"elef" meaning in Maltese

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "mt",
        "2": "ar",
        "3": "آلَاف"
      },
      "expansion": "Arabic آلَاف (ʔālāf)",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "mt",
        "2": "",
        "3": "*elief"
      },
      "expansion": "*elief",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "mt",
        "2": "",
        "3": "*elief"
      },
      "expansion": "*elief",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "mt",
        "2": "eluf"
      },
      "expansion": "eluf",
      "name": "m"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Arabic آلَاف (ʔālāf). The expected form is *elief, but the stress was shifted backwards under the influence of a following noun. In independent position, *elief was probably maintained at first; it was then absorbed by eluf and restricted to the vague sense “thousands”.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "g": "p"
      },
      "expansion": "elef pl",
      "name": "mt-numeral"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Maltese",
  "lang_code": "mt",
  "pos": "num",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "name": "Maltese cardinal numbers",
          "parents": [
            "Cardinal numbers",
            "Numbers",
            "All topics",
            "Terms by semantic function",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Maltese entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "form_of": [
        {
          "word": "elf"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "paucal of elf"
      ],
      "id": "en-elef-mt-num-4yFOiloC",
      "links": [
        [
          "elf",
          "elf#Maltese"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "form-of",
        "paucal",
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈɛ.lɛf/"
    }
  ],
  "word": "elef"
}

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "mt",
        "2": "ar",
        "3": "آلَاف"
      },
      "expansion": "Arabic آلَاف (ʔālāf)",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "mt",
        "2": "",
        "3": "*elief"
      },
      "expansion": "*elief",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "mt",
        "2": "",
        "3": "*elief"
      },
      "expansion": "*elief",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "mt",
        "2": "eluf"
      },
      "expansion": "eluf",
      "name": "m"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Arabic آلَاف (ʔālāf). The expected form is *elief, but the stress was shifted backwards under the influence of a following noun. In independent position, *elief was probably maintained at first; it was then absorbed by eluf and restricted to the vague sense “thousands”.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "g": "p"
      },
      "expansion": "elef pl",
      "name": "mt-numeral"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Maltese",
  "lang_code": "mt",
  "pos": "num",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "Maltese 2-syllable words",
        "Maltese cardinal numbers",
        "Maltese entries with incorrect language header",
        "Maltese lemmas",
        "Maltese numerals",
        "Maltese terms derived from Arabic",
        "Maltese terms inherited from Arabic",
        "Maltese terms with IPA pronunciation"
      ],
      "form_of": [
        {
          "word": "elf"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "paucal of elf"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "elf",
          "elf#Maltese"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "form-of",
        "paucal",
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈɛ.lɛf/"
    }
  ],
  "word": "elef"
}