wiċċ

wiċċ m (plural wċuħ, diminutive uċejjaħ)

wċuħ (plural)
uċejjaħ (diminutive)
wiċċi (first-person singular)
wiċċna (first-person singular)
wiċċek (second-person singular)
wiċċkom (second-person singular)
wiċċu (masculine singular third-person)
wiċċha (feminine singular third-person)
wiċċhom (singular third-person)

From Arabic وَجْه (wajh). Compare North Levantine Arabic وج (wijj), وش (wišš), وتش (witš) and Egyptian Arabic وِشّ (wišš).

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

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

taħt it-tbissima
falza ta’ wiċċi
kien hemm in-niket
u dwejjaq kbar
u biża’ minnek.

1970, Anton Buttigieg, “Lis-Sena l-Ġdida 1964”, in Fl-Arena:

Niftakar
tal-qniepen il-mota ferrieħa,
u l-Ave Maria ta’ Schubert
taż-żahar il-fwieħa
u l-għafsa ta’ driegħek ma’ driegħi,
u l-ħeġġa ta’ wiċċek ħamrani,
u l-mantar bajdani
jitkaxkar mal-qiegħa
tal-korsija:
id-dija u d-dawl tal-parilja,
il-ħsejjes taż-żwiemel għaddejja,

1949-1952, Anton Buttigieg, “Niftakar”, in Qasba mar-Riħ, published 1977:


irġiel

post-consonantal and alternative basic form of rġiel


ġisem

iġsma (plural)
ġismi (first-person singular)
ġisimna (first-person singular)
ġismek (second-person singular)
ġisimkom (second-person singular)
ġismu (masculine singular third-person)
ġisimha (feminine singular third-person)
ġisimhom (singular third-person)

Għandi ġismi kbir.


irġejjen

post-consonantal and alternative basic form of rġejjen


liberazzjoni

mt-noun

liberazzjoni f (plural liberazzjonijiet)


demokrazija

demokraziji (plural)
dimokrazija (alternative)


organiżżazzjoni

organiżżazzjoni f (plural organiżżazzjonijiet)

Alternative form of organizzazzjoni: organization


popolazzjoni

popolazzjoni f (plural popolazzjonijiet)


kontaminazzjoni

kontaminazzjoni f (plural kontaminazzjonijiet)


qasam

qasam m (plural oqsma or qsam or qsum, diminutive qsajjam or qsajjem)

oqsma (plural)
qsam (plural)
qsum (plural)
qsajjam (diminutive)
qsajjem (diminutive)

(especially) a section of land, a plot, estate


għasar

From Arabic عَصْر (ʕaṣr).
The religious use is based on the Islamic afternoon prayer. Catholic vespers are typically held at 6 pm, but were often brought forward to the last hour before sunset during the winter. The word counts among the specifically Islamic terms preserved by the (re-)converted Maltese as against the use of Middle Eastern Christians; compare Randan (“Lent”) and others.

(Islam) asr, the afternoon Islamic prayer


żerriegħa

żerriegħa f (plural żrieragħ, paucal żerrigħat)

From Arabic زَرِّيعَة (zarrīʕa, “seed”).


lagħab

lagħab m (plural lagħaba, feminine lagħaba)

From Arabic لَعّاب (laʕʕāb).
Originally the noun was pronounced /laʕˈʕaːp/, while the verb was /ˈla.ʕap/. Both merged in the 19th century when għ was vowelised. The spelling lagħgħab, which is sometimes seen, is incorrect because għ can never be geminated in Maltese.


logħba

singulative of logħob: a game
an instance of playing

singulative of logħob: a game
competative activity defined by rules


logħob

verbal noun of lagħab:
the act of playing

verbal noun of lagħab:
a period of playing, several games


maħbub

maħbub m (plural maħbubin, feminine maħbuba)


adorazzjoni

adorazzjonijiet (plural)
adurazzjoni (alternative)


sħubija

sħubijiet (plural)
sħubiti (first-person singular)
sħubitna (first-person singular)
sħubitek (second-person singular)
sħubitkom (second-person singular)
sħubitu (masculine singular third-person)
sħubitha (feminine singular third-person)
sħubithom (singular third-person)


għaraq

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!


poeżija

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

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


ħabib

ħbieb (plural)
ħabiba (feminine)
ħabibi (first-person singular)
ħabibna (first-person singular)
ħabibek (second-person singular)
ħabibkom (second-person singular)
ħabibu (masculine singular third-person)
ħabibha (feminine singular third-person)
ħabibhom (singular third-person)


ħuta

singulative of ħut: a fish (single animal)


driegħ

driegħ m (dual dirgħajn, plural dirgħajn or idirgħa, diminutive drejjagħ)

dirgħajn (dual)
dirgħajn (plural)
idirgħa (plural)
drejjagħ (diminutive)
driegħi (first-person singular)
driegħna (first-person singular)
driegħek (second-person singular)
driegħkom (second-person singular)
driegħu (masculine singular third-person)
driegħha (feminine singular third-person)
driegħhom (singular third-person)

Xejn ma baqa’ mill-biża’ f’għajnejk u xejn ma baqa’ mir-reżistenza f’dirgħajk.

2023, Nathan Anthony Pace, dbilt qabel kbirt, →ISBN, page 9:

Nothing remained of the fear in your eyes and nothing remained of the resistance in your arms.


gerżuma

gerżuma f (dual griżmejn, plural grieżem)

From Maghrebi Arabic, from a Berber language. Compare Libyan Arabic قرجومة (garjūma), Moroccan Arabic قرجوطة (qarjūṭa).


lsien

lsien m (plural ilsna, diminutive lsejjen)

ilsna (plural)
lsejjen (diminutive)
lsieni (first-person singular)
lsienna (first-person singular)
lsienek (second-person singular)
lsienkom (second-person singular)
lsienu (masculine singular third-person)
lsienha (feminine singular third-person)
lsienhom (singular third-person)
ilsien (alternative also)


unità astronomika

unità astronomika f (plural unitajiet astronomiċi)

Internationalism; compare English astronomical unit, Italian unità astronomica.


unitajiet astronomiċi

unità astronomika
unità astronomika#Maltese


bajd

bajda (singulative)
badtejn (dual)
bajdiet (paucal)


indikazzjoni

indikazzjoni f (plural indikazzjonijiet)


żwieġ

Iż-żwieġ kattoliku huwa għaqda qaddisa bejn raġel wieħed u mara waħda.

Catholic marriage is a holy union between one man and one woman.

Hemm ukoll żwiġijiet bejn persuni tal-istess sess jew bejn iktar minn żewġ individwi.

There are also marriages between persons of the same sex or between more than two individuals.


żwiġijiet

/zwɪd͡ʒɪˈjɪːt/


kwistjoni

kwistjonijiet (plural)
kwestjoni (alternative)
kustjoni (alternative)


evalwazzjoni

evalwazzjoni f (plural evalwazzjonijiet)


parteċipazzjoni

parteċipazzjoni f (plural parteċipazzjonijiet)

parteċipazzjonijiet (plural)
partiċipazzjoni (alternative)


assoċjazzjoni

assoċjazzjoni f (plural assoċjazzjonijiet)


manifestazzjoni

manifestazzjoni f (plural manifestazzjonijiet)


repressjoni

repressjonijiet (plural)
ripressjoni (alternative)


konnotazzjoni

konnotazzjoni f (plural konnotazzjonijiet)


tentazzjoni

Borrowed from Italian tentazione, from Latin temptatio.


superstizzjoni

superstizzjoni f (plural superstizzjonijiet)


leġiżlazzjoni

leġiżlazzjoni f (plural leġiżlazzjonijiet)


passjoni

Borrowed from Italian passione, from Latin passio.

passion (suffering, chiefly that of Christ)


soċjetà

kull skuża
f’soċjetà kkankrata
li ma tridx taf b’mara
sakemm m’hemmx kwota
li ma tridx taf b’mara
sakemm ma tridx tivvota

2023, Keith Borg, magħġuna fit-tbenġil, Ede Books, →ISBN:


imwiet

post-consonantal and alternative basic form of mwiet


ħajja

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:

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:


ġeografija

ġeografiji (plural)
ġografija (alternative)


xiħ

xiħ m (plural xjuħ, feminine xiħa, diminutive xwejjaħ)

xjuħ (plural)
xiħa (feminine)
xwejjaħ (diminutive)

(figurative) an experienced person; an expert in experience

(obsolete, chiefly in placenames only) an elder of a community


żagħżugħ

żagħżugħ m (plural żgħażagħ or subien, feminine tfajla or xebba)

żgħażagħ (plural)
subien (plural)
tfajla (feminine)
xebba (feminine)

From Arabic *زَغْزُوغ (*zaḡzūḡ), variant of زَعْزُوع (zaʕzūʕ, “thin, meagre, lanky”); compare زُغْزُغ (zuḡzuḡ, “short, small”).


żifna

żifna f (plural żifniet, diminutive żfejna)

singulative of żfin: a dance
an instance of dancing

singulative of żfin: a dance
a way, style of dancing


kompożizzjoni

kompożizzjoni f (plural kompożizzjonijiet)


leħen

ilħna (plural)
leħnijiet (plural)
leħni (first-person singular)
leħinna (first-person singular)
leħnek (second-person singular)
leħinkom (second-person singular)
leħnu (masculine singular third-person)
leħinha (feminine singular third-person)
leħinhom (singular third-person)


ġustizzja

justice (principle or degree of being just)


xoffa

xoffa f (plural xufftejn or xofftejn or xoffiet, diminutive xfejfa)

xufftejn (plural)
xofftejn (plural)
xoffiet (plural)
xfejfa (diminutive)
xoffti (first-person singular)
xoffitna (first-person singular)
xofftok (second-person singular)
xoffitkom (second-person singular)
xofftu (masculine singular third-person)
xoffitha (feminine singular third-person)
xoffithom (singular third-person)


bżonn

Etymology tree
Frankish *bisunnijabor.
Vulgar Latin *bisonium
Sicilian bisognubor.
Maltese bżonn
Borrowed from Sicilian bisognu, from Vulgar Latin *bisonium, borrowed from Frankish *bisunnija.

etymon

Hemm bżonn li ssir riflessjoni dwar l-arkitettura finanzjarja Ewropea għall-iżvilupp.

There is a need to reflect on the European financial architecture for development.


traduzzjoni

Borrowed from Sicilian traduzzioni, from Latin trāductiō, trāductiōnem.


pjaneta

planets of the Solar System: pjaneti tas-Sistema Solari: Merkurju · Venere

Il-Ħamra · Ġove · Saturnu · Uranu · Nettunu [edit]


gawwi

gawwija (singulative)
gawwijiet (paucal)

Eventually from Latin gāvia. Predominantly thought to have been inherited through dialectal North African Arabic, where the word is apparently still attested in some areas. If so, possibly transmitted through a Berber language. Compare Tunisian Arabic ڨاوية (gāwya).


xkupilja

mt-noun

xkupilja f (plural xkupilji or xkupiljiet)

xkupilji (plural)
xkupiljiet (plural)
ixkupilja (alternative)

Perhaps from Spanish escobilla (“brush”), borrowed via Sicilian, in which case the /p/ may reflect conflation with Maltese xkupa, Sicilian scupa (“broom”). Compare Neapolitan scupillo, Italian scoviglio.


alluċinazzjoni

alluċinazzjoni f (plural alluċinazzjonijiet)


selezzjoni

From Italian selezione, from Latin selectio.


konjugazzjoni

konjugazzjoni f (plural konjugazzjonijiet)


assimilazzjoni

assimilazzjoni f (plural assimilazzjonijiet)


penetrazzjoni

penetrazzjoni f (plural penetrazzjonijiet)


rebħa

rebħa f (plural rebħiet, diminutive rbejħa)


ħsieb

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:

Miexja fil-funeral ta’ kuġintha
mart it-tabib, li mietet fl-aħjar tagħha;
u f’moħħha ħsieb għaddej li t-tabib jista’
kif jgħaddi ftit taż-żmien, jitgħarras magħha.

1966, Anton Buttigieg, “Agnes”, in Ejjew Nidħku Ftit Ieħor:

(uncountable) Alternative form of ħsib (“the act of thinking”)


stimulazzjoni

stimulazzjoni f (plural stimulazzjonijiet)


uġigħ

uġigħat (plural rare)
wġigħ (alternative)
uġiegħ (alternative nonstandard)
wġiegħ (alternative nonstandard)

From Arabic وَجِيع (wajīʕ, “painful”) and/or Arabic أَوْجاع (ʔawjāʕ), plural of وَجَع (wajaʕ, “pain”). Both forms would have merged phonetically in Maltese.


ta'

ta’ (canonical masculine)
t’ (alternative before-vowel)

From older Maltese bita, mita, from Arabic مَتَاع (matāʕ, “thing, possession”). Compare Tunisian Arabic متاع (mtāʕ), Moroccan Arabic تاع (tāʕ), نتاع (ntāʕ), North Levantine Arabic تاع (tāʕ), Egyptian Arabic بتاع (bitāʕ), all used as possessive markers.

inh

tagħha


ħobż

ħobża (singulative)
ħbiżtejn (dual)
ħobżiet (paucal)

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:


ħarir

ħarira (singulative)
ħrejjer (plural)
ħaririet (paucal)


riħ

From Arabic رِيح (rīḥ). Originally a feminine, but masculine in Maltese (unlike related ruħ, which remained feminine).

Bl-istess libsa vjola, tikxifli ħobbok
lewn l-ewwel ftira ma’ ħjiel iż-żerniq,
bl-istess sandli, difrejk ħomor daqs qalbi,
u xagħrek immewweġ jofrogħ fir-riħ.

2021 [2017], Antoine Cassar, Erbgħin Jum, 2ⁿᵈ edition, Malta: Ede Books:

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:


irjieħ

post-consonantal and alternative basic form of rjieħ


frawla

mt-noun

frawla f (plural frawli, paucal frawliet)


tuffieħ

tuffieħa (singulative)
tuffiħat (paucal)
tuffiħiet (paucal)
toffieħ (alternative)

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


ħawħa

singulative of ħawħ: a peach (single fruit)


lanġasa

singulative of lanġas: a pear (single fruit)


lanġas

lanġasa (singulative)
lanġasiet (paucal)

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


larinġ

larinġa (singulative)
larinġiet (paucal)

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


frott

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

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

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

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


proprjetà

proprjetajiet (plural)
propjetà (alternative colloquial)


nominazzjoni

mt-noun

nominazzjoni f (plural nominazzjonijiet)


mogħdrija

An extended form of Arabic مَعْذِرَة (maʕḏira).


beżżula

beżżula f (plural bżieżel or beżżuliet, diminutive bżejżla)

bżieżel (plural)
beżżuliet (plural)
bżejżla (diminutive)
beżżul (alternative)
biżżul (alternative)
biżel (alternative)
biżla (alternative)

From Arabic بَزُّولَة (bazzūla). Compare Moroccan Arabic بزولة (bazzūla, “breast”), Tunisian Arabic بزّولة (bazzūla/bizzūla, “breast”).

cog

ras il-beżżula


għajxien

Derived from għex, from Arabic عَاشَ (ʕāša).

għejxien (alternative rare)
għixien (alternative)


tagħbija

mt-noun

tagħbija f (plural tagħbijiet or tgħabi)

tagħbijiet (plural)
tgħabi (plural)
togħbija (alternative)


awrina

From Italian urina or less probably Sicilian orina, both from Latin urīna. The initial a- would seem due to a backformation from l-awrina, from Italian la urina with the definite article. (The contraction l'urina was not obligatory in older Italian.)


rektum

Ultimately from New Latin rectum, clipping of Latin rectum intestinum (literally “the straight intestine”).


attivazzjoni

mt-noun

attivazzjoni f (plural attivazzjonijiet)


sottomissjoni

sottomissjoni f (plural sottomissjonijiet)


introduzzjoni

introduzzjoni f (plural introduzzjonijiet)


operazzjoni

operazzjonijiet (plural)
oprazzjoni (alternative)


sħab

From Arabic أَصْحَاب (ʔaṣḥāb) or Arabic صِحَاب (ṣiḥāb).

inh

Arabic أَصْحَاب (ʔaṣḥāb)


sħab

sħaba (singulative)
sħajjeb (plural)
sħabiet (paucal)


interazzjoni

mt-noun

interazzjoni f (plural interazzjonijiet)


interazzjoni fundamentali

interazzjoni fundamentali f (plural interazzjonijiet fundamentali)

Internationalism; compare English fundamental interaction.

fundamental interaction
fundamental interaction


interazzjonijiet fundamentali

interazzjoni fundamentali
interazzjoni fundamentali#Maltese


interazzjoni elettromanjetika

electromagnetic interaction
electromagnetic interaction


interazzjoni gravitazzjonali

gravitational interaction
gravitational interaction


interazzjoni nukleari dgħajfa

weak nuclear interaction
weak nuclear interaction


interazzjoni nukleari qawwija

Internationalism; compare English strong nuclear interaction.

strong nuclear interaction
strong nuclear interaction


interazzjoni qawwija

Internationalism; compare English strong interaction.


elettromanjetiżmu

Borrowed from Italian elettromagnetismo.


nagħaġ

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


nutar

nutar m (plural nutari, feminine nutara)


riħ solari

/ˌrɪːħ sɔˈlaː.rɪ/


vapur

Borrowed from Sicilian vapuri (“steam; steamship”), from Latin vapor.


blokk

mt-noun

blokk m (plural blokok or blokki or blokkijiet)

blokok (plural)
blokki (plural)
blokkijiet (plural)

Borrowed from Italian blocco and/or English block. Doublet of blokka.

block (group of buildings demarcated by streets)


riport

Alternative form of rapport: report, statement, account


demus

From Arabic دَامُوس (dāmūs), variant of دَيْمَاس (daymās).


fieres

(archaic) rider (man on horseback); knight; horseman


ħaxixa

inh

Arabic حَشِيشَة (ḥašīša)

Il-ħaxixa ġiet mill-Marokk u kienet lesta biex tiġi esportata lejn pajjiżi Ewropej.

The hashish came from Morocco and was ready to be exported to European countries.


radam

bir-radam


abbati

Borrowed from Sicilian abbati and/or Italian abbate.


abbati

mt-noun

abbati m (plural abbatijiet, feminine abbatissa)

abbatijiet (plural)
abbatissa (feminine)
abbatin (alternative)


felli

felli m (plural flieli, diminutive flejli)


stabiliment

Alternative form of stabbiliment: establishment


kisi

verbal noun of kesa: the act of covering, plastering


editur

editur m (plural edituri, feminine editriċi)


sular

“IMMA … mhux se teħlisha ħafif għal li għamilt, Amina. Ma nistax nibqa’ nwissik biss u int tibqa’ tagħmel ta’ rasek. Dawn il-jumejn, illum u għada, se tqattagħhom f’kamra waħdek, f’dan is-sular. Mhux se tattendi lezzjonijiet —”

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


futa

a piece of cloth kept at hand for wiping one’s hands during work


tiben

tibna (singulative)
tbien (plural)
tbejjen (plural)
tibniet (paucal)


keffa

keffa f (plural kfief or kefef, paucal keffiet, diminutive kfejfa or kfajfa)

kfief (plural)
kefef (plural)
keffiet (paucal)
kfejfa (diminutive)
kfajfa (diminutive)
keff (alternative)

From Arabic كَفَّة (kaffa), كِفَّة (kiffa).


familista

familista m or f by sense (plural familisti)


ramla

ramla f (plural ramliet, diminutive rmejla)

From Arabic رَمْلَة (ramla, “grain of sand”).


ingravata

ingravata f (plural ingravati or ingravajjet)


deputat

deputat m (plural deputati, feminine deputata)


modd

(historical units of measurement) a unit of dry volume, that is officially 10.27 imperial cubic feet (290.9 L).

(historical units of measurement) a unit of surface area, that is officially 4.444 imperial acres (1.799 ha).


korsar

korsari (plural)
kursar (alternative)
kursal (alternative)


kappar

kappara (singulative)
kappariet (paucal)

From Arabic كَبَّار (kabbār), later influenced by Sicilian chiàppara and/or Italian cappero.


felu

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

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

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

(figuratively) immature, unexperienced person


devastatur

devastatur m (plural devastaturi, feminine devastatura or devastatriċi)

devastaturi (plural)
devastatura (feminine)
devastatriċi (feminine)


reat

Borrowed from Italian reato, from Latin reatus.


aduratur

aduratur m (plural aduraturi, feminine aduratura)


riporter

riporters (plural)
reporter (alternative)


eku

eku m (plural eki or ekujiet or ekijiet)

eki (plural)
ekujiet (plural)
ekijiet (plural)

From Italian eco or a Sicilian equivalent, from Latin echo, from Ancient Greek ἠχώ (ēkhṓ).


risq

From Arabic رِزْق (rizq, “livelihood, sustenance; divine provision”), from Middle Persian 𐭫𐭥𐭰𐭩𐭪 (rōzīg, “daily bread, sustenance”). The new standard spelling with -s- is due to the fact that the noun has no root in Maltese, in which case words are now spelt phonetically rather than etymologically.


demen

(Gozo) Alternative form of demel: dung, manure


mannas

mt-noun

mannas m (plural mannasin, feminine mannasa)


jena

Borrowed from Italian iena, from Latin hyaena, from Ancient Greek ὕαινα (húaina).


teatru

teatri (plural)
tijatru (alternative colloquial)

Borrowed from Italian teatro, from Latin theātrum, from Ancient Greek θέᾱτρον (théātron, “a place for viewing”).


invenzjoni

invenzjonijiet (plural)
invinzjoni (alternative)


deċiżjoni

Borrowed from Italian decisione, from Latin decisio.


kalifat

kalifati (plural)
kaliffat (alternative)


istilla

Alternative form of stilla, used after the definite article


martell

mt-noun

martell m (plural mrietel, diminutive mrejtel)

Borrowed from Italian martello or from an older variant of Sicilian marteddu, both from Late Latin martellus.

Raġel armat b’martell attakka u darab lil talanqas 20 tfal fi skola primarja ta’ Beijing qabel spiċċa arrestat mill-pulizija.

2019, Richard Cassar, “Iċ-Ċina: Tfal midruba minn raġel armat b’martell”, in Net News:

A man armed with a hammer attacked and wounded at least 20 children in a primary school in Beijing before ending up being arrested by police.


tiġieġa

/tɪˈd͡ʒɪː.d͡ʒa/


tiġieġ

/tɪˈd͡ʒɪːt͡ʃ/

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

laħam tat-tiġieġ


sies

From Arabic أَسَاس (ʔasās). Compare Moroccan Arabic ساس (sās), Tunisian Arabic ساس (ses).


lablab

lablib (alternative)
labalbazzjoni (alternative)
llabalba (alternative)

Onomatopoeic. The root may be inherited from dialectal Arabic; compare لبلب (lablab, “speaking fluently”) in Mid-Eastern dialects.

verbal noun of lablab: babbling, chatter, idle talk


werqa

werqtejn (dual)
werqat (paucal)
werqiet (paucal)


anisi

Pimpinella anisum
Pimpinella anisum#Translingual


ministru

ministru m (plural ministri, feminine ministra)


Katalan

Katalan m (plural Katalani, feminine Katalana)


itfal

Alternative form of tfal, used after numerals from 2 to 10, rarely also otherwise after a consonant cluster.


sinjur

sinjur m (plural sinjuri, feminine sinjura)

Borrowed from Sicilian signuri, from Latin senior.

Sinjur Smith

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:


żewġ

żewġ m (dual żewġejn, plural żwieġ, feminine mara)

żewġejn (dual)
żwieġ (plural)
mara (feminine)
żewġi (first-person singular)
żewġna (first-person singular)
żewġek (second-person singular)
żewġkom (second-person singular)
żewġu (masculine singular third-person)
żewġha (feminine singular third-person)
żewġhom (singular third-person)

From Arabic زَوْج (zawj, “pair”), from Ancient Greek ζεῦγος (zeûgos, “yoke”). Compare Moroccan Arabic جوج (jūj).


seba'

seba’ (canonical masculine)
sebgħajn (plural)
swaba’ (plural)
sebgħi (first-person singular)
sebagħna (first-person singular)
sebgħek (second-person singular)
sebagħkom (second-person singular)
sebgħu (masculine singular third-person)
sebagħha (feminine singular third-person)
sebagħhom (singular third-person)

Alternative form of suba’ (“finger, toe”)


darba

darba f (dual darbtejn, plural drabi, paucal darbiet)

darbtejn (dual)
drabi (plural)
darbiet (paucal)

From Arabic ضَرْبة (ḍarba, “strike, blow”).


ħajt

ħajt m (plural ħitan, diminutive ħwejta)

inh

Arabic حَائِط (ḥāʔiṭ)


ħajt

ħajta (singulative)
ħjut (plural)
ħajtiet (paucal)

From Arabic خَيْط (ḵayṭ), reinterpreted as a collective.

thread, threads (a ball, web, or indefinite number)


saba'

saba’ (canonical masculine)
swaba’ (plural)
sabgħajn (plural)
sabgħi (first-person singular)
sabagħna (first-person singular)
sabgħek (second-person singular)
sabagħkom (second-person singular)
sabgħu (masculine singular third-person)
sabagħha (feminine singular third-person)
sabagħhom (singular third-person)


qima

From Arabic قِيمَة (qīma, “worth, value”).

respect; veneration
(religion) worship (of God)

respect; veneration
(religion) veneration (of saints etc.)

respect; veneration
veneration (of saints etc.)


tuffiħiet

paucal of tuffieħa: 2 to 10 apples; a small number of individual apples


galvanist

Alternative form: galvanista


ħu

aħwa (plural)
ħut (plural)
oħt (feminine)
ħija (first-person singular)
ħuna (first-person singular)
ħuk (second-person singular)
ħukom (second-person singular)
ħuh (masculine singular third-person)
ħuha (feminine singular third-person)
ħuhom (singular third-person)

From Arabic أَخُو (ʔaḵū), construct form of أَخ (ʔaḵ, “brother”).

ħuk

ħu ommha

her mother’s brother, her maternal uncle

X’sejra ġġibilna ġewwa l-fardal tiegħek.
ja Sena Ġdida?
Ah! biegħed minna
il-għelt, il-ġlied,
id-demm bejn l-aħwa;
rażżan ir-regħba u l-ġibdiet tal-ħakma,
rattab l-irjus u l-qlub,
ġibilna s-sabar ta’ xulxin, l-imħabba,
ġibilna l-għaqda,
ġibilna s-sliem,
ġibilna l-ħelsien!

1970, Anton Buttigieg, “Lis-Sena l-Ġdida 1964”, in Fl-Arena:


aħwa

From Arabic إِخْوَة (ʔiḵwa, “brothers”). The use also for “sisters” from generic use of the masculine, perhaps reinforced formally by the construct form ħut, which would have been close to *ħwiet, the expected outcome of Arabic أَخَوات (ʔaḵawāt).


qaħba

mt-noun

qaħba f (plural qħab, diminutive qħajba)

(vulgar, derogatory) whore; slut; harlot (a prostitute or promiscuous woman)


butir

Borrowed from Sicilian butiru, from Latin būtȳrum, from Ancient Greek βούτῡρον (boútūron).


delineament

delineamenti (plural)
delinjament (alternative)


tirma

Compare to Moroccan Arabic ترمة (tarma, “ass, buttocks”) and Tunisian Arabic ترمة (tirma, “ass, buttocks”). The term possibly traces back to an old dialect word "ṯulma", meaning breach, hole, gap.

cog

(anatomy, vulgar) backside, ass, arse, buttocks


molibdenu

(chemistry) molybdenum (chemical element)


ostaġġ

mt-noun

ostaġġ m (plural ostaġġi, feminine ostaġġa)


ballun

Borrowed from Sicilian balluni, badduni, from Lombardic Old High German bal, ballo, from Proto-Germanic *balluz, *ballô. The Sicilian form in -uni is either from the Old High German weak noun ballo (inflected *ballon), or derived from the simple balla, badda with the augmentative suffix -uni.


ċavetta

ċwievet (plural)
ċawetta (alternative dialectal)

Borrowed from Sicilian ciavetta, from a diminutive of Latin clavis. Cognate to Italian chiavetta.


ġelat

Borrowed from Italian gelato, from Latin gelātus.


ħanut

ħanut m (plural ħwienet, diminutive ħwejnet)

From Arabic حَانُوت (ḥānūt), cognate with Aramaic חָנוּתָא/ܚܳܢܽܘܬܴܐ (ḥānūṯā).

inh

Arabic حَانُوت (ḥānūt)

cog

Aramaic חָנוּתָא


zalza

Borrowed from Sicilian [Term?], from Vulgar Latin *salsa.

zalza tat-tadam

zalza pikkanti

biz-zalza


sliem

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

verbal noun of silem:
peace, harmony, tranquility

verbal noun of silem:
(now rare) peace, absence of war

verbal noun of silem:
peace, absence of war


tieqa

mt-noun

tieqa f (plural twieqi or (obsolete) tiqan, diminutive twejqa)

twieqi (plural)
tiqan (obsolete plural)
twejqa (diminutive)

From Arabic طاقة (ṭāqa, “window”), from طاق (ṭāq, “arch, doorway”), from Middle Persian tʾg (tāg, “arch”). The form tieqa instead of *taqa probably goes back to a variant *تاقة (*tāqa), in which the initial had been dissimilated against the q; compare dejjaq and others. Compare also Moroccan Arabic تاقة (tāqa) alongside طاقة (ṭāqa).


avverbju

Borrowed from Italian avverbio, from Latin adverbium.


azzjoni

Borrowed from Italian azione and/or Sicilian azzioni, from Latin āctiō.

Mara azzjonitha tajba.

Waqt konferenza tal-aħbarijiet li saret ftit tal-ħin ilu l-Partit Nazzjonalista akkuża lill-General Workers Union li b’azzjonitha qed toħloq forma ta’ prekarjat ġdid.

2016 November 29, Albert Gauci Cunningham, “L-iskema tal-GWU hija 'skandaluża' għax tiddiskrimina bejn il-ħaddiema”, in Illum, archived from the original on 2022-07-31:

(in the construct state) behaviour towards others


kwotazzjoni

quotation, quote (fragment of a human expression)


definizzjoni

definizzjoni f (plural definizzjonijiet)


demel

dmiel (plural)
dmul (plural)
demen (alternative)

Back-formation from the plural dmiel, from Arabic دَمَال (damāl, “dung”).


kimika

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.


edizzjoni

Borrowed from Italian edizione, from Latin ēditiō.


Franċiż

mt-noun

Franċiż m (plural Franċiżi, feminine Franċiża)


informazzjoni

informazzjoni f (plural informazzjonijiet)


konġunzjoni

Borrowed from Italian congiunzione, from Latin coniunctio.


koordinazzjoni

Borrowed from Italian coordinazione, from Latin coordinatio.


Korsikan

Korsikan m (plural Korsikani, feminine Korsikana)


lukanda

Borrowed from Sicilian lucanda, from Latin locanda.

Setgħet ġibdet lejn il-Mellieħa, mit-triq jew mill-passaġġ, jew qabdet it-triq tal-Imġiebaħ, inkella minn ħdejn il-lukanda għan-naħa t’Għajn Ħadid, jew jista’ jkun anke telqet lejn Forti Campbell iktar kmieni, qabel ma wasalt jien.


navigazzjoni

navigazzjoni f (plural navigazzjonijiet)

Borrowed from Italian navigazione and/or Sicilian navigazzioni, from Latin navigatio.


lessiku

Borrowed from Italian lessico, from Latin lexicon.


ziju

zijiet (plural)
zija (feminine)
zijuwi (first-person singular)
zijuna (first-person singular)
zijuk (second-person singular)
zijukom (second-person singular)
zijuh (masculine singular third-person)
zijuha (feminine singular third-person)
zijuhom (singular third-person)

Borrowed from Sicilian ziu, from Latin thius, from Ancient Greek θεῖος (theîos). Displaced the native Arabic terms għamm (“paternal uncle”) and ħal (“maternal uncle”), in part probably because this distinction is less relevant in the European family system.

Għandu relazzjoni ħafna tajba ma’ zijuh.

He has a very good relationship with his uncle.

Mosè sejjaħ lil Misael u lil Elsafan, ulied Għużżijel, iz-ziju ta’ Aron, u qalilhom: “Ersqu ’l hawn u ħudu lill-kuġini tagħkom minn quddiem il-post qaddis ’il barra mill-kamp.”

c. 2015, Il-Bibbja : il-Kotba Mqaddsa, 5th edition, Valletta: Ghaqda Biblika Maltija, →OCLC, Il-Ktieb tal-Levitiku 10:4:

New International Version translation: Moses summoned Mishael and Elzaphan, sons of Aaron’s uncle Uzziel, and said to them, “Come here; carry your cousins outside the camp, away from the front of the sanctuary.”


zija

zijiet (plural)
ziju (masculine)
ziti (first-person singular)
zijitna (first-person singular)
zitek (second-person singular)
zijitkom (second-person singular)
zitu (masculine singular third-person)
zijitha (feminine singular third-person)
zijithom (singular third-person)

Borrowed from Sicilian zia, from Latin thia, from Ancient Greek θεία (theía).

Għandha relazzjoni ħafna tajba ma’ zijitha.

She has a very good relationship with her aunt.

“La tikxifx l-għera ta’ ħu missierek, jiġifieri la tersaqx lejn martu, għax hi z-zija tiegħek.

c. 2015, Il-Bibbja : il-Kotba Mqaddsa, 5th edition, Valletta: Ghaqda Biblika Maltija, →OCLC, Il-Ktieb tal-Levitiku 18:14:

New International Version translation: “‘Do not dishonor your father’s brother by approaching his wife to have sexual relations; she is your aunt.


vjaġġ

Borrowed from Sicilian viaggiu and/or Italian viaggio, from Latin viāticum, from via (“road”).


sillabazzjoni

sillabazzjoni f (plural sillabazzjonijiet)


Żvediż

Żvediż m (plural Żvediżi, feminine Żvediża)

Żvediżi (plural)
Żvediża (feminine)
Svediż (alternative)

Swedish (native or inhabitant of Sweden)


Żvediż

Iż-Żvediż (canonical masculine)
Svediż (alternative)


bebbux

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

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


Asturjan

Asturjan m (plural Asturjani, feminine Asturjana)

Asturian (native or inhabitant of Asturias) (usually male)


Tajlandiż

Tajlandiż m (plural Tajlandiżi, feminine Tajlandiża)

Tajlandiżi (plural)
Tajlandiża (feminine)

Thai (native or inhabitant of Thailand) (usually male)


alwetta

alwett (collective)
alwetti (plural)
alwettiet (paucal)


falkun

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


farfett il-lejl

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

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


Estonjan

mt-noun

Estonjan m (plural Estonjani, feminine Estonjana)


Fawriż

Fawriż m (plural Fawriżi, feminine Fawriża)


Belarussa

female equivalent of Belarussu: female Belarusian (person)


Belarussu

Belarussu m (plural Belarussi, feminine Belarussa)


Bulgaru

Bulgaru m (plural Bulgari, feminine Bulgara)


Olandiż

Olandiż m (plural Olandiżi, feminine Olandiża)


Olandiż

(common, sometimes proscribed) Dutch (language)


Iżlandiż

Iżlandiż m (plural Iżlandiżi, feminine Iżlandiża)


Irlandiż

Irlandiż m (plural Irlandiżi, feminine Irlandiża)


mużika

musika (alternative dialectal)
mużka (alternative dialectal)
mużga (alternative dialectal)
muska (alternative dialectal)


għanja

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

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


mislef

Derived from silef (“to lend, loan”), from Arabic أَسْلَفَ (ʔaslafa). Thus unrelated to مَصْرِف (maṣrif), which means “bank” in contemporary Arabic (originally “stall of a moneychanger”).


qasba

qasba f (plural qasab or qsab or qsabi or qsub, diminutive qsajba)

qasab (plural)
qsab (plural)
qsabi (plural)
qsub (plural)
qsajba (diminutive)


buttuna

Probably from a Sicilian equivalent of Italian bottone (or otherwise from the latter itself).


kċina

kċina f (plural kċejjen, diminutive kċejna)

Borrowed from Sicilian cucina, from Late Latin cocīna.

il-kċina Maltija


peduna

peduni (plural)
pduna (alternative)
bduna (alternative)

Back-formation from the plural peduni, from Sicilian piduni.


sieq

saqajn (plural)
sieqi (first-person singular)
sieqna (first-person singular)
sieqek (second-person singular)
sieqkom (second-person singular)
siequ (masculine singular third-person)
sieqha (feminine singular third-person)
sieqhom (singular third-person)

Is-sieq ma tistax titpoġġa fuq il-pedala.


skwiril

skwirils (plural)
squiril (alternative)
skwirill (alternative)

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


skojjattlu

skojjattli (plural)
skojattlu (alternative)

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


skwirill

skwirill m (plural skwirills or skwirilli)


deheb

deheb m (plural dehbijiet or dhub or dhubiet or dhubijiet)

dehbijiet (plural)
dhub (plural)
dhubiet (plural)
dhubijiet (plural)


Franċiża

female equivalent of Franċiż: Frenchwoman


Gallegjan

Gallegjan m (plural Gallegjani, feminine Gallegjana)

Gallegjani (plural)
Gallegjana (feminine)


Każakistani

Każakistani m (plural Każakistani, feminine Każakistana)

Każakistani (plural)
Każakistana (feminine)

Kazakh (native or inhabitant of Kazakhstan) (usually male)


Kroat

Kroat m (plural Kroati, feminine Kroata)

Croatian (native or inhabitant of Croatia) (usually male)


terrakotta

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:


fwied

fwied m (plural ifwda or fwidien, diminutive fwejjed)

ifwda (plural)
fwidien (plural)
fwejjed (diminutive)
fwiedi (first-person singular)
fwiedna (first-person singular)
fwiedek (second-person singular)
fwiedkom (second-person singular)
fwiedu (masculine singular third-person)
fwiedha (feminine singular third-person)
fwiedhom (singular third-person)


ajruport

ajruporti (plural)
arjuport (alternative)


Armenjan

Armenjan m (plural Armenjani, feminine Armenjana)

Armenian (native or inhabitant of Armenia) (usually male)


Ċiniż

Ċiniż m (plural Ċiniżi, feminine Ċiniża)

Chinese (native or inhabitant of China) (usually male)


Ġappuniż

Ġappuniż m (plural Ġappuniżi, feminine Ġappuniża)

Japanese (native or inhabitant of Japan) (usually male)


Ġorġjan

Ġorġjan m (plural Ġorġjani, feminine Ġorġjana)


mitjar

Puristic derivation from tar (“to fly”), from Arabic طارَ (ṭāra). Perhaps on the model of the analogous Arabic مَطار (maṭār).


pitirross

pitirross m (plural pitirrossi or pitirrossijiet)

pitirrossi (plural)
pitirrossijiet (plural)
petturus (alternative obsolete)
pettiross (alternative obsolete)

Borrowed from Sicilian pittirussu, a variant of petturrussu (literally “redbreast”). See Italian pettirosso.


Indoneżjan

Indoneżjan m (plural Indoneżjani, feminine Indoneżjana)

Indoneżjani (plural)
Indoneżjana (feminine)

Indonesian (native or inhabitant of Indonesia) (usually male)


koxxa

koxxa f (plural koxox or koxxtejn or (Żabbar) kxiex)

koxox (plural)
koxxtejn (plural)
kxiex (plural)
koxxti (first-person singular)
koxxitna (first-person singular)
koxxtek (second-person singular)
koxxitkom (second-person singular)
koxxtu (masculine singular third-person)
koxxitha (feminine singular third-person)
koxxithom (singular third-person)

Borrowed from Sicilian coscia (“thigh”), from Latin coxa (“hip”, later also “thigh”).


Latvjan

Latvjan m (plural Latvjani, feminine Latvjana)

Latvian (native or inhabitant of Latvia) (usually male)


Litwanjan

Litwanjan m (plural Litwanjani, feminine Litwanjana)

Litwanjani (plural)
Litwanjana (feminine)

Synonym of Litwan: Lithuanian (native or inhabitant of Lithuania) (usually male)


Litwanjan

Synonym of Il-Litwan: Lithuanian (language)


Litwan

Litwan m (plural Litwani, feminine Litwana)

Lithuanian (native or inhabitant of Lithuania) (usually male)


Malażjan

Malażjan m (plural Malażjani, feminine Malażjana)


Vjetnamiż

Vjetnamiż m (plural Vjetnamiżi, feminine Vjetnamiża)

Vjetnamiżi (plural)
Vjetnamiża (feminine)

Vietnamese (native or inhabitant of Vietnam) (usually male)


Malazjan

Malazjan m (plural Malazjani, feminine Malazjana)

Malaysian (native or inhabitant of Malaysia) (usually male)


Maċedonjan

Maċedonjan m (plural Maċedonjani, feminine Maċedonjana)

Maċedonjani (plural)
Maċedonjana (feminine)

North Macedonian
North Macedonian#English

North Macedonian (native or inhabitant of North Macedonia) (usually male)


Mongoljan

Mongoljan m (plural Mongoljani, feminine Mongoljana)

Mongoljani (plural)
Mongoljana (feminine)


Ukren

Ukren m (plural Ukreni, feminine Ukrena)

Ukrainian (native or inhabitant of Ukraine) (usually male)


Użbek

Użbek m (plural Użbeki, feminine Użbeka)

Uzbek (native or inhabitant of Uzbekistan) (usually male)


Ungeriż

Ungeriż m (plural Ungeriżi, feminine Ungeriża)

Hungarian (native or inhabitant of Hungary) (usually male)


pagun

pagun m (plural paguni, feminine paguna)

paguni (plural)
paguna (feminine)
pawun (alternative)
pegun (alternative)

Borrowed from Sicilian paguni, variant of pagu.

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


pengwin

Borrowed from English penguin. Doublet of pingwin, from Italian.


duwa

duwa f (plural duwiet or duwijiet or dwiewi)

duwiet (plural)
duwijiet (plural)
dwiewi (plural)

cure, remedy, help (to someone wounded or ill)


senter

From English centre as in centrefire (“a kind of ammunition”). Also claimed in some of the literature to be from centre-breech-loading shotgun, but such a term does not seem to exist. What does exist is a centrefire breechloader, i.e. a breech-loading shotgun that uses centrefire ammunition, and this may have been the kind of gun that Maltese senter originally referred to. Doublet of ċentru.

Raba’ żdingat biss riservat
 Għall-isnieter u għall-klieb
 Tal-kaċċatur żmien il-gamiem.

1976, “L-Aħħar Bidwi F'Wied il-Għasel”, performed by Sammy Bartolo and New Cuorey:

Shabby fields reserved only
 To the shotguns and the hounds
 Of the hunter during turtle-dove season.


antropologu

antropologu m (plural antropoloġi, feminine antropologa)

antropoloġi (plural)
antropologa (feminine)


teologu

teologu m (plural teologi, feminine teologessa)


astronomu

astronomu m (plural astronomi, feminine astronoma)


etimologu

etimologu m (plural etimoloġi, feminine etimologa)


wott

Alternative forms: wett, witwet


bniedem

bniedem m (plural bnedmin, feminine bniedma)

From Arabic اِبْن آدَم (ibn ʔādam, “man, human”, literally “son of Adam”). By surface analysis, iben + Adam. The Maltese inflections by analogy with an active participle such as riekeb, riekba, rekbin (“riding, astride”).

inh

human, human being, man (male or unspecified sex)


qamla

qmiel (plural)
qmul (plural)
qamliet (paucal)

From Arabic قَمْلة (qamla), singulative of قَمْل (qaml).


dudu

dwied (plural)
dudiet (paucal)
duda (alternative also)

Singulative derivation from Arabic دُود (dūd).

imma kif sebaħ l-għada, Alla bagħat dudu li mess is-siġra u din nixfet.

c. 2015, Il-Bibbja : il-Kotba Mqaddsa, 5th edition, Valletta: Ghaqda Biblika Maltija, →OCLC, Il-Ktieb tal-Profeta Ġona 4:7:

New International Version translation: But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the plant so that it withered.


ħabel

mt-noun

ħabel m (plural ħbula or (only attested in some placenames) eħbiel, diminutive ħbejjel or ħbejbel)

ħbula (plural)
eħbiel (plural)
ħbejjel (diminutive)
ħbejbel (diminutive)


qoxra

qoxra f (plural qxur, paucal qoxriet, diminutive qxejra)

qxur (plural)
qoxriet (paucal)
qxejra (diminutive)
qixra (alternative dialectal)


laħam

laħma (singulative)
laħmijiet (plural)
lħum (plural)
lħumijiet (plural plural-of)


riġel

riġlejn (plural)
riġli (first-person singular)
riġilna (first-person singular)
riġlek (second-person singular)
riġilkom (second-person singular)
riġlu (masculine singular third-person)
riġilha (feminine singular third-person)
riġilhom (singular third-person)

Ir-riġel tal-lemin tal-manikin sewwieq għandu jkun fi pjan vertikali.

The right leg of the driver dummy shall be in a vertical plane.


irkoppa

post-consonantal and alternative basic form of rkoppa


demb

(generally nonstandard) Alternative spelling of denb


qarn

qarn m (plural qrun, diminutive qrajjen or qrajna or qrejna)

qrun (plural)
qrajjen (diminutive)
qrajna (diminutive)
qrejna (diminutive)

Il-bodbod hu s-sultan tal-Greċja, u l-qarn il-kbir li rajtlu bejn għajnejh hu l-ewwel sultan.

c. 2015, Il-Bibbja : il-Kotba Mqaddsa, 5th edition, Valletta: Ghaqda Biblika Maltija, →OCLC, Il-Ktieb tal-Profeta Danjel 8:21:

New International Version translation: The shaggy goat is the king of Greece, and the large horn between its eyes is the first king.


xaħam

Il-konsum tax-xaħam kuljum għandu jitqassam fuq tliet ikliet prinċipali.

The daily intake of fat should be distributed over three main meals.


melħ

nitfa melħ

U l-mara ta’ Lot ħarset lura minn warajh, u saret plier tal-melħ.

c. 2015, Il-Bibbja : il-Kotba Mqaddsa, 5th edition, Valletta: Ghaqda Biblika Maltija, →OCLC, Il-Ktieb tal-Ġenesi 19:26:

New International Version translation: But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.


xita

From Arabic شِتَاء (šitāʔ, “winter, rainy season, rain”).

inh

U baqgħet nieżla x-xita fuq l-art għal erbgħin jum u erbgħin lejl.

c. 2015, Il-Bibbja : il-Kotba Mqaddsa, 5th edition, Valletta: Ghaqda Biblika Maltija, →OCLC, Il-Ktieb tal-Ġenesi 7:12:

New International Version translation: And rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights.

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

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

Il-għażla tar-rebbieħ
kienet tqila bis-sħiħ,
u Marzu Marzellu
fetaħ ir-rixtellu,
u tax-xita fir-raxx
parpar baxx baxx.

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


silġ

From Arabic ثَلْج (ṯalj). Maltese s- (instead of expected t-) may be due to irregular assimilation of [θ] to the following alveolar [l]. The subsequent dissimilation š- → s- under the influence of following -j- would be less surprising (compare e.g. siġra).

Li jkunu mqallgħin bil-ħalla tas-silġ, xħin togħdos fihom il-borra.

c. 2015, Il-Bibbja : il-Kotba Mqaddsa, 5th edition, Valletta: Ghaqda Biblika Maltija, →OCLC, Il-Ktieb ta' Ġob 6:16:

New International Version translation: when darkened by thawing ice and swollen with melting snow,

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:


ġewnaħ

mt-noun

ġewnaħ m (dual ġwinħajn or ġwenħajn, plural ġwienaħ or ġnieħ, diminutive ġwejnaħ)

ġwinħajn (dual)
ġwenħajn (dual)
ġwienaħ (plural)
ġnieħ (plural)
ġwejnaħ (diminutive)

Back-formation from the plural ġwienaħ, itself from Arabic جَوَانِح (jawāniḥ), as if from a four-radical *جَوْنَح (*jawnaḥ), but actually plural of جَانِح (jāniḥ, “side, wing”). Compare also جَنَاح (janāḥ).

Rajtu intom x’għamilt lill-Eġizzjani, u kif lilkom ġarrejtkom fuq il-ġwienaħ tal-ajkli u ressaqtkom lejja.

c. 2015, Il-Bibbja : il-Kotba Mqaddsa, 5th edition, Valletta: Ghaqda Biblika Maltija, →OCLC, Il-Ktieb tal-Eżodu 19:4:

New International Version translation: ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.

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

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


tarras

tarras m (plural tarrasin, feminine tarrasa)


ġlieda

From Arabic جِلاد (jilād, “sword fight”), جِدال (jidāl, “fight, quarrel”).

X’sejra ġġibilna ġewwa l-fardal tiegħek.
ja Sena Ġdida?
Ah! biegħed minna
il-għelt, il-ġlied,
id-demm bejn l-aħwa;
rażżan ir-regħba u l-ġibdiet tal-ħakma,
rattab l-irjus u l-qlub,
ġibilna s-sabar ta’ xulxin, l-imħabba,
ġibilna l-għaqda,
ġibilna s-sliem,
ġibilna l-ħelsien!

1970, Anton Buttigieg, “Lis-Sena l-Ġdida 1964”, in Fl-Arena:


sparvier

Eurasian sparrowhawk
Eurasian sparrowhawk

Accipiter nisus
Accipiter nisus#Translingual


ċurkett

Borrowed from Sicilian circhettu, diminutive of circu (“circle, ring”), from Latin circus, from Ancient Greek κίρκος (kírkos).


sider

isdra (plural)
sdur (plural)
sdura (plural)
sidri (first-person singular)
sidirna (first-person singular)
sidrek (second-person singular)
sidirkom (second-person singular)
sidru (masculine singular third-person)
sidirha (feminine singular third-person)
sidirhom (singular third-person)

(anatomy) a woman’s breasts collectively


ponta

Borrowed from Sicilian and/or Italian punta, from Latin puncta. Compare with related punt, which is a later borrowing where the stressed short /u/ (which older Maltese did not have) was retained.


għerq

għerq m (plural għeruq, diminutive għerejjaq or għerejjeq)

għeruq (plural)
għerejjaq (diminutive)
għerejjeq (diminutive)

Għeruqi nfirxu sa ħdejn l-ilma, u billejl kelli n-nida fuq il-friegħi.

c. 2015, Il-Bibbja : il-Kotba Mqaddsa, 5th edition, Valletta: Ghaqda Biblika Maltija, →OCLC, Il-Ktieb ta' Ġob 29:19:

New International Version translation: My roots will reach to the water, and the dew will lie all night on my branches.

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:


għar

għar m (plural għerien or għorien, diminutive għawajjar)

għerien (plural)
għorien (plural)
għawajjar (diminutive)

Il-ħamiem ibejtu u jorqdu fuq irdumijiet jew fl-għerien.

Rock doves nest and roost on cliffs or within caves.


ġeru

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

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


fellus

fellus m (plural flieles, diminutive flejles)

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

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

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

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

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

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


ferħ

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

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

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:

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

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


ferħ

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


ġnien

mt-noun

ġnien m (plural ġonna, diminutive ġnejna)

From Arabic جِنَان (jinān), plural of جَنَّة (janna). Compare Tunisian Arabic جنان (“garden”).


bewsa

bewsa f (dual bewstejn, plural bewsiet, diminutive bwejsa)

bewstejn (dual)
bewsiet (plural)
bwejsa (diminutive)


sajf

Fis-sajf il-għolja
libset il-libsa skura
tal-ħaxix niexef.

Anton Buttigieg, “Ħajku 236”, in Il-Muża bil-Kimono:

In summer the hill
put on the brown frock
of the fried grass.


sodda

From Arabic سُدّة (sudda, “door, threshold; seat, bed”, originally apparently “entrance area of a tent”).


xadin

mt-noun

xadin m (plural xadini, feminine xadina)

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


xadina

female equivalent of xadin (“monkey, ape”)


ħmar

(figuratively) ignorant, foolish person; jackass


seqer

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

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

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


żebbuġa

żebbuġtejn (dual)
żbiebeġ (plural)
żebbuġiet (paucal)

singulative of żebbuġ: an olive (single fruit)


kelba

female equivalent of kelb: bitch (female dog)


ħanżir

ħanżir m (plural ħnieżer, feminine ħanżira)

(figuratively) pig (someone who overeats, someone gluttonous)


qażquż

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


ħanżira

ħanżira f (plural ħnieżer, masculine ħanżir)

female equivalent of ħanżir: sow (female pig)


gideb

From Arabic كِذْب (kiḏb), كَذِب (kaḏib).

Il-gideb huwa dnub.

Dak li qal kien kollu gideb.

verbal noun of gideb:
that which is untrue, lies


ġuvni

Borrowed from Sicilian giùvini, from Latin iuvenis.


tfajjel

tfajjel m (plural tfajlin, feminine tfajla)

From Arabic طُفَيْل (ṭufayl, now only used in the sense of “parasite”), diminutive of طِفْل (ṭifl, “child”), whence Maltese tifel.

inh

Arabic طُفَيْل


bagħal

mt-noun

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

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


bhima

bhima f (plural bhejjem, diminutive bhejma)

Il-bhejjem jintużaw biex jaħartu l-għelieqi.

a beast; an animal, usually either as livestock or as a wild and/or dangerous creature

Li ma kontx bhima, tiġi toqtolli ’l oħti?!

The brute that you are, how dare you kill my sister?!

(figuratively) brute, hard-hearted person


bidwi

bidwi m (plural bdiewa or (obsolete) bdiewi or (obsolete) bidwin or (obsolete) bidwijin, feminine bidwija)

bdiewa (plural)
bdiewi (obsolete plural)
bidwin (obsolete plural)
bidwijin (obsolete plural)
bidwija (feminine)

From Arabic بَدَوِيّ (badawiyy, “bedouin, nomad, herdsman”).


ċirasa

Borrowed from Sicilian cirasa, from Vulgar Latin ceresia.


għażeb

mt-noun

għażeb m (plural għożżieb or għożżieba or għewieżeb or għożba, feminine għażba, diminutive għewejżeb)

għożżieb (plural)
għożżieba (plural)
għewieżeb (plural)
għożba (plural)
għażba (feminine)
għewejżeb (diminutive)


xebba

xebba f (plural xebbiet, masculine xebb, diminutive xbejba)

xebbiet (plural)
xebb (masculine)
xbejba (diminutive)

From Arabic شَابَّة (šābba), feminine of شابّ (šābb). By surface analysis, xebb + -a.

female adolescent or young woman; girl (in this sense)

bachelorette, damsel (unmarried girl or woman)

(religion or dated) virgin, maiden (girl or woman without sexual experience)


xatt

xatt m (plural xtut, diminutive xtajta or xtajjet)

xtut (plural)
xtajta (diminutive)
xtajjet (diminutive)

beach; shore; bank; quay (any strip of land by a natural body of water)


xewk

xewka (singulative)
xwiek (plural)
xewkiet (paucal)

Jien tlajt fuq l-ogħla muntanja, rajt il-baħar qed imewweġ.
 Xewka daħlet ġewwa qalbi, meta smajt li se tiżżewweġ.

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

I went up to the highest mountain, watched the sea wave back and forth.
 A thorn had pierced my heart when I heard that you would marry.

Telgħuli x-xewk bil-kesħa l’hawn


sieħeb

sħab (plural)
sieħba (feminine)
sieħbi (first-person singular)
seħibna (first-person singular)
sieħbek (second-person singular)
seħibkom (second-person singular)
sieħbu (masculine singular third-person)
seħibha (feminine singular third-person)
seħibhom (singular third-person)


waqt

waqt m (plural waqtiet or waqtijiet or wqat)

waqtiet (plural)
waqtijiet (plural)
wqat (plural)

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:


qoffa

qoffa f (dual qofftejn, plural qofof or qfief, paucal qoffiet, diminutive qfejfa or qoffina)

qofftejn (dual)
qofof (plural)
qfief (plural)
qoffiet (paucal)
qfejfa (diminutive)
qoffina (diminutive)


vuċi

Borrowed from Sicilian vuci, from Latin vōx.


gremxul

gremxula (singulative)
gremxuliet (paucal)
drenxul (alternative)
dremxul (alternative)

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

der

gremxula griża

gremxula ħadra

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

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

pipefish
greater pipefish (Syngnathus acus)

straightnose pipefish (Nerophis ophidion)

pipefish
broadnosed pipefish (Syngnathus typhle)


qatra

mt-noun

qatra f (dual qtajrtejn, plural qtar or qtari or qtajjar, paucal qatriet, diminutive qtajra)

qtajrtejn (dual)
qtar (plural)
qtari (plural)
qtajjar (plural)
qatriet (paucal)
qtajra (diminutive)


ħaruf

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

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


qarib

From Arabic قَرِيب (qarīb). Doublet of the adjective qrib (“close, near”).


qmis

qmis f (plural qomos, diminutive qmejsa)


żjara

żjara f (plural żjajjar, paucal żjarat or żjariet)

żjajjar (plural)
żjarat (paucal)
żjariet (paucal)


nbid

nbid m (dual (obsolete) nbidejn, plural nbejjed)

nbidejn (dual obsolete)
nbejjed (plural)
inbid (alternative also)

Huma jieklu ħobż il-ħażen, u jixorbu nbid il-vjolenza.

c. 2015, Il-Bibbja : il-Kotba Mqaddsa, 5th edition, Valletta: Ghaqda Biblika Maltija, →OCLC, Il-Ktieb tal-proverbji 4:17:

New International Version translation: They eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.

Jagħtik Alla min-nida tas-smewwiet, u mill-frott tal-art, kotra ta’ qamħ u nbid.

c. 2015, Il-Bibbja : il-Kotba Mqaddsa, 5th edition, Valletta: Ghaqda Biblika Maltija, →OCLC, Il-Ktieb tal-Ġenesi 27:28:

New International Version translation: May God give you heaven’s dew and earth’s richness— an abundance of grain and new wine.

U jagħmel il-Mulej tal-eżerċti għall-popli kollha fuq din il-muntanja, mejda b’ikel fin, mejda bi nbejjed ħelwa, b’laħam imsemmen bil-mudullun, u nbejjed fini.

c. 2015, Il-Bibbja : il-Kotba Mqaddsa, 5th edition, Valletta: Ghaqda Biblika Maltija, →OCLC, Il-Ktieb tal-Profeta Isaija 25:6:

New International Version translation: On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine— the best of meats and the finest of wines.


knisja

knisja f (plural knejjes, diminutive knejsa)

knejjes (plural)
knejsa (diminutive)
Knisja (alternative)

From Arabic كَنِيسَة (kanīsa). Compare Tunisian Arabic كنيسية (knīsiyya), Moroccan Arabic كنيسية (knīsiyya), كنيسة (knīsa).

church (institution; religious organization)


armel

armel m (plural romol, feminine armla, diminutive rmajjel)

romol (plural)
armla (feminine)
rmajjel (diminutive)


barmil

barmil m (plural bramel, diminutive brajmel)

From Arabic بِرْمِيل (birmīl, “barrel”), from Old Spanish barril, of uncertain origin.


beċċun

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

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

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


bċieċen

/ˈpt͡ʃɪː.t͡ʃɛn/


bekkum

bkiekem (plural)
bekkun (alternative)
baqqum (alternative)


fenka

female equivalent of fenek: female rabbit


fekruna

fekruna f (plural fkieren, paucal fekruniet)

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

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

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

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


dubbien

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


nemliet

paucal of nemla: 2 to 10 ants; a small number of individual ants


qanfud

qanfud m (plural qniefed, feminine qanfuda)

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


tebut

U Ġużeppi miet ta’ mija u għaxar snin; ibbalzmawh u qegħduh f’tebut l-Eġittu.

c. 2015, Il-Bibbja : il-Kotba Mqaddsa, 5th edition, Valletta: Ghaqda Biblika Maltija, →OCLC, Il-Ktieb tal-Ġenesi 50:26:

New International Version translation: So Joseph died at the age of a hundred and ten. And after they embalmed him, he was placed in a coffin in Egypt.


uċuħ

post-consonantal and alternative basic form of wċuħ


ħlieqa

Probably identical to ħliqa (“creature”), which see. Artificially distinguished in spelling as -i- and -ie- are merged before -q-. The sense “joke” then from “something unreal, made up”, “a creation of one’s wit”. Compare in classical Arabic أَحادِيث الخَلْق (ʔaḥādīṯ al-ḵalq, “fables of a storyteller”).

cog

أَحادِيث الخَلْق


ħlieqa

أَحادِيث الخَلْق


dgħajsa

→ English: dghaisa

Inherited from dialectal Arabic; compare Tunisian Arabic دغيسة (dḡīsa, “lightship”). Apparently a diminutive form.

Hekk ukoll, meta kienu qegħdin jinqerdu l-ġganti l-kbar, fuq dgħajsa skansat it-tama tad-dinja u, immexxija minn idek, ħalliet lid-dinja żerriegħa ta’ nisel ġdid.

c. 2015, Il-Bibbja : il-Kotba Mqaddsa, 5th edition, Valletta: Ghaqda Biblika Maltija, →OCLC, Il-Ktieb tal-Għerf 14:6:

King James Version translation: For in the old time also, when the proud giants perished, the hope of the world governed by thy hand escaped in a weak vessel, and left to all ages a seed of generation.

Bniedem għaqli ma jobgħodx il-Liġi, u min juri wiċċ b’ieħor fil-ħarsien tagħha qisu dgħajsa fil-maltemp.

c. 2015, Il-Bibbja : il-Kotba Mqaddsa, 5th edition, Valletta: Ghaqda Biblika Maltija, →OCLC, Il-Ktieb tal-Għerf ta' Ġesú Bin Sirak 33:2:

King James Version translation: A wise man hateth not the law; but he that is an hypocrite therein is as a ship in a storm.

Minnufih telqu d-dgħajsa u lil missierhom, u marru warajh.

c. 2015, Il-Bibbja : il-Kotba Mqaddsa, 5th edition, Valletta: Ghaqda Biblika Maltija, →OCLC, San Mattew 4:22:

New International Version translation: and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.


ħadd

ħaddejn (plural)
ħaddi (first-person singular)
ħaddna (first-person singular)
ħaddek (second-person singular)
ħaddkom (second-person singular)
ħaddu (masculine singular third-person)
ħaddha (feminine singular third-person)
ħaddhom (singular third-person)

kollox għafsa. kollox fastidju. forsi
għax għadu (wisq) kmieni. forsi.
għax dallejl xtaqt stajt nimtedd maġenbek
u dalgħodu stenbaħt
b’subgħajja mwebbla għal ponn ramel
u d-diqa mwebsa ma’ ħaddejja.

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


ħadd

From Arabic أَحَد (ʔaḥad, “Sunday, the first day of the week”).


gendus

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


għoġol

mt-noun

għoġol m (plural għoġġiela or għeġejjel, feminine għoġla)

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

/ˈɔˤː.d͡ʒɔl/


għoġġiela

/ɔdˈd͡ʒɪːla/

/ɔˤːdˈd͡ʒɪːla/


għonq

għenuq (plural)
għonqi (first-person singular)
għonqna (first-person singular)
għonqek (second-person singular)
għonqkom (second-person singular)
għonqu (masculine singular third-person)
għonqha (feminine singular third-person)
għonqhom (singular third-person)


żarmuġ

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

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


qaws

qaws m (plural qwas or qwajjes, diminutive qwajjes)

qwas (plural)
qwajjes (plural)
qwajjes (diminutive)


sikkina

sikkina f (plural skieken, diminutive skejkna)

From Arabic سِكِّينَة (sikkīna), alternative form of سِكِّين (sikkīn).

U nissaħħar nisma’ dak it-tvenvin xħin tibda tiddwella mas-sikkina bil-ħila u l-ħeffa tal-aqwa gwerrier.

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


qorti

Borrowed from Sicilian curti, corti, from Latin cohors.


sellum

slielem (plural)
sellun (alternative dialectal)

From a variant of Arabic سُلَّم (sullam). Cognate with Moroccan Arabic سلوم (sallūm).


mħadda

mħaded (plural)
mħaddiet (plural)
imħadda (alternative also)


muftieħ

muftieħ m (plural mfietaħ, diminutive mfejtaħ)


musrana

musrana f (plural msaren, paucal musraniet)

msaren (plural)
musraniet (paucal)
musranti (first-person singular)
musranitna (first-person singular)
musrantek (second-person singular)
musranitkom (second-person singular)
musrantu (masculine singular third-person)
musranitha (feminine singular third-person)
musranithom (singular third-person)

From Arabic مُصْرَان (muṣrān). Compare Tunisian Arabic مصرانة (muṣrāna), Moroccan Arabic مصران (maṣrān, muṣrān), مصرانة (maṣrāna, muṣrāna).

il-musrana barranija fiż-żaqq tidħol milwija

musrana għamja ― appendix (literally, “blind intestine”)

musrana rqiqa

small intestine (literally, “thin intestine”)

musrana ħoxna

large intestine (literally, “thick intestine”)

musrana sajma

jejunum (literally, “fasting intestine”)

musrana wieqfa ― rectum (literally, “standing intestine”)

musrana dritta ― rectum (literally, “straight intestine”)

musrana rieqda

transverse colon (literally, “sleeping intestine”)

musrana barranija

a person who is entirely unrelated by blood or family ties; a complete outsider

musrana tat-tnax

garbage (literally, “intestine of twelve”)

msaren tal-ħut

garbage (literally, “intestines of fish”)

msarnu f’saqajh

terrified (literally, “his intestines in his legs”)

qatta’ msaren

to worry to death (literally, “to cut intestines”)

Ommi kienet tirrakkonta li huma u għaddejjin minn quddiem Kreta, li kienet għadha taħt idejn in-Nażi, kulħadd niżlulu msarnu f’saqajh hekk kif minn fuqhom għadda jittajjar ajruplan Ġermaniż tat-tiftix.

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

Imma niftakar li waqt il-ħin barrani konna qattajna msarna, […]

b’imsarnu

għamel imsarnu

Darba kienu tawna l-lampuki u xi ħadd qal li sab xi tnejn għadhom bl-imsaren.


muntun

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

laħam tal-muntun


Nisrani

Nisrani m (plural Nsara, feminine Nisranija)

Nisrani ġdid

sar Nisrani

Konna għadna noqogħdu fid-dar ta’ Triq San Piju X u mal-ħajt tal-kamra ta’ l-ikel niftakar imdendla biċċa tila kbira u li fuqha ħija kien qed ipinġi galjun ta’ l-Insara

Christian (member of the Christian religion)

(more specifically) Roman Catholic (adherent to the Roman Catholic Church)


Nisranija

Nisranija f (plural Nsara, masculine Nisrani)

inh

نَصْرَانِيَّة


saħħar

mt-noun

saħħar m (plural sħaħar, feminine saħħara)


saħħara

saħħara f (plural sħaħar, masculine saħħar)

inh

Arabic سَحَّارَة (saḥḥāra)


żunżan

mt-noun

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

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


bergħud

inh

Arabic بُرْغُوث (burḡūṯ)


gżira

mt-noun

gżira f (plural gżejjer or gżiriet, diminutive gżejra)

gżejjer (plural)
gżiriet (plural)
gżejra (diminutive)
gżirti (first-person singular)
gżiritna (first-person singular)
gżirtek (second-person singular)
gżiritkom (second-person singular)
gżirtu (masculine singular third-person)
gżiritha (feminine singular third-person)
gżirithom (singular third-person)
ġżira (alternative uncommon)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


bejta

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:

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

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


ġriewi

/ˈd͡ʒrɪː.wɪ/


senduq

senduq m (plural sniedaq, diminutive snejdaq)

Jekk jitqiegħdu fuq il-gverta, għandhom jingħalqu ġo kabinett jew senduq.

If placed on deck, they must be enclosed in a cabinet or chest.


saltna

saltna f (plural saltniet, diminutive slajtna)

saltniet (plural)
slajtna (diminutive)
saltnija (alternative)
sultanija (alternative)

(now chiefly historical or figurative) kingdom, realm


suffara

suffara f (plural sfafar, diminutive sfajfra)

sfafar (plural)
sfajfra (diminutive)
saffara (alternative)

whistle (device used to make a whistling sound)


għatu

From Arabic غِطَاء (ḡiṭāʔ). However, the final -u is hardly explainable from this form; hence probably merged with غَطْو (ḡaṭw, “the act of covering”).

inh

Arabic غِطَاء (ḡiṭāʔ)


moħħ

mħuħ (plural)
moħħi (first-person singular)
moħħna (first-person singular)
moħħok (second-person singular)
moħħkom (second-person singular)
moħħu (masculine singular third-person)
moħħha (feminine singular third-person)
moħħhom (singular third-person)

Miexja fil-funeral ta’ kuġintha
mart it-tabib, li mietet fl-aħjar tagħha;
u f’moħħha ħsieb għaddej li t-tabib jista’
kif jgħaddi ftit taż-żmien, jitgħarras magħha.

1966, Anton Buttigieg, “Agnes”, in Ejjew Nidħku Ftit Ieħor:

brain, mind (ability for rational thought)


kilwa

mt-noun

kilwa f (dual kilwtejn or kilwejn, plural kliewi, paucal kilwiet)

kilwtejn (dual)
kilwejn (dual)
kliewi (plural)
kilwiet (paucal)
kiliwti (first-person singular)
kilwitna (first-person singular)
kiliwtek (second-person singular)
kilwitkom (second-person singular)
kiliwtu (masculine singular third-person)
kilwitha (feminine singular third-person)
kilwithom (singular third-person)


għaksa

Perhaps from Arabic عَجُز (ʕajuz, “buttocks; hindlegs; rear of anything”). For the phonetics compare the argumentation at għakkes.


qroqqa

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


qorq

Of Arabic origin. Related to Andalusian Arabic "qurq" and "gurg" in rural Tunisian and Algerian Arabic.


imħabba

post-consonantal and alternative basic form of mħabba


żgħożija

żgħożiti (first-person singular)
żgħożitna (first-person singular)
żgħożitek (second-person singular)
żgħożitkom (second-person singular)
żgħożitu (masculine singular third-person)
żgħożitha (feminine singular third-person)
żgħożithom (singular third-person)

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

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

youth (part of life following childhood)


ġawhra

singulative of ġawhar: a jewel, pearl, piece of jewellery


ġawhar

a piece of jewellery, a jewel or precious ornament, especially a pearl

(figurative) anything precious, a jewel, treasure (e.g. historical, natural)


namra

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


rixiet

paucal of rixa: 2 to 10 feathers; a small number of individual feathers


wardiet

paucal of ward: 2 to 10 roses; a small number of individual roses


żebbuġiet

paucal of żebbuġa: 2 to 10 olives; a small number of individual olives


rummiena

singulative of rummien: a pomegranate (single fruit)


rummien

rummiena (singulative)
rumminiet (paucal)

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


berquq

berquqa (singulative)
berquqiet (paucal)

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


ħanfusa

From Arabic خُنْفُسَاء (ḵunfusāʔ), compare Tunisian Arabic خنفوسة (“beetle”).

inh

Arabic خُنْفُسَاء (ḵunfusāʔ)


ħuttaf

ħuttafa (singulative)
ħuttafiet (paucal)
ħottaf (alternative)

Arabic خُطَّاف (ḵuṭṭāf)


għarnuq

għerienaq (plural)
għarqun (alternative)


ċawl

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

Coloeus monedula
Coloeus monedula#Translingual

(figuratively, in the singulative) chatterbox (talkative person)


għasfur tal-bejt

Passer domesticus
Passer domesticus#Translingual


Maltija

mt-noun

Maltija f (plural Maltin, masculine Malti)

female Maltese (female native or inhabitant of Malta)


subien

Coordinate term: bniet

aħwa subien

ulied subien

studenti subien

specifically male plural of tifel (“child; boy”) and żagħżugħ (“young person”), also used as an apposition with other words to specify the male


bews

verbal noun of bies: several kisses; a period of kissing; the act of kissing as such


għadu

Inherited from Arabic عَدُوّ (ʕaduww). The plural għedewwa continues Arabic عَداوة (ʕadāwa, “enmity”), reinterpreted as plural by analogy with forms like qraba, Nsara.


teorista

teorista m or f by sense (plural teoristi)


farruġ

Coracias garrulus
Coracias garrulus#Translingual


għabex

sunset, dusk, twilight (period between daylight and darkness)


Għawdxi

/ˈaˤːw.t͡ʃɪ/


dnub

From Arabic ذُنُوب (ḏunūb), plural of ذَنْب (ḏanb, “sin, sinful or blameworthy act, blame, moral guilt”). The Arabic plural was reanalysed as a singular, perhaps due to the notion, chiefly (though not exclusively) Christian, of sin as a continuing state, rather than only a repeatable act. For this “state of sin”, Arabic uses خَطِيئة (ḵaṭīʔa) or less often مَعْصِية (maʕṣiya).


demgħa

demgħa f (dual demagħtejn, plural dmugħ, paucal demgħat)

demagħtejn (dual)
dmugħ (plural)
demgħat (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:

tear (drop of clear salty liquid from the eyes)


kubrit

kubrita (singulative)
kubritiet (paucal)
kebrit (alternative)
kibrit (alternative)


kukkudrill

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

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

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

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


nejka

(vulgar) a fuck (single act of sexual intercourse)


ġens

society (people of one’s country or community as a whole)

(biology, taxonomy) genus (rank in a taxonomic classification)


poplu

Borrowed from Sicilian pòpulu, from Latin populus (“people”).

people (a group of persons forming or belonging to a particular nation)


safra

a trip, voyage abroad, an instance of such travel


triq

triq f (plural toroq, paucal triqat, diminutive trejqa)

toroq (plural)
triqat (paucal)
trejqa (diminutive)
triqti (first-person singular)
triqitna (first-person singular)
triqtek (second-person singular)
triqitkom (second-person singular)
triqtu (masculine singular third-person)
triqitha (feminine singular third-person)
triqithom (singular third-person)

From Arabic طَرِيق (ṭarīq, “path, way, road”) and طَرِيقة (ṭarīqa).

inh

Setgħet ġibdet lejn il-Mellieħa, mit-triq jew mill-passaġġ, jew qabdet it-triq tal-Imġiebaħ, inkella minn ħdejn il-lukanda għan-naħa t’Għajn Ħadid, jew jista’ jkun anke telqet lejn Forti Campbell iktar kmieni, qabel ma wasalt jien.

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:

street, road, way (any trail of some width for the movement of pedestrians or wheeled vehicles)

way, route (set of directions that one follows)


kafè

Borrowed from Sicilian cafè, from Ottoman Turkish قهوه (kahve), from Arabic قَهْوة (qahwa).


ħurrieq

ħurrieqa (singulative)
ħurriqiet (paucal)
ħorrieq (alternative)
ħorriq (alternative)

Urtica dioica
Urtica dioica#Translingual


bniet

aħwa bniet

ulied bniet

studenti bniet

used as an apposition with gender-neutral plurals referring to relatives or young people, in order to specify the feminine


ġuvnott

Borrowed from Sicilian giuvanottu. Compare Italian giovanotto.


għargħar

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


tfajla

mt-noun

tfajla f (plural tfajliet, masculine tfajjel)

From Arabic طُفَيْلة (ṭufayla), diminutive of طِفْلة (ṭifla, “female child”), whence Maltese tifla. By surface analysis, tfajjel + -a.

female adolescent or young woman; girl (in this sense)


għarus

għarus m (plural għarajjes, feminine għarusa)

From Arabic عَرُوس (ʿarūs, usually “bride”, but also “bridegroom”). Used the same way in city dialects of Tunisia. Possibly in part a backformation from the marked feminine għarusa, from Arabic عَرُوسة (ʕarūsa, “bride”). The commoner Arabic word for “bridegroom” is عَرِيس (ʕarīs).

inh

Arabic عَرُوس

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

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


bejjiegħ

mt-noun

bejjiegħ m (plural bejjiegħa, feminine bejjiegħa)


aħbar

aħbar f (plural aħbarijiet or (Australia) aħbariet)

aħbarijiet (plural)
aħbariet (Australia plural)
aħbari (first-person singular)
aħbarna (first-person singular)
aħbarek (second-person singular)
aħbarkom (second-person singular)
aħbaru (masculine singular third-person)
aħbarha (feminine singular third-person)
aħbarhom (singular third-person)

From Arabic أَخْبار (ʔaḵbār), plural of خَبَر (ḵabar). The feminine gender in Maltese is a remnant of the original plural construction.

U Ġakobb għarraf lil Rakel li hu kien ħu missierha u bin Rebekka. U hi telqet tiġri tagħti l-aħbar lil missierha.

c. 2015, Il-Bibbja : il-Kotba Mqaddsa, 5th edition, Valletta: Ghaqda Biblika Maltija, →OCLC, Il-Ktieb tal-Ġenesi 29:12:

New International Version translation: He had told Rachel that he was a relative of her father and a son of Rebekah. So she ran and told her father.

a piece of news; a notice, message, report

(in the plural) news; also in the sense of a broadcast


skorpjun

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


xitla

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

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


għakrux

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

cog

Coordinate term: bebbux

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

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

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


xebb

mt-noun

xebb m (plural xbieb, feminine xebba, diminutive xbejb)

xbieb (plural)
xebba (feminine)
xbejb (diminutive)

(archaic) male adolescent or young man; youth


għattuqa

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

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

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


taġen

mt-noun

taġen m (plural twaġen or taġnijiet, diminutive twajġen)

twaġen (plural)
taġnijiet (plural)
twajġen (diminutive)


serq

Kien mixli bis-serq.

verbal noun of seraq: the act of stealing; theft, robbery, (also) kidnapping


sqaq

sqaq m (plural sqaqien or squq or sqaqijiet, diminutive sqajjaq)

sqaqien (plural)
squq (plural)
sqaqijiet (plural)
sqajjaq (diminutive)
isqaq (alternative)


isqof

From Arabic أُسْقُف (ʔusquf), from Ancient Greek ἐπίσκοπος (epískopos). One of the specifically Christian words in Maltese that were inherited from Arabic, suggesting that there were Arabic-speaking Christians in Malta during the Islamic reign. Otherwise, the words must have been brought in by missionaries during the re-Christianisation process. These missionaries would probably have been Sicilians who had learnt Arabic, though it is also imaginable that some of them were brought in from Christian communities on the Arabic-speaking mainland.


dawra

dawra f (dual dawrtejn or dawrejn, plural dawriet)

dawrtejn (dual)
dawrejn (dual)
dawriet (plural)

From Arabic دَوْرَة (dawra). By surface analysis, dawr + -a. Doublet of dura.


dawra

facelift, service (of a car, a bus, etc.)


duttur

duttur m (plural dutturi, feminine dottoressa)

dutturi (plural)
dottoressa (feminine)
dottur (alternative)
Dott. (alternative)

Borrowed from Sicilian dutturi, from Latin doctor.

doctor (person holding a doctorate (Ph.D., M.D.))


gidi

gidi m (plural gidjien or gidien, feminine gidja)

gidjien (plural)
gidien (plural)
gidja (feminine)
ġidi (alternative)


żokra

żokra f (plural żokor or żkieri, paucal żokriet)

żokor (plural)
żkieri (plural)
żokriet (paucal)

From Arabic زُكْرَة (zukra, “small hose”), thus probably originally referring to the umbilical cord or navel-string.


abitant

abitant m (plural abitanti, feminine abitanta)


finanzier

finanzier m (plural finanzieri or finanziera)


drapp

Borrowed from Sicilian drappu and/or Italian drappo, from Latin drappus, of uncertain origin.


sabar

X’sejra ġġibilna ġewwa l-fardal tiegħek.
ja Sena Ġdida?
Ah! biegħed minna
il-għelt, il-ġlied,
id-demm bejn l-aħwa;
rażżan ir-regħba u l-ġibdiet tal-ħakma,
rattab l-irjus u l-qlub,
ġibilna s-sabar ta’ xulxin, l-imħabba,
ġibilna l-għaqda,
ġibilna s-sliem,
ġibilna l-ħelsien!

1970, Anton Buttigieg, “Lis-Sena l-Ġdida 1964”, in Fl-Arena:

patience, endurance (ability to accept sorrow and hardship)


bram

From Sicilian bromu (“jellyfish”), from Ancient Greek βρῶμα (brôma, “shipworm”). Compare Italian bruma, Spanish broma. The Sicilian may have been influenced by Latin pulmo (“jellyfish”, literally “lung”).


ċikkulata

mt-noun

ċikkulata f (plural ċikkulati or ċikkulajjet)

ċikkulati (plural)
ċikkulajjet (plural)
ċukkulata (alternative)

From older Sicilian cicculata, from Spanish chocolate.


inbid

post-consonantal and alternative basic form of nbid


trab

From Arabic تُراب (turāb, “soil, dust”).


bruda

tepidness; coolness (lack of warmth, a neutral temperature)

(figurative) lukewarmness; lack of enthusiasm


dahar

dahar m (plural dhur or dhura or idhra, diminutive dhajjar)

dhur (plural)
dhura (plural)
idhra (plural)
dhajjar (diminutive)
dahri (first-person singular)
daharna (first-person singular)
dahrek (second-person singular)
daharkom (second-person singular)
dahru (masculine singular third-person)
daharha (feminine singular third-person)
daharhom (singular third-person)

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:

[…] u nġiegħel l-għedewwa tiegħek idawru daharhom lejk.

c. 2015, Il-Bibbja : il-Kotba Mqaddsa, 5th edition, Valletta: Ghaqda Biblika Maltija, →OCLC, Il-Ktieb tal-Eżodu 23:27:

King James Version translation: […] and I will make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee.


duħħan

dħaħen (plural)
doħħan (alternative obsolete)

Għax jiemi bħal duħħan jgħibu; u għadmi bħal ħuġġieġa jaqbad.

c. 2015, Il-Bibbja : il-Kotba Mqaddsa, 5th edition, Valletta: Ghaqda Biblika Maltija, →OCLC, Il-Ktieb tas-Salmi 102:3:

King James Version translation: For my days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned as an hearth.


ħaġar

ħaġra (singulative)
ħġar (plural)
ħġur (plural)
eħġar (plural)
ħaġriet (paucal)

From Arabic حَجَر (ḥajar, “stone”), which was reinterpreted as collective. Compare Moroccan Arabic حجر (ḥjar, “stones”), حجرة (ḥajra, “a stone”).

Intom illum qomtu kontra dar missieri u qtiltu lil uliedu - sebgħin wieħed fuq ħaġra waħda - u għamiltu lil Abimelek, bin il-konkubina tiegħu, fuq in-nies ta’ Sikem, għax hu ħukom.

c. 2015, Il-Bibbja : il-Kotba Mqaddsa, 5th edition, Valletta: Ghaqda Biblika Maltija, →OCLC, Il-Ktieb tal-Imħallfin 9:18:

New International Version translation: But today you have revolted against my father’s family. You have murdered his seventy sons on a single stone and have made Abimelek, the son of his female slave, king over the citizens of Shechem because he is related to you.


ramel

irmla (plural)
rmiel (plural)
ramal (alternative)
remel (alternative)

Jien għedt: Fil-bejta tiegħi mmut wara jiem kotrana daqs ir-ramel.

c. 2015, Il-Bibbja : il-Kotba Mqaddsa, 5th edition, Valletta: Ghaqda Biblika Maltija, →OCLC, Il-Ktieb ta' Ġob 29:18:

King James Version translation: Then I said, I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand.

kollox għafsa. kollox fastidju. forsi
għax għadu (wisq) kmieni. forsi.
għax dallejl xtaqt stajt nimtedd maġenbek
u dalgħodu stenbaħt
b’subgħajja mwebbla għal ponn ramel
u d-diqa mwebsa ma’ ħaddejja.


irmied

post-consonantal and alternative basic form of rmied


żaffran

(nonstandard) Alternative spelling of żagħfran


luzzu

→ English: luzzu

Borrowed from Sicilian 'uzzu, a variant of guzzu.

luzzu (a traditional, brightly painted Maltese fishing boat)


tamar

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


gwerra

Borrowed from Sicilian guerra and/or Italian guerra.


karozza

karozzi (plural)
krarez (plural)
karrozza (alternative)


flixkun

flixkun m (plural fliexken, diminutive flejxken)

From Latin flasco (probably through Old French or Old Occitan, rather than Italo-Romance), from Frankish *flaska, from Proto-Germanic *flaskǭ. Cognate to English flask.


ċittadin

ċittadin m (plural ċittadini, feminine ċittadina)


mgħarfa

From Arabic مِغْرَفة (miḡrafa, “scoop, ladle”). Compare Tunisian Arabic مغرفة (mḡarfa, “spoon”), Moroccan Arabic مغرفة (mḡarfa, “ladle”).


qala

From Maghrebi Arabic قَالَة (qāla). Related to Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian cala, and French cale.


ossiġenu

ossiġnu (alternative)
oksiġin (alternative)


aluminju

aluminji (plural)
aluminjum (alternative)


fosfru

(chemistry) Alternative form of fosforu: phosphorus


lembut

lmiebet (plural)
mbiebet (plural)
lenbut (alternative)

Borrowed from Italian imbuto, with a fused definite article.


kallu

Borrowed from Sicilian callu and/or Italian callo.


filosofija

mt-noun

filosofija f (plural filosofiji or filosofijiet)

filosofiji (plural)
filosofijiet (plural)
filosfija (alternative)

Borrowed from Italian filosofia and/or Sicilian filusufìa, from Latin philosophia, from Ancient Greek φιλοσοφία (philosophía).


tramuntana

Borrowed from Sicilian tramuntana (“north wind; north”), from Latin transmontanus (“beyond the mountains”). The use for a north wind is found in several Romance languages; it seems not quite clear what mountains it originally referred to.


abatija

abatiji (plural)
abatijiet (plural)
abbatija (alternative)
labatija (alternative)


fjur

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

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

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:

flower, blossom (reproductive structure on plants)


safar

verbal noun of siefer:
voyage, travel, travelling

verbal noun of siefer:
export, export market


sapuna

sapun (collective)
spapen (plural)
spajjen (plural)
sapuniet (paucal)

singulative of sapun: a piece or bar of soap


sikka

From Arabic سِكَّة (sikka). Doublet of zekka /zikka.


tieġ

From Arabic تَاج (tāj, “crown, diadem”). Semantically from a ceremonial headpiece worn on one's wedding day. Possibly the bride's chaplet (the symbol of her virginity), but more probably the wedding crowns of the Byzantine tradition, by which Malta was influenced in the Middle Ages.


qallut

mt-noun

qallut m (plural qlalet, diminutive qlajlet)


majjal

majjal m (plural majjali, feminine majjala, diminutive majjalett)

majjali (plural)
majjala (feminine)
majjalett (diminutive)

Borrowed from Sicilian majali and/or Italian maiale, both from Latin maiālis.

pig; generally in the context of meat production: porker


qama

a fathom (linear measure from the end of one arm extended horizontally to the end of the other) which was often used to measure the depth of seawater, officially 6 ft. or ~1.8 m.


madum

maduma (singulative)
madumiet (paucal)
madun (alternative)


vomitatur

vomitatur m (plural vomitaturi, feminine vomitatura)

vomitaturi (plural)
vomitatura (feminine)


kartun

(comics) cartoon (humorous drawing or strip)


lampuka

Coryphaena hippurus
Coryphaena hippurus#Translingual

common dolphinfish (Coryphaena hippurus)


għażla

Il-għażla tar-rebbieħ
kienet tqila bis-sħiħ,
u Marzu Marzellu
fetaħ ir-rixtellu,
u tax-xita fir-raxx
parpar baxx baxx.

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


renju

Borrowed from Sicilian regnu and/or Italian regno.


lampik

Borrowed from Sicilian lambicu, variant of lammicu.


buza

buz (collective)
bwiez (plural)
buzien (plural)
buzijiet (plural plural-of)
buziet (paucal)

singulative of buz: a boot (kind of shoe)


frosta

Borrowed from Sicilian frusta or Italian frusta, both probably from Latin fustis. Sicilian chiefly uses the Arabic borrowing zotta, itself cognate with native Maltese sawt. On the other hand, the Maltese -o- would seem to imply a fairly early borrowing before the phonemicisation of [ʊ].


Tuvalan

Tuvalan m (plural Tuvalani, feminine Tuvalana)

Tuvaluan (native or inhabitant of Tuvalu) (usually male)


salib

Wieqfa taħt is-salib Marija f’agunija.

Standing under the Cross is Mary, in agony. (Line from a popular hymn)


midneb

midneb m (plural midinbin, feminine midinba)

From Arabic مُذْنِب (muḏnib, “sinner, wrongdoer”). The plural midinbin is regular: The unstressed -e- is deleted, yielding *midnbin, where the -n- needs an epenthetic -i- because sonorants cannot stand between two other consonants. Compare the same in mislem, misilmin.


mnara

mt-noun

mnara f (plural mnajjar or mnieri or mnariet)

mnajjar (plural)
mnieri (plural)
mnariet (plural)
imnara (alternative also)


sidt

Sidtna Marija


radd

wake (the path left behind a ship on the surface of the water)


dublett

dublett m (plural dbielet, diminutive dbejlett)


Lhudi

From Arabic يَهُودِيّ (yahūdiyy, “Jew, Jewish”). The definite form اَلْيَهُودِيّ (al-yahūdiyy) underwent assimilation -ly- → -ll- (compare llum from il-jum), whence a new basic form *lahūdī, *lhūdī by backformation.

inh

Jew (an adherent of Judaism or a person who claims a tribal or ancestral connection to the Jewish people)


riċetta

Borrowed from Italian ricetta, from Latin recepta, feminine of receptus, whence also razzett.


organizzazzjoni

mt-noun

organizzazzjoni f (plural organizzazzjonijiet)

organizzazzjonijiet (plural)
organiżżazzjoni (alternative)


vittma

Borrowed from Sicilian vìttima and/or Italian vittima, both from Latin victima.


ktejjeb

From Arabic كُتَيِّب (kutayyib), diminutive of كِتاب (kitāb), whence Maltese ktieb.


kittieb

kittieb m (plural kittieba, feminine kittieba)


ħaddiem

ħaddiem m (plural ħaddiema or ħaddemin, feminine ħaddiema)

ħaddiema (plural)
ħaddemin (plural)
ħaddiema (feminine)

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!


qamħ

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


tfulija

tfuliti (first-person singular)
tfulitna (first-person singular)
tfulitek (second-person singular)
tfulitkom (second-person singular)
tfulitu (masculine singular third-person)
tfulitha (feminine singular third-person)
tfulithom (singular third-person)


għalla

għalla f (dual għalltejn, plural għalliet)


għalla

għalla f (dual għalltejn, plural għalel or għelejjel)

għalltejn (dual)
għalel (plural)
għelejjel (plural)


illużjonista

illużjonista m or f by sense (plural illużjonisti)


reliġjuż

reliġjuż m (plural reliġjużi, feminine reliġjuża)


ħwejjeġ

From Arabic حَوَائِج (ḥawāʔij). Compare Libyan Arabic حْوَايِج (ħwāyij, “clothes”).


nifs

mt-noun

nifs m (plural nifsijiet or nfus or (dialectal) nfiefes)

nifsijiet (plural)
nfus (plural)
nfiefes (dialectal plural)


għasel

honey (viscous substance produced by bees)


tabal

otbla (plural)
tbal (plural)
tabar (alternative)


tadam

tadama (singulative)
tadamiet (paucal)
tuffieħa t’Adam (alternative obsolete)
tuffieħa ta’ Adam (alternative obsolete)

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

cog

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


buri

Mugil cephalus
Mugil cephalus#Translingual


magg

mug (any large drinking vessel without a stem)


kapitana

Borrowed from Sicilian capitana and/or Italian capitana.


Amerikana

mt-noun

Amerikana f (plural Amerikani, masculine Amerikan)

United States of America
United States of America#English

female equivalent of Amerikan: female American (female native or inhabitant of United States of America)


nida

Inherited from Arabic نَدَى (nadā), feminised because of the final -a.


ħmira

From Arabic خَمِيرَة (ḵamīra, “yeast, leaven”).


nwar

nwara (singulative)
nwawar (plural)
nwajjar (plural)
nwariet (paucal)


Imber

(obsolete) Alternative form of Novembru: November


laport

Borrowed from Italian rapporto, by dissimilation.

(colloquial) Alternative form of rapport: report, statement, account


ftira

mt-noun

ftira f (plural ftajjar, diminutive ftajra)

a kind of flat, usually ring-shaped bread, often used for sandwiches

(by extension) anything flat or flattened


tudun

tuduni (plural)
todun (alternative)
tudum (alternative)


kunjom

Borrowed from Sicilian cugnomi, from Latin cognomen. The similarity with Arabic كُنْية (kunya, “teknonym, byname”) is coincidental.


wasla

mt-noun

wasla f (dual wasaltajn, plural wasliet)

Ja Sena Ġdida,
għalkemm mal-wasla tiegħek
sew f’nofs il-lejl
int sibtni nidħaq ġewwa nofs il-ballu


moħriet

inh

Arabic مِحْرَاث (miḥrāṯ)


xogħol

mt-noun

xogħol m (plural xogħlijiet, diminutive xgħajjel)

xogħlijiet (plural)
xgħajjel (diminutive)
xogħli (first-person singular)
xogħolna (first-person singular)
xogħlok (second-person singular)
xogħolkom (second-person singular)
xogħlu (masculine singular third-person)
xogħolha (feminine singular third-person)
xogħolhom (singular third-person)

xogħol bix-xift

din l-għaġla
ta’ kollox issa
ta’ iġri u ġerri
fuq xogħol qiegħed
il-minġel jitriegħed

2023, Keith Borg, magħġuna fit-tbenġil, Ede Books, →ISBN: