoes need reddish soil, and as far as possible should not be planted in other kinds of soil.


dari

Present participle of dara (“to get used to”). Diachronically from Arabic دَارٍ (dārin).


dari

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.


poeta

mt-noun

poeta m (plural poeti, feminine poeta or poetessa)

poeti (plural)
poeta (feminine)
poetessa (feminine)


serva

mt-verb

serva (imperfect jservi, past participle servit or servut or mservi)

jservi (imperfect)
servit (participle past)
servut (participle past)
mservi (participle past)
servejt (first-person masculine perfect singular)
servejt (masculine perfect second-person singular)
serva (masculine perfect singular third-person)
servejna (first-person masculine perfect plural)
servejtu (masculine perfect plural second-person)
servew (masculine perfect plural third-person)
servejt (feminine first-person perfect singular)
servejt (feminine perfect second-person singular)
serviet (feminine perfect singular third-person)
servejna (feminine first-person perfect plural)
servejtu (feminine perfect plural second-person)
servew (feminine perfect plural third-person)
nservi (first-person imperfect masculine singular)
sservi (imperfect masculine second-person singular)
jservi (imperfect masculine singular third-person)
nservu (first-person imperfect masculine plural)
sservu (imperfect masculine plural second-person)
jservu (imperfect masculine plural third-person)
nservi (feminine first-person imperfect singular)
sservi (feminine imperfect second-person singular)
sservi (feminine imperfect singular third-person)
nservu (feminine first-person imperfect plural)
sservu (feminine imperfect plural second-person)
jservu (feminine imperfect plural third-person)
servi (imperative second-person singular)
servu (imperative plural second-person)

Borrowed from Sicilian sirviri (conjugated servi) and/or Italian servire, both from Latin servire.

to serve (arrange and provide food or drink)


serra

red-breasted merganser
red-breasted merganser

Mergus serrator
Mergus serrator#Translingual

red-breasted merganser (Mergus serrator)


rand

Laurus nobilis
Laurus nobilis#Translingual


ja

Ja Mulejja!

Ja iblah!

Stagħnejt, ja Qamar,
dal-lejl bil-poeżija
tar-realtà.

1998, Anton Buttigieg, “Lill-Qamar”, in Żibeġ u Boċċi:


arma

weapon (instrument of attack or defense in combat)

weapon (means of harming or exerting control)


arma

arma (imperfect jarma, past participle armat, verbal noun armar)

jarma (imperfect)
armat (participle past)
armar (noun-from-verb)
armajt (first-person masculine perfect singular)
armajt (masculine perfect second-person singular)
arma (masculine perfect singular third-person)
armajna (first-person masculine perfect plural)
armajtu (masculine perfect plural second-person)
armaw (masculine perfect plural third-person)
armajt (feminine first-person perfect singular)
armajt (feminine perfect second-person singular)
armat (feminine perfect singular third-person)
armajna (feminine first-person perfect plural)
armajtu (feminine perfect plural second-person)
armaw (feminine perfect plural third-person)
narma (first-person imperfect masculine singular)
tarma (imperfect masculine second-person singular)
jarma (imperfect masculine singular third-person)
narmaw (first-person imperfect masculine plural)
tarmaw (imperfect masculine plural second-person)
jarmaw (imperfect masculine plural third-person)
narma (feminine first-person imperfect singular)
tarma (feminine imperfect second-person singular)
tarma (feminine imperfect singular third-person)
narmaw (feminine first-person imperfect plural)
tarmaw (feminine imperfect plural second-person)
jarmaw (feminine imperfect plural third-person)
arma (imperative second-person singular)
armaw (imperative plural second-person)
armajtx (first-person masculine perfect singular)
armajtx (masculine perfect second-person singular)
armajniex (first-person masculine perfect plural)
armajtux (masculine perfect plural second-person)
armawx (masculine perfect plural third-person)
armajtx (feminine first-person perfect singular)
armajtx (feminine perfect second-person singular)
armatx (feminine perfect singular third-person)
armajniex (feminine first-person perfect plural)
armajtux (feminine perfect plural second-person)
armawx (feminine perfect plural third-person)
narmax (first-person imperfect masculine singular)
tarmax (imperfect masculine second-person singular)
jarmax (imperfect masculine singular third-person)
narmawx (first-person imperfect masculine plural)
tarmawx (imperfect masculine plural second-person)
jarmawx (imperfect masculine plural third-person)
narmax (feminine first-person imperfect singular)
tarmax (feminine imperfect second-person singular)
tarmax (feminine imperfect singular third-person)
narmawx (feminine first-person imperfect plural)
tarmawx (feminine imperfect plural second-person)
jarmawx (feminine imperfect plural third-person)
tarmax (imperative second-person singular)
tarmawx (imperative plural second-person)


fik

second-person singular pronominal form of f’: in you


dik

Dik il-mara hija l-oħt tal-omm tiegħu.


diem

diem (imperfect jdum, verbal noun dewm or dewmien or dawmien)

jdum (imperfect)
dewm (noun-from-verb)
dewmien (noun-from-verb)
dawmien (noun-from-verb)
domt (first-person masculine perfect singular)
domt (masculine perfect second-person singular)
diem (masculine perfect singular third-person)
domna (first-person masculine perfect plural)
domtu (masculine perfect plural second-person)
diemu (masculine perfect plural third-person)
domt (feminine first-person perfect singular)
domt (feminine perfect second-person singular)
diemet (feminine perfect singular third-person)
domna (feminine first-person perfect plural)
domtu (feminine perfect plural second-person)
diemu (feminine perfect plural third-person)
ndum (first-person imperfect masculine singular)
ddum (imperfect masculine second-person singular)
jdum (imperfect masculine singular third-person)
ndumu (first-person imperfect masculine plural)
ddumu (imperfect masculine plural second-person)
jdumu (imperfect masculine plural third-person)
ndum (feminine first-person imperfect singular)
ddum (feminine imperfect second-person singular)
ddum (feminine imperfect singular third-person)
ndumu (feminine first-person imperfect plural)
ddumu (feminine imperfect plural second-person)
jdumu (feminine imperfect plural third-person)
dum (imperative second-person singular)
dumu (imperative plural second-person)


beda

beda (imperfect jibda, past participle mibdi, active participle biedi, verbal noun bidu or bedu or bidi)

jibda (imperfect)
mibdi (participle past)
biedi (active participle)
bidu (noun-from-verb)
bedu (noun-from-verb)
bidi (noun-from-verb)
bdejt (first-person masculine perfect singular)
bdejt (masculine perfect second-person singular)
beda (masculine perfect singular third-person)
bdejna (first-person masculine perfect plural)
bdejtu (masculine perfect plural second-person)
bdew (masculine perfect plural third-person)
bdejt (feminine first-person perfect singular)
bdejt (feminine perfect second-person singular)
bdiet (feminine perfect singular third-person)
bdejna (feminine first-person perfect plural)
bdejtu (feminine perfect plural second-person)
bdew (feminine perfect plural third-person)
nibda (first-person imperfect masculine singular)
tibda (imperfect masculine second-person singular)
jibda (imperfect masculine singular third-person)
nibdew (first-person imperfect masculine plural)
tibdew (imperfect masculine plural second-person)
jibdew (imperfect masculine plural third-person)
nibda (feminine first-person imperfect singular)
tibda (feminine imperfect second-person singular)
tibda (feminine imperfect singular third-person)
nibdew (feminine first-person imperfect plural)
tibdew (feminine imperfect plural second-person)
jibdew (feminine imperfect plural third-person)
ibda (imperative second-person singular)
ibdew (imperative plural second-person)

"Ibda," qal irrabjat il-president lill-kantanta waqt il-quddiesa, u bdiet tkanta b’ton imriegħed.

"Begin," said the celebrant angrily to the singer during mass, and she started singing shakily.

Missieri kien niżel jiġri isfel, ħareġ fuq l-għatba u beda jsejjaħ lill-pulizija biex iwissihom b’dan il-periklu.

2008, Trevor Żahra, Il-Ġenn li Jżommni f’Sikti [The Insanity that Keeps Me Sane], Merlin Publishers, →ISBN:

My father had run downstairs, gone out on the doorstep and started calling out to the police to warn them of this danger.


dan

din (feminine)
dawn (plural)
dana (alternative)
da (alternative)

From Arabic ذَا (ḏā, “this, that”). The paragogic -n probably spread from the plural, where it originated by analogy with hawn (“here”) and/or with the plural ending -in (compare Algerian Arabic هادون (hādūn) alongside هادو (hādū)). Some earlier scholars instead suspected a connection with Aramaic דנה (dənā, “this, that”), but this was based on the widely obsolete theory of a Punic substratum in Maltese.


futur

Borrowed from Sicilian futuru and/or Italian futuro, both from Latin futurum.


sa

Probably from Arabic حَتَّى (ḥattā, “until; as far as; even”). The form, though without doubt unusual, might be explained from earlier *ħta by assimilation in fast speech. Compare Moroccan Arabic حتى (ḥta). Compare also Spanish hasta, which, if related, might point to the existence of an obsolete Maghrebi variant [script needed] (*ḥastā). Joseph Aquilina preferred to derive the Maltese form from a contraction of Italian sino a, variant of fino a (“until; as far as”). Both may also have reinforced each other.

inh

Se nħobbok sal-aħħar nifs ta’ ħajti.

I’ll love you until the last breath of my life.


lok

Borrowed from Sicilian locu, from Latin locus.


duda

dud (collective)
dwied (plural)
dudiet (paucal)


milli

contraction of minn li (“from what/that”)


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:


ilma

From Arabic مَاء (māʔ), with fused definite article.

ilma baħar

ilma ċar

ilma effervixxenti

ilma fin

ilma ġieri

ilma ħelu

ilma kiesaħ

ilma mbierek

ilma mieġi

ilma qiegħed

ilma minerali


smart

first/second-person singular perfect of smar


abbatissa

mt-noun

abbatissa f (plural abbatissi, masculine abbati)

abbatissi (plural)
abbati (masculine)
abadissa (alternative)
badessa (alternative)


hija

hija (positive)
hi (positive)
mhijiex (negative)
mhix (negative)
tagħha (possessive pronoun)
-ha (suffix)
-ha (direct-object suffix)
-lha (indirect-object suffix)
hi (alternative)

she (third-person feminine singular subject pronoun)


anima

mt-verb

anima (imperfect janima, past participle animat, verbal noun animar)

janima (imperfect)
animat (participle past)
animar (noun-from-verb)
animajt (first-person masculine perfect singular)
animajt (masculine perfect second-person singular)
anima (masculine perfect singular third-person)
animajna (first-person masculine perfect plural)
animajtu (masculine perfect plural second-person)
animaw (masculine perfect plural third-person)
animajt (feminine first-person perfect singular)
animajt (feminine perfect second-person singular)
animat (feminine perfect singular third-person)
animajna (feminine first-person perfect plural)
animajtu (feminine perfect plural second-person)
animaw (feminine perfect plural third-person)
nanima (first-person imperfect masculine singular)
tanima (imperfect masculine second-person singular)
janima (imperfect masculine singular third-person)
nanimaw (first-person imperfect masculine plural)
tanimaw (imperfect masculine plural second-person)
janimaw (imperfect masculine plural third-person)
nanima (feminine first-person imperfect singular)
tanima (feminine imperfect second-person singular)
tanima (feminine imperfect singular third-person)
nanimaw (feminine first-person imperfect plural)
tanimaw (feminine imperfect plural second-person)
janimaw (feminine imperfect plural third-person)
anima (imperative second-person singular)
animaw (imperative plural second-person)
animajtx (first-person masculine perfect singular)
animajtx (masculine perfect second-person singular)
animajniex (first-person masculine perfect plural)
animajtux (masculine perfect plural second-person)
animawx (masculine perfect plural third-person)
animajtx (feminine first-person perfect singular)
animajtx (feminine perfect second-person singular)
animatx (feminine perfect singular third-person)
animajniex (feminine first-person perfect plural)
animajtux (feminine perfect plural second-person)
animawx (feminine perfect plural third-person)
nanimax (first-person imperfect masculine singular)
tanimax (imperfect masculine second-person singular)
janimax (imperfect masculine singular third-person)
nanimawx (first-person imperfect masculine plural)
tanimawx (imperfect masculine plural second-person)
janimawx (imperfect masculine plural third-person)
nanimax (feminine first-person imperfect singular)
tanimax (feminine imperfect second-person singular)
tanimax (feminine imperfect singular third-person)
nanimawx (feminine first-person imperfect plural)
tanimawx (feminine imperfect plural second-person)
janimawx (feminine imperfect plural third-person)
tanimax (imperative second-person singular)
tanimawx (imperative plural second-person)


nej

mt-adjective

nej (feminine singular nejja, plural nejjin)

nejja (feminine singular)
nejjin (plural)


din

Alternative forms: dina, di

Coordinate term: hedan (hedana)


dab

mt-verb

dab (imperfect jdub, verbal noun dewbien or dwib or dwieb)

jdub (imperfect)
dewbien (noun-from-verb)
dwib (noun-from-verb)
dwieb (noun-from-verb)
dobt (first-person masculine perfect singular)
dobt (masculine perfect second-person singular)
dab (masculine perfect singular third-person)
dobna (first-person masculine perfect plural)
dobtu (masculine perfect plural second-person)
dabu (masculine perfect plural third-person)
dobt (feminine first-person perfect singular)
dobt (feminine perfect second-person singular)
dabet (feminine perfect singular third-person)
dobna (feminine first-person perfect plural)
dobtu (feminine perfect plural second-person)
dabu (feminine perfect plural third-person)
ndub (first-person imperfect masculine singular)
ddub (imperfect masculine second-person singular)
jdub (imperfect masculine singular third-person)
ndubu (first-person imperfect masculine plural)
ddubu (imperfect masculine plural second-person)
jdubu (imperfect masculine plural third-person)
ndub (feminine first-person imperfect singular)
ddub (feminine imperfect second-person singular)
ddub (feminine imperfect singular third-person)
ndubu (feminine first-person imperfect plural)
ddubu (feminine imperfect plural second-person)
jdubu (feminine imperfect plural third-person)
dub (imperative second-person singular)
dubu (imperative plural second-person)
dieb (alternative)

to melt (become liquid, especially through warmth)


abt

abtejn (dual)
abtijiet (plural)
abti (first-person singular)
abtna (first-person singular)
abtek (second-person singular)
abtkom (second-person singular)
abtu (masculine singular third-person)
abtha (feminine singular third-person)
abthom (singular third-person)


bu

abwa (plural)
but (plural)
omm (feminine)

From Arabic أَبُو (ʔabū), construct state of أَب (ʔab, “father”).


le

From Arabic لَا (lā). Cognate with Hebrew לא (lō).


mar

mar (imperfect jmur, verbal noun mawra or mawrien)

jmur (imperfect)
mawra (noun-from-verb)
mawrien (noun-from-verb)
mort (first-person masculine perfect singular)
mort (masculine perfect second-person singular)
mar (masculine perfect singular third-person)
morna (first-person masculine perfect plural)
mortu (masculine perfect plural second-person)
marru (masculine perfect plural third-person)
mort (feminine first-person perfect singular)
mort (feminine perfect second-person singular)
marret (feminine perfect singular third-person)
morna (feminine first-person perfect plural)
mortu (feminine perfect plural second-person)
marru (feminine perfect plural third-person)
mmur (first-person imperfect masculine singular)
tmur (imperfect masculine second-person singular)
jmur (imperfect masculine singular third-person)
mmorru (first-person imperfect masculine plural)
tmorru (imperfect masculine plural second-person)
jmorru (imperfect masculine plural third-person)
mmur (feminine first-person imperfect singular)
tmur (feminine imperfect second-person singular)
tmur (feminine imperfect singular third-person)
mmorru (feminine first-person imperfect plural)
tmorru (feminine imperfect plural second-person)
jmorru (feminine imperfect plural third-person)
mur (imperative second-person singular)
morru (imperative plural second-person)
mortx (first-person masculine perfect singular)
mortx (masculine perfect second-person singular)
marx (masculine perfect singular third-person)
morniex (first-person masculine perfect plural)
mortux (masculine perfect plural second-person)
marrux (masculine perfect plural third-person)
mortx (feminine first-person perfect singular)
mortx (feminine perfect second-person singular)
marritx (feminine perfect singular third-person)
morniex (feminine first-person perfect plural)
mortux (feminine perfect plural second-person)
marrux (feminine perfect plural third-person)
mmurx (first-person imperfect masculine singular)
tmurx (imperfect masculine second-person singular)
jmurx (imperfect masculine singular third-person)
mmorrux (first-person imperfect masculine plural)
tmorrux (imperfect masculine plural second-person)
jmorrux (imperfect masculine plural third-person)
mmurx (feminine first-person imperfect singular)
tmurx (feminine imperfect second-person singular)
tmurx (feminine imperfect singular third-person)
mmorrux (feminine first-person imperfect plural)
tmorrux (feminine imperfect plural second-person)
jmorrux (feminine imperfect plural third-person)
tmurx (imperative second-person singular)
tmorrux (imperative plural second-person)

Inherited from Arabic مَارَ (māra, “to budge, to move forth, to fluctuate, to undergo commotion”) in form, influenced by Arabic مَرَّ (marra, “to pass”) in meaning.

inh+

Niftakar li kont mort mal-folla u ma’ sħabi ta’ l-Azzjoni Kattolika biex nilqgħuh fi dħul iż-Żejtun.

I remember that I went with the group and with my friends from 'Catholic Action', so we can welcome him at the entrance of Żejtun.


tren

Borrowed from Italian treno. Doublet of trejn.

Alternative form of trejn: train (vehicle)


Adam

From Sicilian Adamu, Addamu and/or Italian Adamo, both from Latin Ādāmus, from Ancient Greek Ἀδάμ (Adám), from Hebrew אָדָם (āḏām). All religious names (though not all religious words) in Maltese are borrowings from Romance. The inherited form from Arabic آدَم (ʔādam) would be *Iedem, which is preserved in bniedem (“human being”, literally “son of Adam”).


ma

Illum ma nixrobx.

Qatt ma nixrob.

not; used to negate verbs and pronominal adverbs


ma

L-ewwel ma tiekol, l-għajn.

(relative) Alternative form of li (“who, which, that”), used in some fossiled expressions

li

Rait e Sultana, u makbar u mesbahh ma hi, ma t challi hhasra, ghaliesc i enghat li t-arga mnein giet.

ca. 1760, G.P.F. Agius de Soldanis, Discorso tra due contadini sopra le nuove correnti:

I saw the Sultana [a captured Turkish ship]. And how big and how beautiful she is! But is a pity, because they say she will go back to where she came from.

Rajt is-Sultana. U ma akbar u ma isbaħ ma hi! Imma tħalli ħasra, għaliex jingħad li terġa’ mnejn ġiet.

(obsolete, with comparative adjective) how (as in “how beautiful is...”)


-a

From Arabic ـَة (-a), reinforced by Sicilian and Italian -a, which are unrelated but used similarly.

Used to form the feminine forms of most nouns and adjectives.

Used to form the plurals of some nouns and adjectives.

Used to form singulatives from collective nouns.


David

Borrowed from Italian Davide, from Latin David, from Ancient Greek Δαυίδ (Dauíd), from Hebrew דָּוִד (davíd). The alternative pronunciation from English David, from the same source.


dewa

mt-verb

dewa (imperfect jidwi, past participle midwi, active participle diewi, verbal noun diwi)

jidwi (imperfect)
midwi (participle past)
diewi (active participle)
diwi (noun-from-verb)
dwejt (first-person masculine perfect singular)
dwejt (masculine perfect second-person singular)
dewa (masculine perfect singular third-person)
dwejna (first-person masculine perfect plural)
dwejtu (masculine perfect plural second-person)
dwew (masculine perfect plural third-person)
dwejt (feminine first-person perfect singular)
dwejt (feminine perfect second-person singular)
dwiet (feminine perfect singular third-person)
dwejna (feminine first-person perfect plural)
dwejtu (feminine perfect plural second-person)
dwew (feminine perfect plural third-person)
nidwi (first-person imperfect masculine singular)
tidwi (imperfect masculine second-person singular)
jidwi (imperfect masculine singular third-person)
nidwu (first-person imperfect masculine plural)
tidwu (imperfect masculine plural second-person)
jidwu (imperfect masculine plural third-person)
nidwi (feminine first-person imperfect singular)
tidwi (feminine imperfect second-person singular)
tidwi (feminine imperfect singular third-person)
nidwu (feminine first-person imperfect plural)
tidwu (feminine imperfect plural second-person)
jidwu (feminine imperfect plural third-person)
idwi (imperative second-person singular)
idwu (imperative plural second-person)


resident

mt-noun

resident m (plural residenti, feminine residenta)

residenti (plural)
residenta (feminine)
residenti (alternative)


bina

first-person plural pronominal form of b’: with us


bin

From Arabic بِن (bin). One of very few words in which a stressed final short vowel is not indicated by doubling the following consonant (another example being lil). This is because there is no gemination before suffixes (compare e.g. binha (“her son”)).

Bin il-Bniedem


mandar

Alternative form of mandra: mess, disorder


-ni

jinsa (“he forgets”) + -ni → jinsieni (“he forgets me”)

1st-person singular pronominal suffix, attached to verbs: me


id

id f (plural idejn, plural construct state idej, diminutive wejda)

idejn (plural)
idej (construct plural)
wejda (diminutive)
idi (first-person singular)
idna (first-person singular)
idek (second-person singular)
idkom (second-person singular)
idu (masculine singular third-person)
idha (feminine singular third-person)
idhom (singular third-person)

From general dialectal Arabic ايد (ʔīd), variant of classical يَد (yad). Doublet of jedd.

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-kumpanija qiegħda f’idejja.


-in

From Arabic ـِينَ (-īna), oblique case form of ـُونَ (-ūna), masculine personal plural suffix.

baħri (“sailor”) + -in → baħrin (“sailors”)

Malti (“Maltese”) + -in → Maltin

used in most nouns and adjectives derived with the native suffix -i

maqtugħ (“cut, cut-off”) + -in → maqtugħin

ħelu (“sweet”) + -in → ħelwin

used in participles and some other native adjectives


-na

jinsa (“he forgets”) + -na → jinsiena (“he forgets us”)

dar (“home”) + -na → darna (“our home”)

1st-person plural pronominal suffix: our; us


-u

sħab (“friends”) + -u → sħabu (“his friends”)

taħt (“under”) + -u → taħtu (“under him”)

jinsa (“he forgets”) + -u → jinsieh (“he forgets him”)

3rd-person masculine singular pronominal suffix: his, him


pala

Borrowed from Italian pala or a Sicilian equivalent, eventually from Latin pala. For the sense “palm of the hand”, the phonetic similarity with Italian palma may be considered, though a direct derivation from “shovel” is also plausible.

(usually in the construction pala tal-id) palm of the hand; or the inner part of the hand (including the fingers)


bard

U meta tiġi x-xitwa erħilha teqred
bir-rxiex, bis-silġ, bil-bard, bir-riħ u rwiefen
il-ħlejjaq qodma: weraq sfajra u morda,
u rix mitbiela,

1949-1952, Anton Buttigieg, “Il-Ħolma tan-Natura”, in Qasba mar-Riħ, published 1977:


-ja

Alternative form of -a (feminine, plural, or singulative ending), used with stems ending in -i, -j.


-ja

From Arabic يَ (ya), alternative form of ي (-ī).

Alternative form of -i (1st-person singular non-verbal pronominal suffix), used with stems ending in vowels or diphthongs.


t'

t’art


bint

ulied (plural)
binti (first-person singular)
bintna (first-person singular)
bintek (second-person singular)
bintkom (second-person singular)
bintu (masculine singular third-person)
bintha (feminine singular third-person)
binthom (singular third-person)


ark

arkiet (plural)
arkijiet (plural)
arku (alternative)


tavla

Borrowed from Sicilian tàvula. Doublet of tavola.


lag

Borrowed from Sicilian lagu, from Latin lacus.


wild

Ħarbat, mewwet dawk id-dwieli,
wild il-għaraq tal-ħaddiem,
żomm il-fqir ġol-gorboġ waħdu,
u bla ħobż, bla dawl, bla sliem!

1949, Anton Buttigieg, “Ir-Riħ u l-Bnazzi”, in Mill-Gallerija ta’ Żgħożiti:

Destroy, kill those vines,
the offspring of the worker’s sweat,
keep the poor man in the hovel alone,
without bread, without light, without peace!


opera

mt-verb

opera (imperfect jopera, past participle operat, verbal noun operar)

jopera (imperfect)
operat (participle past)
operar (noun-from-verb)
operajt (first-person masculine perfect singular)
operajt (masculine perfect second-person singular)
opera (masculine perfect singular third-person)
operajna (first-person masculine perfect plural)
operajtu (masculine perfect plural second-person)
operaw (masculine perfect plural third-person)
operajt (feminine first-person perfect singular)
operajt (feminine perfect second-person singular)
operat (feminine perfect singular third-person)
operajna (feminine first-person perfect plural)
operajtu (feminine perfect plural second-person)
operaw (feminine perfect plural third-person)
nopera (first-person imperfect masculine singular)
topera (imperfect masculine second-person singular)
jopera (imperfect masculine singular third-person)
noperaw (first-person imperfect masculine plural)
toperaw (imperfect masculine plural second-person)
joperaw (imperfect masculine plural third-person)
nopera (feminine first-person imperfect singular)
topera (feminine imperfect second-person singular)
topera (feminine imperfect singular third-person)
noperaw (feminine first-person imperfect plural)
toperaw (feminine imperfect plural second-person)
joperaw (feminine imperfect plural third-person)
opera (imperative second-person singular)
operaw (imperative plural second-person)
operajtx (first-person masculine perfect singular)
operajtx (masculine perfect second-person singular)
operajniex (first-person masculine perfect plural)
operajtux (masculine perfect plural second-person)
operawx (masculine perfect plural third-person)
operajtx (feminine first-person perfect singular)
operajtx (feminine perfect second-person singular)
operatx (feminine perfect singular third-person)
operajniex (feminine first-person perfect plural)
operajtux (feminine perfect plural second-person)
operawx (feminine perfect plural third-person)
noperax (first-person imperfect masculine singular)
toperax (imperfect masculine second-person singular)
joperax (imperfect masculine singular third-person)
noperawx (first-person imperfect masculine plural)
toperawx (imperfect masculine plural second-person)
joperawx (imperfect masculine plural third-person)
noperax (feminine first-person imperfect singular)
toperax (feminine imperfect second-person singular)
toperax (feminine imperfect singular third-person)
noperawx (feminine first-person imperfect plural)
toperawx (feminine imperfect plural second-person)
joperawx (feminine imperfect plural third-person)
toperax (imperative second-person singular)
toperawx (imperative plural second-person)


opera

Alternative form: opra


redden

redden (imperfect jredden, past participle mredden)

jredden (imperfect)
mredden (participle past)
reddint (first-person masculine perfect singular)
reddint (masculine perfect second-person singular)
redden (masculine perfect singular third-person)
reddinna (first-person masculine perfect plural)
reddintu (masculine perfect plural second-person)
reddnu (masculine perfect plural third-person)
reddint (feminine first-person perfect singular)
reddint (feminine perfect second-person singular)
reddnet (feminine perfect singular third-person)
reddinna (feminine first-person perfect plural)
reddintu (feminine perfect plural second-person)
reddnu (feminine perfect plural third-person)
nredden (first-person imperfect masculine singular)
tredden (imperfect masculine second-person singular)
jredden (imperfect masculine singular third-person)
nreddnu (first-person imperfect masculine plural)
treddnu (imperfect masculine plural second-person)
jreddnu (imperfect masculine plural third-person)
nredden (feminine first-person imperfect singular)
tredden (feminine imperfect second-person singular)
tredden (feminine imperfect singular third-person)
nreddnu (feminine first-person imperfect plural)
treddnu (feminine imperfect plural second-person)
jreddnu (feminine imperfect plural third-person)
redden (imperative second-person singular)
reddnu (imperative plural second-person)
reddintx (first-person masculine perfect singular)
reddintx (masculine perfect second-person singular)
reddinx (masculine perfect singular third-person)
reddinniex (first-person masculine perfect plural)
reddintux (masculine perfect plural second-person)
reddnux (masculine perfect plural third-person)
reddintx (feminine first-person perfect singular)
reddintx (feminine perfect second-person singular)
reddnitx (feminine perfect singular third-person)
reddinniex (feminine first-person perfect plural)
reddintux (feminine perfect plural second-person)
reddnux (feminine perfect plural third-person)
nreddinx (first-person imperfect masculine singular)
treddinx (imperfect masculine second-person singular)
jreddinx (imperfect masculine singular third-person)
nreddnux (first-person imperfect masculine plural)
treddnux (imperfect masculine plural second-person)
jreddnux (imperfect masculine plural third-person)
nreddinx (feminine first-person imperfect singular)
treddinx (feminine imperfect second-person singular)
treddinx (feminine imperfect singular third-person)
nreddnux (feminine first-person imperfect plural)
treddnux (feminine imperfect plural second-person)
jreddnux (feminine imperfect plural third-person)
treddinx (imperative second-person singular)
treddnux (imperative plural second-person)
radden (alternative)


amir

amiri (plural)
amajjar (plural)
emir (alternative)


basal

basla (singulative)
basliet (paucal)
bsajla (diminutive)

Biex il-burger ikun komplut jisserva bil-ħass, basal u tadam u diġà kien suċċess fl-Olanda u l-Belġju.

2018, “Tasal li tiekol burger bid-dud?”, in Television Malta (TVM):

For the burger to be complete it is served with lettuce, onions and tomatoes; it has already been a success in the Netherlands and Belgium.

onion (as a mass or species); several onions


blat

blata (singulative)
blajjet (plural)
blejjet (plural)
blatiet (paucal)

From Arabic بَلَاط (balāṭ, “tiles, paved surface”), eventually from Ancient Greek πλατεῖα (plateîa).

inh

Fuq il-blata ġej u sejjer, fuq il-blata nerġa’ mmur.
 Għax hemmhekk għandi namrata, u xxejjirli bil-maktur.
 Ħanina, nitolbok ħaġa: Islifli ftit il-maktur!
 Dawk in-nies ma jkunux jafu, ’l ommok ma ngħidilhiex żgur.

Traditional, “Ja ħanina”, performed by Frans Baldacchino:

To the rock I come and go, on the rock I always walk,
 For I have my sweetheart there, and she waves to me with a handkerchief.
 Darling, one thing I ask of you: Lend me that handkerchief a while!
 Those people won’t even know, and I sure won’t tell your mum.

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:

rock (material, a mass or surface of it)


mod

Borrowed from Sicilian modu and/or Italian modo, from Latin modus.


rabat

mt-verb

rabat (imperfect jorbot, past participle marbut, verbal noun rbit)

jorbot (imperfect)
marbut (participle past)
rbit (noun-from-verb)
rbatt (first-person masculine perfect singular)
rbatt (masculine perfect second-person singular)
rabat (masculine perfect singular third-person)
rbatna (first-person masculine perfect plural)
rbattu (masculine perfect plural second-person)
rabtu (masculine perfect plural third-person)
rbatt (feminine first-person perfect singular)
rbatt (feminine perfect second-person singular)
rabtet (feminine perfect singular third-person)
rbatna (feminine first-person perfect plural)
rbattu (feminine perfect plural second-person)
rabtu (feminine perfect plural third-person)
norbot (first-person imperfect masculine singular)
torbot (imperfect masculine second-person singular)
jorbot (imperfect masculine singular third-person)
norbtu (first-person imperfect masculine plural)
torbtu (imperfect masculine plural second-person)
jorbtu (imperfect masculine plural third-person)
norbot (feminine first-person imperfect singular)
torbot (feminine imperfect second-person singular)
torbot (feminine imperfect singular third-person)
norbtu (feminine first-person imperfect plural)
torbtu (feminine imperfect plural second-person)
jorbtu (feminine imperfect plural third-person)
orbot (imperative second-person singular)
orbtu (imperative plural second-person)
rbattx (first-person masculine perfect singular)
rbattx (masculine perfect second-person singular)
rabatx (masculine perfect singular third-person)
rbatniex (first-person masculine perfect plural)
rbattux (masculine perfect plural second-person)
rabtux (masculine perfect plural third-person)
rbattx (feminine first-person perfect singular)
rbattx (feminine perfect second-person singular)
rabtitx (feminine perfect singular third-person)
rbatniex (feminine first-person perfect plural)
rbattux (feminine perfect plural second-person)
rabtux (feminine perfect plural third-person)
norbotx (first-person imperfect masculine singular)
torbotx (imperfect masculine second-person singular)
jorbotx (imperfect masculine singular third-person)
norbtux (first-person imperfect masculine plural)
torbtux (imperfect masculine plural second-person)
jorbtux (imperfect masculine plural third-person)
norbotx (feminine first-person imperfect singular)
torbotx (feminine imperfect second-person singular)
torbotx (feminine imperfect singular third-person)
norbtux (feminine first-person imperfect plural)
torbtux (feminine imperfect plural second-person)
jorbtux (feminine imperfect plural third-person)
torbotx (imperative second-person singular)
torbtux (imperative plural second-person)

Ejja ‘l hawn, la tibżax minni,
bil-katina ma norbtokx;
norbtok biss bl-għeruq ta’ qalbi,
f’ħajti kollha ma nħollokx.

1975, Anton Buttigieg, “Il-Kappella tal-Paċi”, in L-Għanja tas-Sittin:


simar

simara (singulative)
summar (alternative)

Juncus effusus
Juncus effusus#Translingual


sod

mt-adjective

sod (feminine singular soda, plural sodi)

Borrowed from Italian sodo, from Latin solidus. Doublet of solidu.


tat

third-person feminine singular perfect of ta


frisk

frisk (feminine singular friska, plural friski)

friska (feminine singular)
friski (plural)

Minbarra l-ħalib, l-aħjar xarba għall-ulied huwa l-ilma frisk.

Apart from milk, the best drink for children is fresh water.


mess

mt-verb

mess (imperfect jmiss, past participle mimsus, verbal noun mess)

jmiss (imperfect)
mimsus (participle past)
mess (noun-from-verb)
messejt (first-person masculine perfect singular)
messejt (masculine perfect second-person singular)
mess (masculine perfect singular third-person)
messejna (first-person masculine perfect plural)
messejtu (masculine perfect plural second-person)
messew (masculine perfect plural third-person)
messejt (feminine first-person perfect singular)
messejt (feminine perfect second-person singular)
messet (feminine perfect singular third-person)
messejna (feminine first-person perfect plural)
messejtu (feminine perfect plural second-person)
messew (feminine perfect plural third-person)
mmiss (first-person imperfect masculine singular)
tmiss (imperfect masculine second-person singular)
jmiss (imperfect masculine singular third-person)
mmissu (first-person imperfect masculine plural)
tmissu (imperfect masculine plural second-person)
jmissu (imperfect masculine plural third-person)
mmiss (feminine first-person imperfect singular)
tmiss (feminine imperfect second-person singular)
tmiss (feminine imperfect singular third-person)
mmissu (feminine first-person imperfect plural)
tmissu (feminine imperfect plural second-person)
jmissu (feminine imperfect plural third-person)
miss (imperative second-person singular)
missu (imperative plural second-person)
messejtx (first-person masculine perfect singular)
messejtx (masculine perfect second-person singular)
messx (masculine perfect singular third-person)
messejniex (first-person masculine perfect plural)
messejtux (masculine perfect plural second-person)
messewx (masculine perfect plural third-person)
messejtx (feminine first-person perfect singular)
messejtx (feminine perfect second-person singular)
messitx (feminine perfect singular third-person)
messejniex (feminine first-person perfect plural)
messejtux (feminine perfect plural second-person)
messewx (feminine perfect plural third-person)
mmissx (first-person imperfect masculine singular)
tmissx (imperfect masculine second-person singular)
jmissx (imperfect masculine singular third-person)
mmissux (first-person imperfect masculine plural)
tmissux (imperfect masculine plural second-person)
jmissux (imperfect masculine plural third-person)
mmissx (feminine first-person imperfect singular)
tmissx (feminine imperfect second-person singular)
tmissx (feminine imperfect singular third-person)
mmissux (feminine first-person imperfect plural)
tmissux (feminine imperfect plural second-person)
jmissux (feminine imperfect plural third-person)
tmissx (imperative second-person singular)
tmissux (imperative plural second-person)

f’żarbun ġa ssikkat. irkiekel dahri
tat-terrakotta － ’kk tmisshom,
isiru frak. dil-belt tentakli waħedha －
għoddha qalftitni fatat.

Missek għedtli.

(auxiliary) Used to indicate duty or obligation: ought; should

(auxiliary) Used in conditional or counterfactual statements to show relief that one didn't do something that would have led to a bad or regrettable result.


temp

Borrowed from Sicilian tempu and/or Italian tempo, both from Latin tempus.


borra

Borrowed from Sicilian burra; compare burrasca (“sudden rainfall, storm”). Most probably from Latin boreas (“north wind”), from Ancient Greek Βορέᾱς (Boréās), though compare also Latin burra (“rag, flock”), which might give the sense “snowflake”. In any case, the development from “rain” to “snow” is not unlikely in Malta, where what is considered “snow” is usually sleet, while actual snow is very rare.


trekken

jitrekken (imperfect)
trekkint (first-person masculine perfect singular)
trekkint (masculine perfect second-person singular)
trekken (masculine perfect singular third-person)
trekkinna (first-person masculine perfect plural)
trekkintu (masculine perfect plural second-person)
trekknu (masculine perfect plural third-person)
trekkint (feminine first-person perfect singular)
trekkint (feminine perfect second-person singular)
trekknet (feminine perfect singular third-person)
trekkinna (feminine first-person perfect plural)
trekkintu (feminine perfect plural second-person)
trekknu (feminine perfect plural third-person)
nitrekken (first-person imperfect masculine singular)
titrekken (imperfect masculine second-person singular)
jitrekken (imperfect masculine singular third-person)
nitrekknu (first-person imperfect masculine plural)
titrekknu (imperfect masculine plural second-person)
jitrekknu (imperfect masculine plural third-person)
nitrekken (feminine first-person imperfect singular)
titrekken (feminine imperfect second-person singular)
titrekken (feminine imperfect singular third-person)
nitrekknu (feminine first-person imperfect plural)
titrekknu (feminine imperfect plural second-person)
jitrekknu (feminine imperfect plural third-person)
trekken (imperative second-person singular)
trekknu (imperative plural second-person)
trekkintx (first-person masculine perfect singular)
trekkintx (masculine perfect second-person singular)
trekkinx (masculine perfect singular third-person)
trekkinniex (first-person masculine perfect plural)
trekkintux (masculine perfect plural second-person)
trekknux (masculine perfect plural third-person)
trekkintx (feminine first-person perfect singular)
trekkintx (feminine perfect second-person singular)
trekknitx (feminine perfect singular third-person)
trekkinniex (feminine first-person perfect plural)
trekkintux (feminine perfect plural second-person)
trekknux (feminine perfect plural third-person)
nitrekkinx (first-person imperfect masculine singular)
titrekkinx (imperfect masculine second-person singular)
jitrekkinx (imperfect masculine singular third-person)
nitrekknux (first-person imperfect masculine plural)
titrekknux (imperfect masculine plural second-person)
jitrekknux (imperfect masculine plural third-person)
nitrekkinx (feminine first-person imperfect singular)
titrekkinx (feminine imperfect second-person singular)
titrekkinx (feminine imperfect singular third-person)
nitrekknux (feminine first-person imperfect plural)
titrekknux (feminine imperfect plural second-person)
jitrekknux (feminine imperfect plural third-person)
titrekkinx (imperative second-person singular)
titrekknux (imperative plural second-person)

Probably inherited from Arabic تَرَكَّنَ (tarakkana, “to be calm, firm, inaccessible”), but influenced by related rokna (“corner”).


sala

Borrowed from Sicilian sala and/or Italian sala, both ultimately from Proto-Germanic *saliz.


tewa

mt-verb

tewa (imperfect jitwi, past participle mitwi)

jitwi (imperfect)
mitwi (participle past)
twejt (first-person masculine perfect singular)
twejt (masculine perfect second-person singular)
tewa (masculine perfect singular third-person)
twejna (first-person masculine perfect plural)
twejtu (masculine perfect plural second-person)
twew (masculine perfect plural third-person)
twejt (feminine first-person perfect singular)
twejt (feminine perfect second-person singular)
twiet (feminine perfect singular third-person)
twejna (feminine first-person perfect plural)
twejtu (feminine perfect plural second-person)
twew (feminine perfect plural third-person)
nitwi (first-person imperfect masculine singular)
titwi (imperfect masculine second-person singular)
jitwi (imperfect masculine singular third-person)
nitwu (first-person imperfect masculine plural)
titwu (imperfect masculine plural second-person)
jitwu (imperfect masculine plural third-person)
nitwi (feminine first-person imperfect singular)
titwi (feminine imperfect second-person singular)
titwi (feminine imperfect singular third-person)
nitwu (feminine first-person imperfect plural)
titwu (feminine imperfect plural second-person)
jitwu (feminine imperfect plural third-person)
itwi (imperative second-person singular)
itwu (imperative plural second-person)


Randan

From Arabic رَمَضَان (ramaḍān, “Ramadan”). The use of the word attests to the fact that—though Malta had been Christian before the Arab conquest—modern Maltese people mainly descend from converted Muslims. Arabic-speaking Christians otherwise use the terms اَلصَّوْمُ الْكَبِير (aṣ-ṣawmu l-kabīr, literally “great fast”) or صَوْمُ الْأَرْبَعِين (ṣawmu l-ʔarbaʕīn, literally “fast of the forty”). Compare also Għisa (obsolete for “Jesus”). Doublet of Ramadan.

(Christianity) Lent, the Christian time of fasting before Easter


alla

From the proper noun Alla (“God”), from Arabic الله (allāh). The Arabic is not used as a common noun, for which related إلٰه (ʔilāh).


alla

Tini il-mobajl, alla!

Oh God! (expressing shock, frustration, or anger)


lanza

Borrowed from Sicilian lanza, ultimately (perhaps through Old Occitan) from Latin lancea.


fi

Alternative form of f’: used before a consonant cluster


landing

landings (plural)
landingjt (first-person masculine perfect singular)
landingjt (masculine perfect second-person singular)
landing (masculine perfect singular third-person)
landingjna (first-person masculine perfect plural)
landingjtu (masculine perfect plural second-person)
landingw (masculine perfect plural third-person)
landingjt (feminine first-person perfect singular)
landingjt (feminine perfect second-person singular)
landingt (feminine perfect singular third-person)
landingjna (feminine first-person perfect plural)
landingjtu (feminine perfect plural second-person)
landingw (feminine perfect plural third-person)
nlanding (first-person imperfect masculine singular)
tlanding (imperfect masculine second-person singular)
jlanding (imperfect masculine singular third-person)
nlandingw (first-person imperfect masculine plural)
tlandingw (imperfect masculine plural second-person)
jlandingw (imperfect masculine plural third-person)
nlanding (feminine first-person imperfect singular)
tlanding (feminine imperfect second-person singular)
tlanding (feminine imperfect singular third-person)
nlandingw (feminine first-person imperfect plural)
tlandingw (feminine imperfect plural second-person)
jlandingw (feminine imperfect plural third-person)
landing (imperative second-person singular)
landingw (imperative plural second-person)
landingjtx (first-person masculine perfect singular)
landingjtx (masculine perfect second-person singular)
landingjniex (first-person masculine perfect plural)
landingjtux (masculine perfect plural second-person)
landingwx (masculine perfect plural third-person)
landingjtx (feminine first-person perfect singular)
landingjtx (feminine perfect second-person singular)
landingtx (feminine perfect singular third-person)
landingjniex (feminine first-person perfect plural)
landingjtux (feminine perfect plural second-person)
landingwx (feminine perfect plural third-person)
nlandingx (first-person imperfect masculine singular)
tlandingx (imperfect masculine second-person singular)
jlandingx (imperfect masculine singular third-person)
nlandingwx (first-person imperfect masculine plural)
tlandingwx (imperfect masculine plural second-person)
jlandingwx (imperfect masculine plural third-person)
nlandingx (feminine first-person imperfect singular)
tlandingx (feminine imperfect second-person singular)
tlandingx (feminine imperfect singular third-person)
nlandingwx (feminine first-person imperfect plural)
tlandingwx (feminine imperfect plural second-person)
jlandingwx (feminine imperfect plural third-person)
tlandingx (imperative second-person singular)
tlandingwx (imperative plural second-person)


stad

stad (imperfect jistad, past participle mistad)

jistad (imperfect)
mistad (participle past)
stadt (first-person masculine perfect singular)
stadt (masculine perfect second-person singular)
stad (masculine perfect singular third-person)
stadna (first-person masculine perfect plural)
stadtu (masculine perfect plural second-person)
stadu (masculine perfect plural third-person)
stadt (feminine first-person perfect singular)
stadt (feminine perfect second-person singular)
stadet (feminine perfect singular third-person)
stadna (feminine first-person perfect plural)
stadtu (feminine perfect plural second-person)
stadu (feminine perfect plural third-person)
nistad (first-person imperfect masculine singular)
tistad (imperfect masculine second-person singular)
jistad (imperfect masculine singular third-person)
nistadu (first-person imperfect masculine plural)
tistadu (imperfect masculine plural second-person)
jistadu (imperfect masculine plural third-person)
nistad (feminine first-person imperfect singular)
tistad (feminine imperfect second-person singular)
tistad (feminine imperfect singular third-person)
nistadu (feminine first-person imperfect plural)
tistadu (feminine imperfect plural second-person)
jistadu (feminine imperfect plural third-person)
stad (imperative second-person singular)
stadu (imperative plural second-person)

inh

Arabic اِصْطادَ (iṣṭāda)


basta

Basta li ma jkunx hemm riskju ta‘ konfużjoni.

As long as there is no risk of confusion.


sulla

Alternative form of silla: French honeysuckle (Hedysarum coronarium)


mil

mt-noun

mil m (dual milejn, plural mjiel or mili)

milejn (dual)
mjiel (plural)
mili (plural)


miss

second-person singular imperative of mess


mitt

first/second-person singular imperfect of miet


mamma

il-mamma u t-tata

Coordinate term: għerq

(grammar) basic form of a verb (the basic form of a verb used as a dictionary entry)


tal

mt-verb

tal (imperfect jtul, past participle mitul, verbal noun tul)

jtul (imperfect)
mitul (participle past)
tul (noun-from-verb)
talt (first-person masculine perfect singular)
talt (masculine perfect second-person singular)
tal (masculine perfect singular third-person)
talna (first-person masculine perfect plural)
taltu (masculine perfect plural second-person)
talu (masculine perfect plural third-person)
talt (feminine first-person perfect singular)
talt (feminine perfect second-person singular)
talet (feminine perfect singular third-person)
talna (feminine first-person perfect plural)
taltu (feminine perfect plural second-person)
talu (feminine perfect plural third-person)
ntul (first-person imperfect masculine singular)
ttul (imperfect masculine second-person singular)
jtul (imperfect masculine singular third-person)
ntulu (first-person imperfect masculine plural)
ttulu (imperfect masculine plural second-person)
jtulu (imperfect masculine plural third-person)
ntul (feminine first-person imperfect singular)
ttul (feminine imperfect second-person singular)
ttul (feminine imperfect singular third-person)
ntulu (feminine first-person imperfect plural)
ttulu (feminine imperfect plural second-person)
jtulu (feminine imperfect plural third-person)
tul (imperative second-person singular)
tulu (imperative plural second-person)

to become long, to become prolonged, to last


fond

mt-adjective

fond (feminine singular fonda, plural fondi)

fonda (feminine singular)
fondi (plural)


fond

depth (that which is deep below; the deepest part)


razza

Borrowed from Italian razza and/or Sicilian razza, of uncertain origin.


barra

From Arabic بَرًّا (barran, “outside”). Compare Egyptian Arabic برا (barra) and the same in many or most dialects.