April

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

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


plural

plural sħiħ

plural miksur


umbrella

mt-noun

umbrella f (plural umbrelel, diminutive umbrellin or umbrellina)

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


port

Borrowed from Sicilian portu, from Latin portus.


bank

bank (financial building or institution)

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


bank

bank m (plural bankijiet, diminutive bnajjak or banketta)

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

counter (table or board on which business is transacted)


but

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

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


banana

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


art

art f (plural artijiet or (obsolete) iradi)

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

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

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

art twelidi

bla art


tin

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

Alternative form: tint


vers

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

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

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


pizza

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


re

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


dada

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

Borrowed from Italian dado and/or Sicilian dadu.

die, dice (polyhedron used in games of chance)

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


bir

bir m (plural bjar or birien, diminutive bwejra)

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

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

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


far

far m (plural firien or fariet, feminine fara)

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

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


klin

From Arabic إِكْلِيل الْجَبَل (ʔiklīl al-jabal).

inh

إِكْلِيل الْجَبَل

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

Salvia rosmarinus
Salvia rosmarinus#Translingual

Rosmarinus officinalis
Rosmarinus officinalis#Translingual

rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus, syn. Rosmarinus officinalis)


Andorran

mt-noun

Andorran m (plural Andorrani, feminine Andorrana)


Angolan

Angolan m (plural Angolani, feminine Angolana)


dud

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


test

Borrowed from English test, ultimately from Latin testum.

Għamluli test tad-droga.


idea

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


mus

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

pocket knife, folding knife, jack-knife, switchblade


belt

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

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


Sri Lankan

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

Sri Lankani (plural)
Sri Lankana (feminine)

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


Turkmen

Turkmen m (plural Turkmeni, feminine Turkmena)

Turkmen (native or inhabitant of Turkmenistan)


Tongan

Tongan m (plural Tongani, feminine Tongana)

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


drama

Ultimately Latin drama. Doublet of dramm.


patata

From Spanish patata, likely through Sicilian patata.

Inħobb niekol il-patata.

Kilt patata waħda biss.

Għandna bżonn ħames patati.

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

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

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


dari

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.


poeta

mt-noun

poeta m (plural poeti, feminine poeta or poetessa)

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


serra

red-breasted merganser
red-breasted merganser

Mergus serrator
Mergus serrator#Translingual

red-breasted merganser (Mergus serrator)


rand

Laurus nobilis
Laurus nobilis#Translingual


arma

weapon (instrument of attack or defense in combat)

weapon (means of harming or exerting control)


futur

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


lok

Borrowed from Sicilian locu, from Latin locus.


duda

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


ward

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

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

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


ilma

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

ilma baħar

ilma ċar

ilma effervixxenti

ilma fin

ilma ġieri

ilma ħelu

ilma kiesaħ

ilma mbierek

ilma mieġi

ilma qiegħed

ilma minerali


abbatissa

abbatissa f (plural abbatissi, masculine abbati)

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


abt

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


bu

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

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


tren

Borrowed from Italian treno. Doublet of trejn.

Alternative form of trejn: train (vehicle)


David

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


resident

resident m (plural residenti, feminine residenta)

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


bin

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

Bin il-Bniedem


mandar

Alternative form of mandra: mess, disorder


id

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

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

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

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

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

Il-kumpanija qiegħda f’idejja.


pala

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

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


bard

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

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


bint

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


ark

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


tavla

Borrowed from Sicilian tàvula. Doublet of tavola.


lag

Borrowed from Sicilian lagu, from Latin lacus.


wild

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

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

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


opera

Alternative form: opra


amir

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


basal

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

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

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

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

onion (as a mass or species); several onions


blat

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

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

inh

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

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

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

rock (material, a mass or surface of it)


mod

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


simar

simara (singulative)
summar (alternative)

Juncus effusus
Juncus effusus#Translingual


temp

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


borra

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


sala

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


Randan

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

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


alla

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


lanza

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


landing

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


sulla

Alternative form of silla: French honeysuckle (Hedysarum coronarium)


mil

mt-noun

mil m (dual milejn, plural mjiel or mili)

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


mamma

il-mamma u t-tata

Coordinate term: għerq

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


fond

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


razza

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


sur

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:


sur

Contraction of sinjur, from Sicilian signuri.

is-Sur Buttiġieġ


pont

Borrowed from Sicilian ponti, from Latin pons.


libertà

freedom; liberty (lack of a specific constraint)


forma

Borrowed from Sicilian furma and/or Italian forma, both from Latin forma.


rebus

Borrowed from Italian rebus, from Latin rēbus.


speranza

speranzi (plural)
isperanza (alternative)


rapport

rapporti (plural)
riport (alternative)
laport (alternative)


multa

multa imposta

fine (a fee levied as punishment for breaking the law)


feles

Apparently from Arabic فَلْس (fals, “fish scale”).


birra

Borrowed from Italian birra, from Old High German bior, from Proto-Germanic *beuzą, of uncertain origin.


punt

Borrowed from Sicilian puntu and/or Italian punto, from Latin punctum.

point (in time or space, an item on a list etc.)

point (unit of scoring in a competition)


dika

From Arabic دِيك (dīk, “rooster, cock”), with the feminine suffix -a.


memorandum

memoranda (plural)
memorandu (alternative)


pene

Borrowed from Italian pene, sometimes used in Maltese in place of the everyday żobb.


deponent

deponenti (plural)
deponenti (alternative)


referendum

referendum m (plural referenda or referendumijiet)

referenda (plural)
referendumijiet (plural)


dib

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


Amerikan

Amerikan m (plural Amerikani, feminine Amerikana)

United States of America
United States of America#English

American (native or inhabitant of United States of America) (usually male)


vit

vit m (plural viti or vitien or vitijiet)

viti (plural)
vitien (plural)
vitijiet (plural)


stat

Borrowed from Sicilian statu and/or Italian stato, both from Latin status.


Rumen

Rumen m (plural Rumeni, feminine Rumena)

Romanian (native or inhabitant of Romania) (usually male)


Sloven

Sloven m (plural Sloveni, feminine Slovena)

Slovene (native or inhabitant of Slovenia) (usually male)


fula

singulative of ful: a broad bean (single seed)


rota

Borrowed from Sicilian rota, from Latin rota.


islam

Borrowed from Italian islam, from Arabic إسْلام (ʔislām). The related word mislem (“Muslim”) was inherited from Arabic, but all other terms are learned borrowings.


kalif

kalifi (plural)
kaliff (alternative)
ħalif (alternative obsolete)

Borrowed from Italian califfo. Doublet of ħalif.


qibla

From Arabic قِبْلة (qibla, “direction of prayer towards Mekka”). The geographically peculiar use for “south” is also found in some dialects of Maghrebi Arabic.


rasul

mt-noun

rasul m (plural rsul or rsiel or rsajjal or irsla or rosol)

rsul (plural)
rsiel (plural)
rsajjal (plural)
irsla (plural)
rosol (plural)

Inherited from Arabic رَسُول (rasūl). Called an “arabism” by Falzon, but this may mean merely that the word was already highly archaic in the mid-19th century. At any rate it was inherited, not introduced later by Muslim captives, because old sources show that the place Għajn Rasul was always understood as “Spring of the Apostle [Paul]”.

(obsolete) Synonym of appostlu (“apostle”)


parlament

membru tal-parlament

kamra tal-parlament


arpa

Pandion haliaetus
Pandion haliaetus#Translingual


buz

buza (singulative)
bwiez (plural)
buzien (plural)
buzijiet (plural plural-of)
buziet (paucal)

Kelli buz wellington twil sa rkobbtejja li bih stajt ngħaddi nċaflas mill-għadajjar […]

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

I wore long Wellington boots up to my knees, with which I could wade through the puddles […]


poni

From English pony, perhaps through Italian pony. The pronunciation seems to be spelling-based as it does not quite fit either origin (if from Italian, we should expect /ɔː/, otherwise /ɔw/).


silta

silta f (plural siltiet, diminutive slejta)


reliġjon

reliġjonijiet (plural)
reliġjoni (alternative)

Borrowed from Italian religione, from Latin religio.


magna

magni (plural)
makna (alternative)
makina (alternative obsolete)


terz

Borrowed from Sicilian terzu or Italian terzo.

(historical units of measurement) a unit of volume:

for spirits that is officially half an imperial pint (284.1 mL).

for milk and oil that is officially 11+¹⁄₄ imperial fluid ounces (319.6 mL).


gramm

gram (a unit of mass equal to one-thousandth of a kilogram; symbol: g)


herra

From Arabic هَرْء (harʔ), هُرَاء (hurāʔ).

Alternative form: herriera (Birkirkara)

bil-herra


falla

(nautical) leak (crack, crevice, fissure, or hole which admits water or other fluid, or lets it escape)


kultura

il-kultura Maltija


platt

platti (plural)
pjatt (alternative obsolete)

Borrowed from Italian piatto and/or Sicilian piattu, probably influenced by English plate.

platt ċatt

platt fond


saħħa

saħħtejn (dual)
saħħiet (plural)
saħħti (first-person singular)
saħħitna (first-person singular)
saħħtek (second-person singular)
saħħitkom (second-person singular)
saħħtu (masculine singular third-person)
saħħitha (feminine singular third-person)
saħħithom (singular third-person)

Għax meta missieri kien jibni xi gallinar, jew xi xatba, jew xi kannizzata, qatt ma kien jixtri xejn, iżda jlaqqat u jillapazza b’dak li jsib. Imma jiena ma ridtx għarix mibni bl-imbarazz, iżda kamp sabiħ u pulit u b’saħħtu.


kant

Borrowed from Sicilian cantu and/or Italian canto, from Latin cantus.


figura

Borrowed from Italian figura, from Latin figūra. Doublet of fgura.


nanna

nanna f (plural nanniet, masculine nannu)

nanniet (plural)
nannu (masculine)
nannti (first-person singular)
nannitna (first-person singular)
nanntek (second-person singular)
nannitkom (second-person singular)
nanntu (masculine singular third-person)
nannitha (feminine singular third-person)
nannithom (singular third-person)


pipa

Borrowed from Sicilian pipa and/or Italian pipa.


bomba

(figuratively) any big-sized round object


militar

Borrowed from Italian militare. Doublet of militari.

Wieħed mill-ġirien, ċertu Ċikku Sinagra, raġel pulit u fuq tiegħu donnu xi ex-surġent tal-militar, kien iħobb joqgħod jippassiġġa tul it-triq kollha.


sistema

Borrowed from Italian sistema, from Latin systēma, from Ancient Greek σύστημα (sústēma).


votant

votant m (plural votanti, feminine votanta)


emigrant

emigrant m (plural emigranti, feminine emigranta)


mandolin

mandolina (singulative)
mandoliniet (paucal)


forn

forn m (plural fran, diminutive frajjen)

From Arabic فُرْن (furn), from Aramaic פורנא / ܦܘܪܢܐ (pūrnā), from Ancient Greek φοῦρνος (phoûrnos), from Latin furnus. There is no reason to doubt the inheritance of the word in Maltese and consider it a borrowing from an Italo-Romance cognate such as Italian forno. The Arabic word is attested early, the outcome forn is expected in Maltese, and so is the plural fran from Arabic أَفْران (ʔafrān). Only the derivative furnar (“baker”) is, of course, a borrowing (widely replacing native ħabbież).


karfa

kraf (plural)
krafi (plural)
kruf (plural)

From Arabic كَرْفَأَة (karfaʔa). Compare Kabyle akerfa (“chaff”).


tama

From Arabic طَمَع (ṭamaʕ, “greed, wish”). The loss of the final għ is regular in this noun, but was generalised throughout the root (and is therefore reflected in the spelling). Compare, however, tema’.


tikka

Probably inherited from dialectal Arabic تَكّة (takka, “one, piece, morsel, bit, tad”), from Persian تکه (tekke), provided that the borrowing into Arabic happened early enough. Otherwise an independent onomatopoeia could not be ruled out; compare English tick (“checkmark; short moment”).

m+

Ma nafdahx tikka.


dinja

Din l-għanja hija maħbuba f’ħafna pajjiżi differenti madwar id-dinja kollha.

This song is popular in many different countries throughout the world.


kok

mt-noun

kok m (plural kokijiet or koki, feminine koka)

kokijiet (plural)
koki (plural)
koka (feminine)

Borrowed from Sicilian cocu, from Latin coquus.


kus

kus m (plural kwies or kusien, diminutive kwejjes)

kwies (plural)
kusien (plural)
kwejjes (diminutive)

From Arabic كُوز (kūz), from Middle Persian.


sultan

sultan m (plural slaten, feminine sultana, diminutive slajten or slajtan)

slaten (plural)
sultana (feminine)
slajten (diminutive)
slajtan (diminutive)
soltan (alternative)

Is-sema bagħatlu sabi u s-sultan żamm kelmtu!

(dated, historical or figurative) king, monarch, ruler


appellant

appellant m (plural appellanti, feminine appellanta)

appellanti (plural)
appellanta (feminine)


silla

silel (plural)
sulla (alternative uncommon)

French honeysuckle (Hedysarum coronarium)


venda

terminus (end point of a transport system)


sid

sid m (plural sjied or sidien, feminine sidt)

sjied (plural)
sidien (plural)
sidt (feminine)

From Arabic سَيِّد (sayyid), widely also pronounced سِيد (sīd) in dialects.


festa

festa f (plural festi, diminutive festin)

Borrowed from Sicilian festa and/or Italian festa.


Russu

Russian (native or inhabitant of Russia) (usually male)


tars

tars m (plural trus, diminutive trajjes)

From Arabic تَرْس (tars), from Ancient Greek θῠρεός (thŭreós).


tarka

Borrowed from Sicilian tarca, variant of targa, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *targǭ.


liba

From Arabic لِبَأ (libaʔ, “beestings”). The vulgar sense after the thick consistency of such milk.

(possibly archaic) beestings, colostrum (first milk after giving birth)

Ħarġet ħafna liba minn żobbu wara li ħxieni.

A lot of cum came out of his dick after he fucked me.

Kemm int liba, terġax teħodli l-lapes.

You’re such a bastard, don’t take my pencil again.

(vulgar) arsehole, asshole, bastard, cunt, dick, dickhead, cruel, contemptible, brutal


lett

Alternative form: letta

(nautical) fishing line with large hooks

(nautical) main rope tied to fishing pots


bellus

Eventually from Latin villus, vellus (“hair, fleece”). Aquilina apparently seeks to derive it directly from this noun, comparing fellus (“chick”), from Latin pullus. However, the word must then have passed from Latin through Berber into Arabic, which seems unlikely. Much more probably it is from the adjective villosus, whence French velours (“velvet”). Compare also Italian velluto. The Maltese b- is probably due to adaptation of the un-Arabic v-, though there is an (unrelated?) Arabic بَلاس (balās), بُلُس (bulus, “hair-cloth”), which might have influenced the form.


kont

Alternative form: akkont (Australia)

Alternative form: akkont (Australia)


skola

skola f (plural skejjel or skajjel or (obsolete) skoli)

skejjel (plural)
skajjel (plural)
skoli (obsolete plural)
iskola (alternative)

Borrowed from Sicilian scola, from Latin schola, from Ancient Greek σχολή (skholḗ).

school (an institution dedicated to teaching and learning)

school (the followers of a particular doctrine)

school (a department/institute at a college or university)


jum

jumejn (dual)
jiem (plural)
jumi (first-person singular)
jumna (first-person singular)
jumek (second-person singular)
jumkom (second-person singular)
jumu (masculine singular third-person)
jumha (feminine singular third-person)
jumhom (singular third-person)

day (period when a person is awake and experiences things)


kelb

kelb m (plural klieb, feminine kelba, diminutive klejjeb)

klieb (plural)
kelba (feminine)
klejjeb (diminutive)

Fl-interess ta’ iġene tajba, aħsel idejk qabel tagħti l-pilloli lill-kelb.

In the interests of good hygiene, wash your hands before administering the tablets to the dog.

X’int kelb, għala tittrattaha hekk lil martek?

You’re such a bastard, why do you treat your wife like that?

(figuratively) cruel person, bastard, cunt, dick, dickhead


kiri

From Arabic كِرَاء (kirāʔ). Doublet of kera.


labra

From Arabic الإبْرة (al-ʔibra), from إبْرة (ʔibra, “needle”) with fused definite article ال (al-).


lupu

Dicentrarchus labrax
Dicentrarchus labrax#Translingual


ras

ras f (dual (uncommon) rasejn, plural rjus, diminutive rwajsa)

rasejn (dual uncommon)
rjus (plural)
rwajsa (diminutive)

From Arabic رَأْس (raʔs). The word is masculine in standard Arabic, but the feminine is found in some dialects, so there is no need to assume influence by Sicilian testa (though this is not ruled out).

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:

(measure word for livestock or people in a crowd) a single animal or person.


landa

suldati tal-landa


parir

Borrowed from Sicilian pariri, from Latin parēre (“to seem”).


delu

delu m (plural idilwa or delijiet or dliewa or dliewi)

idilwa (plural)
delijiet (plural)
dliewa (plural)
dliewi (plural)


serp

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

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

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

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


tinda

From a variant of Sicilian tenna or Italian tenda.


plier

From Italo-Romance (compare Italian piliere), from Old French piler, from Vulgar Latin *pilāre, derived from pila.


mara

mara f (construct state mart or (archaic) mrat, plural nisa, masculine raġel or żewġ)

mart (construct)
mrat (archaic construct)
nisa (plural)
raġel (masculine)
żewġ (masculine)
marti (first-person singular)
martna (first-person singular)
martek (second-person singular)
martkom (second-person singular)
martu (masculine singular third-person)
martha (feminine singular third-person)
marthom (singular third-person)
mrati (first-person singular)
mratna (first-person singular)
mratek (second-person singular)
mratkom (second-person singular)
mratu (masculine singular third-person)
mratha (feminine singular third-person)
mrathom (singular third-person)

From Arabic اِمْرَأة (imraʔa, “woman; wife”). Formally, a backformation from the latter’s definite form اَلْمَرْأة (al-marʔa) as in most modern Arabic dialects.

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:

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:


tina

From Arabic تِينة (tīna), singulative of تِين (tīn).

singulative of tin: a fig (single fruit)


bini

From Arabic بِناء (bināʔ). The final -i either by influence of binja or as a relict of word-final imala, for whose existence in older Maltese there is good evidence (it may have been lost through influence of the Romance feminine -a); compare also biki from Arabic بُكاء (bukāʔ).

Synonym of binja (“a building, structure”).


spalla

spallejn (dual)
spalel (plural)
spallti (first-person singular)
spallitna (first-person singular)
spalltek (second-person singular)
spallitkom (second-person singular)
spalltu (masculine singular third-person)
spallitha (feminine singular third-person)
spallithom (singular third-person)
ispalla (alternative)

Borrowed from Italian spalla or an older variant of Sicilian spadda, both from Latin spatula.


sena

is-sena li għaddiet

is-sena l-oħra

is-sena d-dieħla

is-sena li ġejja

is-sena li jmiss

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


kamin

Borrowed from Italian camino and/or Sicilian caminu.


tastiera

tastieri (plural)
tastatura (alternative)


sapun

sapuna (singulative)
spapen (plural)
spajjen (plural)
sapuniet (paucal)

Ultimately from Latin sāpō, from Proto-Germanic *saipǭ. The word was probably inherited from Arabic صَابُون (ṣābūn), which is clearly old enough to have passed into Maltese. The -p- does of course betray influence by cognate Sicilian sapuni, but does not prove borrowing.

inh

Arabic صَابُون (ṣābūn)


ħalq

mt-noun

ħalq m (plural ħluq, diminutive ħlejjaq or ħlajjaq)

ħluq (plural)
ħlejjaq (diminutive)
ħlajjaq (diminutive)
ħalqi (first-person singular)
ħalqna (first-person singular)
ħalqek (second-person singular)
ħalqkom (second-person singular)
ħalqu (masculine singular third-person)
ħalqha (feminine singular third-person)
ħalqhom (singular third-person)

From Arabic حَلْق (ḥalq, “throat”). Cognate with Gulf Arabic حلج (ḥalj, “mouth”).

Għandu tlett iħluq x’jitma’.

(figurative) an eater, a person to be fed

il-ħalq tal-ixkora


kamra

Eventually from Latin camera, from Ancient Greek καμάρα (kamára). It is possible that the form was inherited from Arabic قَمْرَة (qamra), but this depends on the age of this borrowing (said to be from Italo-Romance). Otherwise a borrowing from Sicilian càmmara, càmmira. The plural kmamar seems to reflect the Sicilian gemination. Doublet of kamera and ċimnija.

“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:


stilla

stilla f (plural stilel or (less common) stilli)

stilel (plural)
stilli (plural uncommon)
istilla (alternative)

Borrowed from Sicilian stidda, stilla, from Latin stēlla.


folla

Borrowed from Italian folla and/or from an older (perhaps subseded) variant of Sicilian fuḍḍa, both derived from Latin fullare (“to bump, trample”), perhaps influenced by Proto-Germanic *fulką (“folk”). Compare French foule.

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


omm

omm f (plural ommijiet, masculine missier or bu)

ommijiet (plural)
missier (masculine)
bu (masculine)
ommi (first-person singular)
ommna (first-person singular)
ommok (second-person singular)
ommkom (second-person singular)
ommu (masculine singular third-person)
ommha (feminine singular third-person)
ommhom (singular third-person)

U Adam semma lil martu Eva għax hi kienet omm il-ħajjin kollha.

c. 2015, Il-Bibbja : il-Kotba Mqaddsa, 5th edition, Valletta: Ghaqda Biblika Maltija, →OCLC, Il-Ktieb tal-Ġenesi 3:20:

King James Version translation: And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.

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.


raġel

rġiel (plural)
mara (feminine)
raġli (first-person singular)
raġelna (first-person singular)
raġlek (second-person singular)
raġelkom (second-person singular)
raġlu (masculine singular third-person)
raġelha (feminine singular third-person)
raġelhom (singular third-person)


kolera

Ultimately from Latin cholera, from Ancient Greek χολέρᾰ (kholéră).


mira

From Italian mira or its Sicilian equivalent.

Ma lħaqniex il-miri tagħna.


dura

From Arabic دَوْرَة (dawra). Doublet of dawra.

a hut used by hunters and birdcatchers as a watching place


brillant

brillanti (plural)
birlant (alternative dialectal)


sultana

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:

female equivalent of sultan; a queen; a female monarch or ruler, or the wife of a male one


tazza

Borrowed from Sicilian and/or Italian tazza, from Arabic طَسّة (ṭassa), variant of طَسْت (ṭast), from Middle Persian tšt' (tašt).

Il-Għanja tiegħi tazza
mimlija min-nixxiegħa
tal-ferħ li ssaqqi u tkabbar
il-ħlejjaq fir-rebbiegħa.


nemus

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


vulkan

Borrowed from Sicilian vulcanu and/or Italian vulcano, both from Latin Vulcanus.


santu

(Christianity) saint (male or of unspecified sex)


sekonda

(music) second (interval between two adjacent notes)


żoċċ

(vulgar slang) Euphemistic form of żobb: penis, prick, cock


dritt

(uncountable) that which is true and just; the right thing


pittura

Borrowed from Sicilian pittura, from Latin pictura.


pittura

(sometimes avoided) female equivalent of pittur (“painter”)


ġimgħa

ġimgħa f (dual ġimagħtejn, plural ġimgħat or ġmiegħi or ġmiegħ)

ġimagħtejn (dual)
ġimgħat (plural)
ġmiegħi (plural)
ġmiegħ (plural)

dil-ġimgħa

il-ġimgħa li għaddiet

il-ġimgħa l-oħra

il-ġimgħa li ġejja

il-ġimgħa d-dieħla


ġurnata

Borrowed from Sicilian giurnata, jurnata.


siegħa

siegħa f (dual sagħtejn, plural sigħat or (obsolete) swiegħi, diminutive swejgħa)

sagħtejn (dual)
sigħat (plural)
swiegħi (obsolete plural)
swejgħa (diminutive)

It-trasport lejn il-laboratorju aktarx jieħu iktar minn sitt sigħat.

The transport to the laboratory is likely to take more than six hours.


differenza

differenzi (plural)
divrenzja (alternative)


possibilità

possibilitajiet (plural)
possibiltà (alternative)
possibbilità (alternative)
possibbiltà (alternative)


debba

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


profondità

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


regola

regoli (plural)
regula (alternative)
regla (alternative)
riegla (alternative)


foresta

F’din il-foresta hemm ħafna siġar twal.

In this forest there are a lot of tall trees.


arka

Huwa arka tal-mużika


kokka

kokki (plural)
kokok (plural)
kokkiet (paucal)


minoranza

minoranzi (plural)
minuranza (alternative)


dilettant

mt-noun

dilettant m (plural dilettanti, feminine dilettanta)

dilettanti (plural)
dilettanta (feminine)


tonn

Borrowed from Italian tonno and/or Sicilian tunnu.


qantar

qantar m (dual qantarejn, plural qnatar)

From Arabic قِنْطار (qinṭār), from Classical Syriac ܩܢܛܝܢܪܐ (qanṭīnārā), from Ancient Greek κεντηνάριον (kentēnárion), from Latin centēnārium. Doublet of ċentinarju.

a traditional unit of weight, still used e.g. in farming, equivalent to 100 ratal, that is officially 175 imperial pounds (79.38 kg), now widely metrified informally to mean 80 kilogrammes


povertà

Borrowed from Italian povertà, from Latin paupertas.


indipendenza

Alternative form of independenza: independence


infrastruttura

infrastruttura f (plural infrastrutturi)


instabilità

Alternative form of instabbiltà: instability


rokna

rokna f (plural rokon or rkejjen or rkien or riken or rkieni, paucal rokniet, diminutive rkejna or rkajna)

rokon (plural)
rkejjen (plural)
rkien (plural)
riken (plural)
rkieni (plural)
rokniet (paucal)
rkejna (diminutive)
rkajna (diminutive)
rikna (alternative dialectal)

From Arabic رُكْن (rukn). Compare Moroccan Arabic ركنة (rukna).


fus

Probably from Sicilian fusu, from Latin fusus (“spindle”); but perhaps merged with Arabic فُؤُوس (fuʔūs), plural of فَأْس (faʔs, literally “axe”), which is used figuratively for different kinds of protrusions (or is it conceivable that this Arabic use is itself influenced by the Latin?). The plural in -ien at any rate speaks in favour of an early borrowing.


irregolarità

irregolarità f (plural irregolaritajiet)


patt

Borrowed from Sicilian pattu and/or Italian patto, from Latin pactum.


familja

familja f (construct state familt, plural familji)

familt (construct)
familji (plural)
familti (first-person singular)
familtna (first-person singular)
familtek (second-person singular)
familtkom (second-person singular)
familtu (masculine singular third-person)
familtha (feminine singular third-person)
familthom (singular third-person)

tal-familja

raġel tal-familja

ġie bis-Sagra Familja (pejorative)


kefen

kefen m (plural ikfna or kfejjen or kfien)

ikfna (plural)
kfejjen (plural)
kfien (plural)


federalist

federalist m (plural federalisti, feminine federalista)

federalisti (plural)
federalista (feminine)
federalista (alternative)


impossibilità

impossibilità f (plural impossibilitajiet)

impossibilitajiet (plural)
impossibiltà (alternative)
impossibbilità (alternative)
impossibbiltà (alternative)


karta

karta f (plural karti, paucal kartiet, diminutive krajta)

karti (plural)
kartiet (paucal)
krajta (diminutive)

Borrowed from Sicilian carta and/or Italian carta, both from Latin charta, from Ancient Greek χάρτης (khártēs). Doublet of qartas (“wrapping paper for groceries”).

doublet

(uncountable, countable) paper; piece of paper, sheet of paper


buffa

female equivalent of buffu: female clown


ross

rossa (singulative)
rossiet (paucal)
rożż (alternative obsolete)

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

etymon

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

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


sentenza

(law) sentence (judicial order for punishment)

(grammar) sentence (grammatically complete series of words consisting of a subject and predicate)


dragun

Borrowed from Sicilian draguni, from Latin dracō.


kitla

Borrowed from English kettle, from Proto-Germanic *katilaz. Borrowed in the 19th century when the Maltese were yet little acquainted with the English language, hence treated phonetically and morphologically like a native word.


rix

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,


bordi

Cyperus papyrus
Cyperus papyrus#Translingual


borderò

mt-noun

borderò m (plural borderos or borderojiet)

Borrowed from Italian borderò, from French bordereau.


priorità

prioritajiet (plural)
prjorità (alternative)


uniformi

uniform (distinctive outfit as a means of identifying members of a group)


tabella

table (grid of data in rows and columns)


stima

stimi (plural)
stejjem (plural)
istima (alternative)

Borrowed from Sicilian stima and/or Italian stima, ultimately derived from Latin aestimare.


volpi

volpi m (plural volpijiet, feminine volpi mara)

volpijiet (plural)
volpi mara (feminine)

Borrowed from Italian volpe. Doublet of gilpa.


residenti

residenti m or f by sense (plural residenti)


stabilità

Alternative form of stabbiltà: stability


produttività

produttività f (plural produttivitajiet)


poetessa

female equivalent of poet: poetess, female poet


rahan

irhna (plural)
rhun (plural)
rhuna (plural)

pledge, pawn, bail (money or item of value deposited as a security)

ransom (money paid in exchange for the release of a hostage)


federalista

federalista m or f by sense (plural federalisti)

Alternative form of federalist: federalist


universalità

universalità f (plural universalitajiet)


provvidenza

Alternative form of providenza: providence


tili

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.


kera

From Arabic كِراء (kirāʔ), feminised because of the final -a. Doublet of kiri.


noli

Probably from Italian no lì (literally “no, there”).


astun

Milvus milvus
Milvus milvus#Translingual


mili

verbal noun of mela
the act of filling, stuffing

verbal noun of mela
flow, the rising of the sea


qattus

mt-noun

qattus m (plural qtates, feminine qattusa, diminutive qtajtes)

qtates (plural)
qattusa (feminine)
qtajtes (diminutive)

Inherited from dialectal Maghrebi Arabic (compare Tunisian Arabic قَطُّوس (qaṭṭūs), Libyan Arabic قَطُّوس (gaṭṭūs)), from a Berber language, probably from Latin cattus (compare Maltese fellus, a Berber word from Latin pullus, though there are apparently Nubian words for cat that might also explain the -s in qattus).

Euphemistic form of qaddis: one's way of thinking


ilsien

post-consonantal and alternative basic form of lsien


ħaxix

ħaxixa (singulative)
ħxejjex (plural)
ħaxixiet (paucal)

inh

Arabic حَشِيش (ḥašīš)

Jista’ joħroġ ukoll il-fwieħa tal-ħaxix aħdar.

It can bring out the fragrance of green grass.

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.

Il-ġlata ta’ mal-lejl thedded b’mod partikolari il-kultivazzjoni tas-siġar tal-frott, tal-frott żgħir u l-ħaxix.

Night frost is a particular danger for fruit trees, berries and for vegetables.


ġemel

mt-noun

ġemel m (plural iġmla or ġmula, feminine ġemla)

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


mejda

mejda f (plural mwejjed or mejdiet, diminutive mwejda or (Gozo) mejdina)

mwejjed (plural)
mejdiet (plural)
mwejda (diminutive)
mejdina (diminutive)


papoċċa

papoċċi (plural)
papuċa (alternative)
papuċ (alternative)
papux (alternative)

Borrowed from Sicilian papoccia, from Ottoman Turkish پاپوش (papuş), from Persian پاپوش (pâ-puš).


qawsalla

qawsalla f (plural qawsalel or qawsalli)

Univerbation of qaws Alla, literally “bow of God”, from Arabic قَوْس الله (qaws allāh, “bow of God”), pious alteration of قَوْس قُزَح (qaws quzaḥ), which was named after a pre-Islamic deity, but continues to be the predominant form in Arabic.


torri

Borrowed from Sicilian turri and/or Italian torre, from Latin turris, from Ancient Greek τύρρις (túrrhis).


papra

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


baħri

mt-noun

baħri m (plural baħrin, feminine baħrija)

From Arabic بَحْرِيّ (baḥriyy). By surface analysis, baħar + -i.


deni

From Arabic دَنِيء (danīʔ, “bad, evil, contemptible” and “weak, unable to partake of food”).

inh

U mbagħad qalilhom: “Le, ħuti, tagħmlux id-deni.

c. 2015, Il-Bibbja : il-Kotba Mqaddsa, 5th edition, Valletta: Ghaqda Biblika Maltija, →OCLC, Il-Ktieb tal-Ġenesi 19:7:

New International Version translation: and said, “No, my friends. Don’t do this wicked thing.

U s-sultan ta’ Iżrael qal lil Ġosafat: “Ma għedtlikx jien, li mhux se jħabbarli r-riżq imma d-deni?”

c. 2015, Il-Bibbja : il-Kotba Mqaddsa, 5th edition, Valletta: Ghaqda Biblika Maltija, →OCLC, L-Ewwel Ktieb tas-Slaten 22:18:

New International Version translation: The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you that he never prophesies anything good about me, but only bad?”

Oqgħod attent li ma tonqosx li tagħmel dan. Għaliex għandu jibqa’ jikber id-deni, u jkun imżeblaħ is-sultan?”

c. 2015, Il-Bibbja : il-Kotba Mqaddsa, 5th edition, Valletta: Ghaqda Biblika Maltija, →OCLC, Il-Ktieb ta' Esdra 4:22:

New International Version translation: Be careful not to neglect this matter. Why let this threat grow, to the detriment of the royal interests?


fens

mt-noun

fens m (plural fensiet or fensijiet or fniesi)

fensiet (plural)
fensijiet (plural)
fniesi (plural)


farfett

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

cog

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

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

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

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


xagħar

xagħra (singulative)
xagħriet (paucal)
xagħri (first-person singular)
xagħarna (first-person singular)
xagħrek (second-person singular)
xagħarkom (second-person singular)
xagħru (masculine singular third-person)
xagħarha (feminine singular third-person)
xagħarhom (singular third-person)

Għandu xagħru iswed.

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:


żiemel

mt-noun

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

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

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

inh

laħam taż-żiemel ― horsemeat

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:


mnieħer

mt-noun

mnieħer m (plural (rare ad-hoc formations) mneħrijiet or mniħrijiet)

mneħrijiet (plural rare)
mniħrijiet (plural)
mnieħri (first-person singular)
mneħirna (first-person singular)
mniħirna (first-person singular)
mnieħrek (second-person singular)
mneħirkom (second-person singular)
mniħirkom (second-person singular)
mnieħru (masculine singular third-person)
mneħirha (feminine singular third-person)
mniħirha (feminine singular third-person)
mneħirhom (singular third-person)
mniħirhom (singular third-person)
imnieħer (alternative also)

From Arabic مَناخِير (manāḵīr), plural of مِنْخار (minḵār, “nostril”), whence Maltese minħar. Arabic dialects have widely lost the word أَنْف (ʔanf, “nose”) and replaced it with this word (either the plural as in Maltese, or the singular).


daqna

beard as an object of shaving; facial hair; stubbles


qaqoċċ

qaqoċċa (singulative)
qaqoċċiet (paucal)

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

der

Arabic خَرْشُوف (ḵaršūf)


ktieb

“Jgħidilhom dwar Doris?!” sploda s-Surmast. “Niftaħlu rasu ktieb! Dan mnejn safejn ixandar l-affarijiet privati tiegħi?! Intom għidtuli li se jitkellem biss dwar il-kotba tiegħu!”


mazza

Borrowed from Italian mazza and/or Sicilian mazza, from Vulgar Latin *mattea.


tieni

inh

Arabic ثَانِي (ṯānī)


fenek

mt-noun

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

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

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

laħam tal-fenek

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

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

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


liebru

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

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


ors

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


tribù

Borrowed from Italian tribù, from Latin tribus.


stalla

From older Sicilian *stalla (now stadda) and/or Italian stalla, both ultimately from Proto-Germanic *stallaz.

stable, sty, barn (building where animals are kept)


dipendenza

Alternative form of dependenza: dependence


Afgan

mt-noun

Afgan m (plural Afgani, feminine Afgana)


mezz

Borrowed from Italian mezzo, from Latin medius.


fidi

Borrowed from Sicilian fidi, from Latin fidem.


fidi

verbal noun of feda: the act of redeeming, delivering


lampun

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


fratellanza

brotherhood (an association of any purpose, a fraternity)


tanbur

tanbur m (plural tnabar, diminutive tnajbar)

tnabar (plural)
tnajbar (diminutive)
tambur (alternative)


mannara

From Sicilian mannara (“axe, large knife”), from Latin manuārius. Compare Italian mannaia.

Nara wiċċek, ninsa d-dinja. Isbaħ minnek ma rajt qatt.
 Nagħmel rasi taħt mannara, jekk narak f’idejn xi ħadd.

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

When I see your face, I forget the world. I’ve never seen anything more beautiful than you.
 I’d put my head under an axe if I should see you in someone else’s arms.


kannella

From Italian cannella or a Sicilian equivalent.


tapit

Borrowed from Sicilian tappitu and/or Italian tappeto.


ljunfant

ljunfanti (plural)
elefant (alternative)
lvunfant (alternative)
iljunfant (alternative)

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


Diċembru

Borrowed from Italian dicembre, with the -u being taken from Sicilian


Jannar

From Maghrebi Arabic يَنَّار (yannār), ultimately from Latin Iānuārius.


Frar

From Maghrebi Arabic فُرَار (furār), ultimately from Latin Februārius.


Ġunju

Borrowed from Sicilian giugnu, from Latin iūnius.


Settembru

Borrowed from Italian settembre, with the final -u being taken from Sicilian (see forms sittèmmiru, sittembru, sittèmmuru).


Ottubru

Borrowed from Italian Ottobre, with the final -u being taken from Sicilian (see uttùviru).


Novembru

Borrowed from Italian novembre, with the -u being taken from Sicilian (see forms nuvèmmiru, novembru, nuvèmmuru).


Tnejn

inh

الْاِثْنَيْن


Tlieta

From Arabic الثُّلَاثَاء (aṯ-ṯulāṯāʔ).

الثُّلَاثَاء

Arabic الثُّلَاثَاء (aṯ-ṯulāṯāʔ)


Erbgħa

From Arabic الْأَرْبَعَاء (al-ʔarbaʕāʔ).

الْأَرْبَعَاء

Arabic الْأَرْبَعَاء (al-ʔarbaʕāʔ)


Sibt

Saturday, the cessation or last day of the week.


ħarifa

ħrejjef (plural)
ħrajjef (plural)
ħarif (alternative obsolete)

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:


rebbiegħa

Il-Għanja tiegħi tazza
mimlija min-nixxiegħa
tal-ferħ li ssaqqi u tkabbar
il-ħlejjaq fir-rebbiegħa.


nixxiegħa

/nɪʃˈʃɪː.ja/

/nɪʃˈʃɪː.aˤ/

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


numru

numeral (word or symbol representing a number)


dalwaqt

From Arabic ذَا الْوَقْت (ḏā al-waqt, “this time”). Compare Egyptian Arabic دِلْوَقْتِ (dilwa't).

ذَا الْوَقْت

second (short, indeterminate amount of time)


seklu

Tweġibiet għal dawn il-mistoqsijiet imorru lura għal madwar seklu u nofs (jew aktar) qabel ma seħħew dawn il-ħruxijiet.

2022, Alfred Massa, Il-Ħarba, Horizons, →ISBN, page 5:


dundjan

mt-noun

dundjan m (plural dundjani, feminine dundjana)

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

laħam tad-dundjan


Albaniż

Albaniż m (plural Albaniżi, feminine Albaniża)

Albanian (native or inhabitant of Albania) (usually male)


ċentinarju

ċentinarju m (plural ċentinarji, feminine ċentinarja)

ċentinarji (plural)
ċentinarja (feminine)

Ultimately from Latin centēnārius (“containing hundred”), from centum (“hundred”). Doublet of qantar.


ventura

Borrowed from Italian ventura. Doublet of vintura, from Sicilian.

Alternative form: vintura (obsolete)


reġina

From Italian regina and/or Sicilian rigina, riggina, both from Latin rēgīna. If originally borrowed from Sicilian, the form would have been later influenced by either the masculine re (“king”) or the Italian form.


ġurdien

mt-noun

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

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

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


żmien

żminijiet (plural)
iżmna (plural)
żmieni (first-person singular)
żmienna (first-person singular)
żmienek (second-person singular)
żmienkom (second-person singular)
żmienu (masculine singular third-person)
żmienha (feminine singular third-person)
żmienhom (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:

period, age (particular period of time in history)


ġenerazzjoni

ġenerazzjoni f (plural ġenerazzjonijiet)


Daniż

Daniż m (plural Daniżi, feminine Daniża)

Dane (native or inhabitant of Denmark) (usually male)


Ċeka

female equivalent of Ċek: female Czech (person)


għasfur

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

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

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

inh

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

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

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

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


serduq

mt-noun

serduq m (plural sriedaq or sriedeq, diminutive srejdeq)

sriedaq (plural)
sriedeq (plural)
srejdeq (diminutive)
serduk (alternative)

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


żobb

żobb m (plural żbub, diminutive żbajjeb)

Żobbi kbir ħafna.

Bini kull fejn tħares f’daż-żobb ta’ pajjiż!

Wherever you look there's construction in this fucking country!


arja

Borrowed from Sicilian ària, metathesis of an earlier àira, from Latin āēr, from Ancient Greek ᾱ̓ήρ (āḗr). Doublet of ajru


oħt

oħt f (plural aħwa or ħut, masculine ħu)

aħwa (plural)
ħut (plural)
ħu (masculine)
oħti (first-person singular)
oħtna (first-person singular)
oħtok (second-person singular)
oħtkom (second-person singular)
oħtu (masculine singular third-person)
oħtha (feminine singular third-person)
oħthom (singular third-person)

oħtok

oħt missieru


soru

soru f (plural sorijiet, masculine patri)

Borrowed from Sicilian soru, from Latin soror. Cognate with English sister.

(Christianity) a nun, sister (in this sense)


fjura

singulative of fjur
a flower (kind of plant)

a flower, blossom (reproductive structure on plants)


warda

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


Għarbi

Għarbi m (plural Għarab, feminine Għarbija)

From Arabic عَرَبِيّ (ʕarabiyy). One of the few words referring to Arabo-Islamic culture that was actually inherited (and not later reborrowed from Italian). Might also be used to refer to the early forms of Maltese language either by its speakers or foreigners who visited Muslim and later re-Christianized Malta.


għerf

Derived from għaraf, from Arabic عَرَفَ (ʕarafa, “to know”).


ċomb

Borrowed from Sicilian chiummu, chiumbu (“lead”).


ħadid

ħadida (singulative)
ħdejjed (plural)
ħadidiet (paucal)


bies

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

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

Falco peregrinus
Falco peregrinus#Translingual

Falco subbuteo
Falco subbuteo#Translingual


żaqq

żaqq f (plural żquq, diminutive żqajqa or żaqquqa)

żquq (plural)
żqajqa (diminutive)
żaqquqa (diminutive)

From Arabic زِقّ (ziqq, “skin bag for liquids, waterskin”), from Classical Syriac ܙܩܐ (zeqqā, “idem”), which might be a variant of ܣܩܐ (saqqā, “sack, bag”). The last is cognate with Ancient Greek σάκκος (sákkos, “sack, bag, sackcloth”), whence also English sack and Maltese saqqu (“mattress”).


tornavit

tornaviti (plural)
turnavit (alternative)


pajjiż

mt-noun

pajjiż m (plural pajjiżi or (rare) pajjiżijiet)

pajjiżi (plural)
pajjiżijiet (plural rare)
pajjiżi (first-person singular)
pajjiżna (first-person singular)
pajjiżek (second-person singular)
pajjiżkom (second-person singular)
pajjiżu (masculine singular third-person)
pajjiżha (feminine singular third-person)
pajjiżhom (singular third-person)

Borrowed from Sicilian pajisi, from Late Latin pāgēnsis.

Pajjiżna.


ajruplan

ajruplani (plural)
arjuplan (alternative)

airplane, aircraft (machine capable of atmospheric flight)


fotografu

fotografu m (plural fotografi, feminine fotografa)


żerniq

sunrise, dawn; daybreak (morning twilight period immediately before sunrise)


palladju

(chemistry) palladium (chemical element)


difer

difer m (dual difrejn, plural difrejn or dwiefer)

difrejn (dual)
difrejn (plural)
dwiefer (plural)
difri (first-person singular)
difirna (first-person singular)
difrek (second-person singular)
difirkom (second-person singular)
difru (masculine singular third-person)
difirha (feminine singular third-person)
difirhom (singular third-person)

From Arabic ظُفْر (ẓufr). The unexpected imala may be connected to an irregular development in some roots with final /r/, compare deher and sider.


musmar

From Arabic مِسْمَار (mismār). Compare Moroccan Arabic مسمار (musmār).

(masonry) header (brick that is laid sideways)


furnar

furnar m (plural furnara, feminine furnara)

Borrowed from Sicilian furnaru, from Latin furnārius.


kimiku

kimiku m (plural kimiċi, feminine kimika)


Awwissu

Borrowed from Sicilian agustu.
Cognate with Tunisian Arabic أوسو (ʔawissu)

Awissu (alternative)
Ewissu (alternative dialectal)


sardin

sardina (singulative)
sardiniet (paucal)


kelma

kelma f (dual kelmtejn, plural kliem, paucal kelmiet)

kelmtejn (dual)
kliem (plural)
kelmiet (paucal)
kelmti (first-person singular)
kelmtna (first-person singular)
kelmtek (second-person singular)
kelmtkom (second-person singular)
kelmtu (masculine singular third-person)
kelmtha (feminine singular third-person)
kelmthom (singular third-person)

Il-qanpiena ħarġet tħabbar
mill-kampnar: Sar ħin it-talb;
ejjew nies, il-kelma t’Alla
sa niżirgħu, ħejju l-qalb!”

1966, Anton Buttigieg, “Il-Qanpiena”, in Ejjew Nidħku Ftit Ieħor:

Is-sema bagħatlu sabi u s-sultan żamm kelmtu!

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


komunist

komunist m (plural komunisti, feminine komunista)

komunisti (plural)
komunista (feminine)
komunista (alternative)


ajkla

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


Pollakk

Pollakk m (plural Pollakki, feminine Pollakka)

Pollakki (plural)
Pollakka (feminine)
Polakk (alternative)
Poloniż (alternative)


Pollakk

Il-Pollakk (canonical masculine)
Polakk (alternative)
Poloniż (alternative)


gvern

Borrowed from Sicilian guvernu and/or Italian governo, both from Latin gubernum.


Spanjol

Spanjol m (plural Spanjoli, feminine Spanjola)

Borrowed from Sicilian spagnolu and/or Italian spagnolo.

Spaniard (native or inhabitant of Spain) (usually male)


Portugiż

Portugiż m (plural Portugiżi, feminine Portugiża)


Portugiża

female equivalent of Portugiż: female Portuguese (person)


Grieg

Grieg m (plural Griegi, feminine Griega)

Dan minħabba l-interess li dejjem wera għat-tagħlim ferm qabel il-Griegi u r-Rumani.


lejla

night (evening or night spent at a particular activity)


Finlandiż

Finlandiż m (plural Finlandiżi, feminine Finlandiża)

Finlandiżi (plural)
Finlandiża (feminine)


bajda

bajd (collective)
badtejn (dual)
bajdiet (paucal)


Taljan

Taljan m (plural Taljani, feminine Taljana)

Italian (native or inhabitant of Italy) (usually male)


Taljana

Taljana f (plural Taljani, masculine Taljan)

female Italian (female native or inhabitant of Italy)


siġra

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

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

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

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

Irrigation is permitted during the tree's growing period.

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.


lvant

Borrowed from Sicilian livanti, from Latin levans.

ilvant (alternative also)
vant (alternative rare variant)


punent

Borrowed from Sicilian punenti, from Latin ponens.


lemin

From Arabic يَمِين (yamīn) with assimilation /lj/ → /ll/ in the definite form الْيَمِين (al-yamīn), as also in llum and Lhudi.


missier

missier m (plural missirijiet or misserijiet, feminine omm)

missirijiet (plural)
misserijiet (plural)
omm (feminine)
missieri (first-person singular)
missierna (first-person singular)
missierek (second-person singular)
missierkom (second-person singular)
missieru (masculine singular third-person)
missierha (feminine singular third-person)
missierhom (singular third-person)

From older Sicilian misseri, from Old Occitan meser. Cognate with French monsieur, obsolete Italian messere. Displaced native Maltese bu.

Ejja nisqu l-inbid lil missierna u norqdu miegħu, u nżommu n-nisel ħaj minn missierna.

c. 2015, Il-Bibbja : il-Kotba Mqaddsa, 5th edition, Valletta: Ghaqda Biblika Maltija, →OCLC, Il-Ktieb tal-Ġenesi 19:32:

New International Version translation: Let’s get our father to drink wine and then sleep with him and preserve our family line through our father.”

Dawn id-drawwiet writniehom mingħand missirijietna.

We have inherited these customs from our forefathers.

(chiefly in the plural) forefather, ancestor


tifla

tifla f (plural bniet, masculine tifel, diminutive tfajla)

bniet (plural)
tifel (masculine)
tfajla (diminutive)

From Arabic طِفْلة (ṭifla, “little girl”), feminine of طِفْل (ṭifl). Equivalent to tifel + -a.
The plural bniet is from Arabic بَنات (banāt), thus originally plural of bint (“daughter”), but now not commonly used anymore to mean “female offspring” specifically, for which ulied bniet (literally “children girls”).


naħla

singulative of naħal: a bee (single insect)


rassa

From the Arabic root ر ص ص (r ṣ ṣ), which is related to “being compact, close together”.

ar-root

ر ص ص (r ṣ ṣ)


tulipan

ġiżimin, ġiżi, dalji u tulipan !
X’għaxqa ta’ lwien imżewqa, sbieħ, safjin !
ifuħu kollha : iżda mhux bħal xuxlin !!

1936, R. M. B., “Għal kull ma ħlaqtilna iċ-ċaħda trid minn’na”, in Lehen il-Malti, numbers 61-62, lines 10–12:


favella

Probably borrowed from Italian favarella.

Lathyrus sativus
Lathyrus sativus#Translingual


minorenni

mt-noun

minorenni m or f by sense (plural minorenni)

minorenni (plural)
minurenni (alternative)


amarena

Prunus cerasus
Prunus cerasus#Translingual


mewt

mewta (singulative)
mwiet (plural)
mewtiet (paucal)

From Arabic مَوْت (mawt). The plural mwiet is originally that of the adjective mejjet (“dead”). It is still used as such in the set phrase qam minn bejn l-imwiet (“to rise from the dead”). The feminine gender probably through influence by Sicilian morti, Italian morte, both from Latin mors f; perhaps reinforced by analogy with the antonym ħajja (“life”).


komunista

komunista m or f by sense (plural komunisti)

komunisti (plural)
komunist (alternative)


marżebb

marżebba (singulative)
mrieżeb (plural)
marżebbiet (paucal)


żrinġ

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

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

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

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

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

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


widna

widna f (dual widintejn, plural widnejn)

widintejn (dual)
widnejn (plural)
widinti (first-person singular)
widnitna (first-person singular)
widintek (second-person singular)
widnitkom (second-person singular)
widintu (masculine singular third-person)
widnitha (feminine singular third-person)
widnithom (singular third-person)


ġebla

singulative of ġebel: a stone, a single lump of stony material


għadira

għadira f (plural għadajjar, diminutive għadajra)

għadajjar (plural)
għadajra (diminutive)
għadir (alternative obsolete)

From Arabic غَدِير (ḡadīr, “brook, pond, puddle”).

inh

Kelli buz wellington twil sa rkobbtejja li bih stajt ngħaddi nċaflas mill-għadajjar u għalkemm subgħajja ta’ saqajja kont inħosshom jiffriżaw bil-mod il-mod, […]


antagonista

mt-noun

antagonista m or f by sense (plural antagonisti)


kwota

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:


demm

demm m (plural dmija or dmum or dmiem or dmijiet)

dmija (plural)
dmum (plural)
dmiem (plural)
dmijiet (plural)

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:


lumin

(historical units of measurement) a unit of dry volume that is officially 1.849 imperial cubic inches (30.31 mL).


siringa

Borrowed from Italian siringa, from Latin syrinx, from Ancient Greek σῦριγξ (sûrinx).


trombetta

trombetti (plural)
trumbetta (alternative)

longspine snipefish (Macroramphosus scolopax)


blinka

Borrowed from Australian English blinker.


terapista

mt-noun

terapista m or f by sense (plural terapisti)


umanista

female equivalent of umanist: female humanist


umanista

umanista m or f by sense (plural umanisti)


astinenza

astinenzi (plural)
astenenza (alternative)


tuffieħa

tuffiħat (paucal)
tuffiħiet (paucal)
toffieħa (alternative)


muntanja

Borrowed from Sicilian muntagna, from Early Medieval Latin montānia, a collective based on Latin montem.


pingwin

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


linka

Borrowed from Sicilian inga /inca with fused definite article, from Old French enque /enca, from Late Latin encaustum, from Ancient Greek ἔγκαυστον (énkauston).


għajn

għajnejn (plural)
għajni (first-person singular)
għajnna (first-person singular)
għajnek (second-person singular)
għajnkom (second-person singular)
għajnu (masculine singular third-person)
għajnha (feminine singular third-person)
għajnhom (singular third-person)

”Taħseb li r-Russi m’humiex b’seba’ għajnejn biex jaraw min qed jidħol fl-Ammbaxxati tal-Punent? Jien għandi ħsieb ieħor”, qalilna Alexander.

2018 [1977], Alfred Massa, L-Istar tal-Imgħoddi, 2nd edition, Horizons, page 80:

Bosta jemnu bil għain, u forsi nemmen biha jen ucoll; għax bosta circostanzi għaddeu min għalìa, li ma staitx ma nemminx illi jinsabu certi bnedmin li b’ħarsitom igħainu dac l’icun tant għogiobom.

1865, P. P. Castagna, Malta bil ghzejer tahha u li ghadda min ghaliha: It-tieni parti, page 61:

Many believe in the evil eye, and maybe I believe in it too; because many circumstances have happened to me, such that I have been unable not to believe that there are certain people who with their glance curse that which has appealed to them so much.


għajn

għajn f (plural għejun, diminutive għawejna)


għajn

The name of the Latin-script letter Għ/għ.


raħal

raħal m (plural rħula, diminutive rħajjel)

From Arabic رَحْل (raḥl, “dwelling, campground”).


pulizija

puliziji (plural)
puluzija (alternative)

Borrowed from Sicilian pulizzìa and/or Italian polizia.

Il-Kummissarju tal-Pulizija

pulizija ġudizzjarja

pulizija tat-trafiku ― traffic police

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


ċentru

center (place where a function or activity occurs)


flokk

flokk taċ-ċingi

flokk ta’ taħt

flokk bla kmiem

flokk bil-kmiem


avukat

lawyer (professional person authorized to practice law)


avukat

avukata (singulative)
avukati (plural)
avokado (alternative)


wiżgħa

singulative of wiżagħ: a lizard (in practice especially a gecko or lacertid)


attendent

mt-noun

attendent m or f by sense (plural attendenti)


mimmi

Of onomatopoeic origin; possibly from dialectal Arabic. Compare dialectal Arabic مُمُّو (mummū, “pupil (of an eye)”), مُومُو (mūmū), مِمِّي (mimmī).

cog

(anatomy) pupil (the hole in the middle of the iris of the eye)


parant

Unknown. Compare Italian paratia /paratio.

stile (vertical component of a panel or frame)


ġobon

ġobna (singulative)
ġbintejn (dual)
ġobnijiet (plural)
ġban (plural)
ġbon (plural)
ġbien (plural)
ġbun (plural)
ġbejjen (plural)
ġobniet (paucal)

Tħobbu l-ġobon?


malka

mt-noun

malka f (plural mluk, masculine malek, diminutive mlejka)

mluk (plural)
malek (masculine)
mlejka (diminutive)

female equivalent of malek; a queen; a female monarch or ruler, or the wife of a male one


naturalizza

Alternative form of naturalezza: naturalness


sejf

sejf m (plural sjuf or swejjef or sejfijiet, diminutive swejjef)

sjuf (plural)
swejjef (plural)
sejfijiet (plural)
swejjef (diminutive)


kewkba

kewkba f (plural kwiekeb, paucal kewkbiet)


iben

iben m (construct state iben or bin, plural ulied)

iben (construct)
bin (construct)
ulied (plural)
ibni (first-person singular)
binna (first-person singular)
ibnek (second-person singular)
binkom (second-person singular)
ibnu (masculine singular third-person)
binha (feminine singular third-person)
binhom (singular third-person)


isem

L-akkużati għamlu użu minn ismijiet foloz.


antropologa

antropologa f (plural antropoloġi, masculine antropologu)

antropoloġi (plural)
antropologu (masculine)

female equivalent of antropologu: female anthropologist


infern

Borrowed from Sicilian nfernu and/or Italian inferno, both from Latin infernus.


deru

An irregular reflex from Arabic ضَرْو (ḍarw) (the expected one would be *daru).

Pistacia lentiscus
Pistacia lentiscus#Translingual

lentisk, mastic shrub (Pistacia lentiscus)


determinista

determinista m or f by sense (plural deterministi)


xemx

From Arabic شَمْس (šams). Compare Moroccan Arabic شمش (šamš).

Ix-xemx hija stilla.


sinna

sinna f (plural snien, paucal sinniet, diminutive snejna or (baby talk) sinnuna)

snien (plural)
sinniet (paucal)
snejna (diminutive)
sinnuna (baby-talk diminutive)

From Arabic سِنّ (sinn). The Arabic noun is feminine and was formally feminised in Maltese by adding -a; compare the same in widna (“ear”). Compare Moroccan Arabic سنة (sanna).

sinna tewm


gaffa

Borrowed from Sicilian gaffa. Sense 3 is from Italian gaffa.

(figuratively) someone who always has the best cards

(figuratively) glutton (one who eats voraciously)


oċean

oċeani (plural)
oċjan (alternative)
oċeanu (alternative)

/ɔˈt͡ʃɛː.an/

oceans: oċean: l-Oċean Antartiku · l-Oċean Artiku · l-Oċean Atlantiku · l-Oċean Indjan · l-Oċean Paċifiku [edit]


għoxx

għoxx m (plural għoxux or għoxxijiet, diminutive għexejjex)

għoxux (plural)
għoxxijiet (plural)
għexejjex (diminutive)

Alternative form: għexx (dialectal)


għoxx

Without doubt influenced by etymology 1 through evident analogies of both appearance and function, but originally perhaps from Arabic عُسّ (ʕuss), meaning “genitals” (especially male, but also female) as well as “large cup” (if this is the same word). Compare the obsolete Maltese variant għoss (“buttocks, anus”).

Żobbu daħal f’għoxxi.

Qisek għoxx, dejjem toqgħod sieket quddiem l-inġustizzji.

You’re such a coward, always staying silent in the face of injustices.


insolvibilità

insolvibilità f (plural insolvibilitajiet)


benna

From Arabic بَنَّة (banna). Compare Moroccan Arabic بنة (banna) and Libyan Arabic بنة (banna).


nemes

nemes m (plural inmsa or nemsijiet, feminine nemsa)

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

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


sahra

From Arabic سَهْرَة (sahra, “instance of waking the night”).

inh

(religion) vigil (private or communal act of devotion at nighttime)

Fir-raba’ sahra tal-lejl mar lejn in-naħa tagħhom miexi fuq il-baħar.

c. 2015, Il-Bibbja : il-Kotba Mqaddsa, 5th edition, Valletta: Ghaqda Biblika Maltija, →OCLC, San Mattew 14:25:

New International Version translation: Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake.

(historical, biblical) watch; watch of the night (one of four divisions of the night in Antiquity)


żebbuġ

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

From Arabic زَنْبُوج (zanbūj), زَبُّوج (zabbūj), eventually probably from Berber. Compare Moroccan Arabic زبوج (zabbūj, “(wild) olive tree”), Tunisian Arabic زبوز (zabbūz, “(wild) olive tree”).


brillantina

Alternative form of brillantin: brilliantine


tastatur

tastaturi (plural)
testatur (alternative)


simbolista

mt-noun

simbolista m or f by sense (plural simbolisti)


tomna

tmien (plural)
tomniet (paucal)
tumolo (alternative bureaucratese)

(historical units of measurement) a unit of dry volume, equivalent to 10 siegħ, that is officially 0.6422 imperial cubic feet (18.18 L).

(historical units of measurement) a unit of surface area, equivalent to 6 siegħ, that is officially 1,344 imperial square yards (1,124 m2).


paletta

Platalea leucorodia
Platalea leucorodia#Translingual

Eurasian spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia)


wirk

wirk m (dual wirkejn, plural uriek, diminutive wrejjek)

wirkejn (dual)
uriek (plural)
wrejjek (diminutive)
wirki (first-person singular)
wirkna (first-person singular)
wirkek (second-person singular)
wirkkom (second-person singular)
wirku (masculine singular third-person)
wirkha (feminine singular third-person)
wirkhom (singular third-person)


sodomita

sodomita m or f by sense (plural sodomiti)


indiċi

/ɪnˈdiːt͡ʃɪ/


bambin

From Italian bambino (“child, baby”). Compare Italian Bambino Gesù (also Bambin Gesù).

Sena wara l-oħra jasal il-Milied. / Il-Bambin jitwieled, l-ogħla fost l-ulied.

2021, “Doqqu, qniepen, doqqu”performed by Family Affair:

Year after year, Christmas time comes. / The Holy Child is born, the highest among children.

u qalb il-pal tal-bajtar
il-flieles żgħar minn bejn ir-rix tal-qroqqa
joħorġu jnaqqru l-brajma tal-ġulġliena;
u ġol-benniena
fid-dar ta’ ħdejn il-lewża
fil-ħeġġa tal-ħommejr
jitwieled bambin żgħir

1949, Anton Buttigieg, “Żmien ir-Rebbiegħa”, in Fanali bil-Lejl:

baby, toddler; almost exclusively used referring to Baby Jesus and therefore often capitalized as il-Bambin (Ġesù)


passat

Borrowed from Sicilian passatu and/or Italian passato.


tul

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:


damma

Borrowed from Sicilian dama and/or Italian dama.

die (polyhedron used in games of chance)


qamar

qamar m (plural qmura or oqmra or qomra, diminutive qmajjar)

qmura (plural)
oqmra (plural)
qomra (plural)
qmajjar (diminutive)

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

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


ardu

Alternative form of lardu: lard (fat from the abdomen of a pig)


Malti

Malti m (plural Maltin, feminine Maltija)

From Arabic مالْطِيّ (mālṭiyy). By surface analysis, Malta + -i.

Maltese (native or inhabitant of Malta) (usually male)


galletta

galletta f (plural galletti or (rare) glielet)

galletti (plural)
glielet (plural rare)
galetta (alternative)


patri

patri m (plural patrijiet, feminine soru)

Borrowed from Sicilian patri, from Latin pater.


bettieħa

bettiħat (paucal)
bettiħiet (paucal)
bettiħa (alternative)

inh

Arabic بِطِّيخَة (biṭṭīḵa)

singulative of bettieħ: a melon (single fruit)


lingwa

Borrowed from Sicilian lingua and/or Italian lingua, both from Latin lingua.


sabi

Is-sema bagħatlu sabi u s-sultan żamm kelmtu!


sansar

mt-noun

sansar m (plural sansara or snasar, feminine sansara)

sansara (plural)
snasar (plural)
sansara (feminine)


idroġenu

Borrowed from Italian idrogeno, from French hydrogène.


ażotu

Borrowed from Italian azoto, influenced by English azote.

(chemistry) Synonym of nitroġenu: nitrogen


bieb

bieb m (dual bibejn, plural bibien or bwieb, diminutive bwejjeb or bwejba)

bibejn (dual)
bibien (plural)
bwieb (plural)
bwejjeb (diminutive)
bwejba (diminutive)
biebi (first-person singular)
biebna (first-person singular)
biebek (second-person singular)
biebkom (second-person singular)
biebu (masculine singular third-person)
biebha (feminine singular third-person)
biebhom (singular third-person)


gambetta

Borrowed from Italian gambetto. Doublet of gambit.

ta gambetta lil […]

ta gambetta

Tani gambetta u waqqani mal-art.

Alternative form: gambit


naturalista

naturalista m or f by sense (plural naturalisti)


ċpar

Uncertain. Possibly related to Egyptian Arabic شبورة (šabbūra), also شابورة (šābūra, “mist”). Since sonorants are often used to extend roots, the final r need not be original. In that case, it may pertain to Arabic شُؤْبُوب (šuʔbūb, “shower of hail or rain, vehemence of heat”, and in one old source “thin rain cloud”), itself perhaps related with شَوْب (šawb, “state of being mixed, turbid, dim”, in modern dialects also “hot wind, heat”). Joseph Aquilina instead suggested a Romance etymology from a derivative of Sicilian ghioviri, chioviri, chiuppiri (“to rain”), from Latin pluere. In the end both theories passably explain the consonantism, but the vocalic form remains very unclear.


xewa

Alternative form: xiwa


fehma

Singulative derivation from Arabic فَهْم (fahm, “understanding”). Verbal noun of fehem (“to understand”).


plakka

plakka tettonika


solvibilità

Borrowed from Italian solvibilità. By surface analysis, solva + -abilità.


keff

mt-noun

keff m (plural kfief or kfuf or keffejn)

kfief (plural)
kfuf (plural)
keffejn (plural)

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


keff

keff m (plural kfief or kefef or keffejn)

kfief (plural)
kefef (plural)
keffejn (plural)
keffa (alternative)


frak

From the Arabic root ف ر ك (f r k). Perhaps originally from a plural *أَفْراك (*ʔafrāk).

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:

frak ġobon


paġna

Borrowed from Italian pagina and/or Sicilian pàgina (variant of pàggina), both from Latin pāgina.


griż

Ultimately from Vulgar Latin *grīsus, from Proto-Germanic *grīsaz (“grey”)


rispettabilità

Borrowed from Italian rispettabilità. By surface analysis, rrispetta + -abilità.


velu

Borrowed from Sicilian velu and/or Italian velo, from Latin velum.


mandra

mt-noun

mandra f (plural mnadar, paucal mandriet, diminutive mnajdra)

mnadar (plural)
mandriet (paucal)
mnajdra (diminutive)

Borrowed from Italian mandra, variant of mandria, from Latin mandra, from Ancient Greek μάνδρα (mándra).

an outdoors pen, traditionally in the courtyard of a farmhouse, used mostly for small livestock such as chickens, goats, etc.

a plot of ground at the back of a farmhouse

Alternative form: mandar


kubu

kubijiet (plural)
kubiet (plural)
kub (alternative)


sinonimu

Borrowed from Italian sinonimo, from Latin synonymum, from Ancient Greek συνώνυμον (sunṓnumon).


safa

From Arabic صَفاء (ṣafāʔ), feminised because of the final -a.


kokk

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


ġiżirana

ġiżirana f (plural ġiżirani or ġiżirajjen)


qalb

qlub (plural)
qalbi (first-person singular)
qalbna (first-person singular)
qalbek (second-person singular)
qalbkom (second-person singular)
qalbu (masculine singular third-person)
qalbha (feminine singular third-person)
qalbhom (singular third-person)

From Arabic قَلْب (qalb). The feminine gender in Maltese is unusual since the Arabic etymon is masculine, its form is that of a masculine, and even the Romance equivalents (Sicilian cori, Italian cuore) are masculine. One might suspect influence by the semantically related ras (“head”) and ruħ (“soul”), which are feminine; but this is mere conjecture.

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:

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:

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:


ekonomista

ekonomista m or f by sense (plural ekonomisti)


xmara

xmara f (plural xmajjar, diminutive xmajra)

Borrowed from Sicilian ciumara /sciumara (“river”), now limited to Calabria, ultimately from Latin flūmen.

ref

Behnstedt, Peter, Woidich, Manfred (2010) Wortatlas der arabischen Dialekte – Band I: Mensch, Natur, Fauna und Flora (Handbook of Oriental Studies – Handbuch der Orientalistik; 100) (in German), Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill, →DOI, →ISBN, page 424

AIS: Sprach- und Sachatlas Italiens und der Südschweiz [Linguistic and Ethnographic Atlas of Italy and Southern Switzerland] – map 429: “il fiume” – on navigais-web.pd.istc.cnr.it


mixta

winter residence, or any place where one passes the winter


baħar

mt-noun

baħar m (plural ibħra or bħur or bħura or bħar, diminutive bħajjar or bħajjer)

ibħra (plural)
bħur (plural)
bħura (plural)
bħar (plural)
bħajjar (diminutive)
bħajjer (diminutive)
baħri (first-person singular)
baħarna (first-person singular)
baħrek (second-person singular)
baħarkom (second-person singular)
baħru (masculine singular third-person)
baħarha (feminine singular third-person)
baħarhom (singular third-person)


babun

babun m (plural babuni, feminine babuna)

babuni (plural)
babuna (feminine)
babwin (alternative)

Borrowed from English baboon. Doublet of babwin.


etimologa

etimologa f (plural etimoloġi, masculine etimologu)

etimoloġi (plural)
etimologu (masculine)

female equivalent of etimologu: female etymologist


boton

boton m (plural btien or btan, diminutive btajjan or btajjen)

btien (plural)
btan (plural)
btajjan (diminutive)
btajjen (diminutive)

crop, harvest (produce of each period of sowing/blooming)


lapes

lapsijiet (plural)
lapis (alternative)
apis (alternative)

Borrowed from Sicilian lapis and/or Italian lapis, from Latin lapis.

lapes ta’ Franza


atomista

atomista m or f by sense (plural atomisti)


għajnuna

Derived from għen, itself from Arabic أَعانَ (ʔaʕāna). Compare Arabic مَعُونة (maʕūna). For the form compare also دَيْنُونة (daynūna) and suchlike.


artal

Borrowed from Sicilian artaru, from Latin altare.


fardal

fardal m (plural fradal, diminutive fardala or frajdel or frajdal)

fradal (plural)
fardala (diminutive)
frajdel (diminutive)
frajdal (diminutive)
fardar (alternative obsolete)

Borrowed from Sicilian fardali, from Catalan faldar, extended form of falda (“skirt”), eventually derived from Proto-Germanic *falþaną (“to fold”).


vjal

Borrowed from Italian viale and/or Sicilian viali.


attur

attur m (plural atturi, feminine attriċi)


attriċi

female equivalent of attur: actress, female actor


annimal

annimal m (plural annimali, feminine annimala)

laħam frisk prodott minn annimali vaċinati

fresh meat produced from vaccinated animals


tarbija

From Arabic تَرْبِية (tarbiya, literally “upbringing, rearing”), which is also used in the sense “foster child” by transfer from the action to its object. Compare Moroccan Arabic تربية (tarbya, “baby”).


għasfura

mt-noun

għasfura f (plural għasafar, diminutive għasajfra)

għasafar (plural)
għasajfra (diminutive)


naħal

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


blokka

blokok (plural)
blokki (plural)
bloks (alternative)

Borrowed from English block. Doublet of blokk.

blokka trab


kaptan

kaptan m (plural kaptani, feminine kaptana)


kaptana

female equivalent of kaptan: female captain


siġġu

Borrowed from Sicilian seggia and/or Italian seggio, eventually derived from Latin sedere (“to sit”).

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

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


spiżjar

spiżjar m (plural spiżjari, feminine spiżjara)

spiżjari (plural)
spiżjara (feminine)
spiżżjar (alternative)


spiżjara

female equivalent of spiżjar: female pharmacist/chemist


ċirku

ċirku m (plural ċrieki or ċirkijiet, diminutive ċrejjek)

ċrieki (plural)
ċirkijiet (plural)
ċrejjek (diminutive)


ċrieki

/ˈt͡ʃrɪː.kɪ/


buffu

Borrowed from Sicilian buffu and/or Italian buffo.


Daniża

Daniża f (plural Daniżi, masculine Daniż)

female Danish (female native or inhabitant of Denmark)


periklu

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


ċerv

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

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


dipartiment

Borrowed from Sicilian dipartimentu and/or Italian dipartimento.


ċena

ċeni (plural)
ċeniet (plural)
ċiena (alternative dialectal)

Borrowed from Italian cena, from Latin cena.


dixxijiet

/dɪʃ.ʃɪˈjɪːt/


tabib

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:

doctor (in the general sense, or a male doctor specifically)


tabiba

tabiba f (plural tobba, masculine tabib)

female equivalent of tabib: female doctor


libsa

From Arabic لِبْسة (libsa, “attire, choice of clothes”, in dialects also “garment, dress”).

inh

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.

(usually) dress (kind of women's garment)


ilbies

post-consonantal and alternative basic form of lbies


valur

Borrowed from Italian valore and/or Sicilian valuri.


bastun

Borrowed from Sicilian bastuni, eventually derived from Latin bastum. Compare Italian bastone, French bâton.

U ħadt il-bastun li kont semmejt ‘Ħlewwa’, u qsamtu, biex nikser il-patt li kont għamilt mal-ġnus kollha.

c. 2015, Il-Bibbja : il-Kotba Mqaddsa, 5th edition, Valletta: Ghaqda Biblika Maltija, →OCLC, Il-Ktieb tal-Profeta Żakkarija 11:10:

New International Version translation: Then I took my staff called Favor and broke it, revoking the covenant I had made with all the nations.


universalista

mt-noun

universalista m or f by sense (plural universalisti)


dulur

Borrowed from Sicilian duluri, from Latin dolor.

il-Madonna tad-Duluri

pain, (chiefly) profound pain, emotional pain, suffering, sorrow


bosk

Borrowed from Italian bosco, from Early Medieval Latin boscus, borrowed from Frankish *busk, from Proto-Germanic *buskaz.


ilħit

post-consonantal and alternative basic form of lħit


venerabilità

mt-noun

venerabilità f (plural venerabilitajiet)


sptar

sptar m (plural sptarijiet, diminutive sptajjar)

sptarijiet (plural)
sptajjar (diminutive)
spedal (alternative obsolete)

Eventually from Late Latin hospitale. The place and date of borrowing are uncertain, but regarding Algerian Arabic, Moroccan Arabic and Tunisian Arabic سبيطار (sbīṭār) it seems very plausible that the word was inherited from dialectal Maghrebi Arabic as spoken during the Arab reign (870 to 1127 AD). A later borrowing from Romance (both in Malta and North Africa) cannot be ruled out, but the phonetic agreement of the forms makes it seem unlikely.


xemgħa

xemgħat (paucal)
xmejgħa (diminutive)
xamgħa (alternative)

singulative of xema’: a candle; a piece of wax


titlu

title (prefix or suffix added to a name)


għarusa

għarusa f (plural għarajjes, masculine għarus)

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:


senat

Borrowed from Italian senato, from Latin senatus.


kastell

kastell m (plural kastelli, diminutive kastellett)

kastelli (plural)
kastellett (diminutive)


delegat

delegat m (plural delegati, feminine delegata)


suf

(slang) body hair, especially pubic hair, pubes


singulari

Borrowed from Italian singolare and/or Sicilian singulari, from Latin singularis.


verżjoni

Il-verżjoni bil-Malti


divrenzja

Alternative form of differenza: difference


tifel

tifel m (plural tfal or subien, feminine tifla, diminutive tfajjel)

tfal (plural)
subien (plural)
tifla (feminine)
tfajjel (diminutive)
tifli (first-person singular)
tifilna (first-person singular)
tiflek (second-person singular)
tifilkom (second-person singular)
tiflu (masculine singular third-person)
tifilha (feminine singular third-person)
tifilhom (singular third-person)


kontribuzzjoni

kontribuzzjoni f (plural kontribuzzjonijiet)


arloġġ

From a variant of Sicilian raloggiu, from Latin hōrologium, from Ancient Greek ὡρολόγιον (hōrológion).


Sqalli

Sqalli m (plural Sqallin, feminine Sqallija)


ħabb

ħabba (singulative)
ħabbtejn (dual)
ħbub (plural)
ħabbiet (paucal)

(historical) a coin of small value, used in Malta until 1913

(figurative) a mite; something of little value


librerija

Borrowed from Italian libreria (“bookshop; private library”), perhaps influenced semantically by English library.

bor+

Benna baqra għaqlija, kotba qrat fuq mija.
 U l-ħolma tagħha hija li taħdem ġo librerija.

2015, Michael Piscopo, “Benna l-Baqra”performed by Phyllisienne Brincat and her Children’s Choir:

Benna is a clever cow, she’s read over a hundred books.
 And her dream is to work in a library.

library (book collection, whether private or accessible to the public)


deskrizzjoni

mt-noun

deskrizzjoni f (plural deskrizzjonijiet)


orjentazzjoni sesswali

orjentazzjoni sesswali f (plural orjentazzjonijiet sesswali)


orjentazzjoni

orjentazzjoni f (plural orjentazzjonijiet)


eżempju

Borrowed from Italian esempio, from Latin exemplum.


nuċċali tax-xemx

nuċċali tax-xemx m (plural nuċċalijiet tax-xemx)


nuċċali

nuċċalijiet (plural)
aċċoli (alternative dialectal)
oċċali (alternative dialectal)
uċċjali (alternative dialectal)

Borrowed from Sicilian ucchiali, with a fused definite article il- with /n/ < /l/ dissimilation due to the neighbouring /l/.


eterosesswali

eterosesswali m or f by sense (plural eterosesswali)


omosesswali

omosesswali m or f by sense (plural omosesswali)


storja

Borrowed from Sicilian storia and/or Italian storia, both from Latin historia, from Ancient Greek ἱστορία (historía), whence also Arabic أُسْطُورة (ʔusṭūra), which would have yielded Maltese *stura.

cog

Arabic أُسْطُورة (ʔusṭūra)

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


rappreżentazzjoni

mt-noun

rappreżentazzjoni f (plural rappreżentazzjonijiet)


oxxenità

/ɔʃ.ʃɛ.nɪˈtaː/


ħaġa

From Arabic حاجة (ḥāja, “need, necessity”). The sense “thing” is present in many Arabic dialects, including all African ones. It originated as a generalization of “necessity” in the sense of “thing[s] needed for some purpose”. Some of those dialects make a distinction in the plural between حاجَات (ḥājāt, “things”) and حَوائِج (ḥawāʔij, “clothes”), but in Maltese the broken form is used for both senses.

Semmi xi ħaġa tajba li għamilt.


iżlam

Alternative form of islam: Islam (religion)


relazzjoni

Borrowed from Italian relazione, from Latin relatio.


mistoqsija

Derived from staqsa, variant of saqsa (“to ask”), from Arabic اِسْتَقْصَى (istaqṣā, “to investigate, fathom, inquire”).

der

Tweġibiet għal dawn il-mistoqsijiet imorru lura għal madwar seklu u nofs (jew aktar) qabel ma seħħew dawn il-ħruxijiet.

2022, Alfred Massa, Il-Ħarba, Horizons, →ISBN, page 5:


ħalla

mt-noun

ħalla f (dual ħalltejn, plural ħalel, paucal ħalliet)

ħalltejn (dual)
ħalel (plural)
ħalliet (paucal)


anġlu

Borrowed from Sicilian àngilu, àncilu, from Latin angelus (“angel”).


ħġieġ

ħġieġa (singulative)
ħġiġiet (paucal)
żġieġ (alternative)

/ˈħd͡ʒɪːt͡ʃ/

From Arabic زُجاج (zujāj, “glass”), a word with several variants (in Arabic and the Semitic languages at large). The Maltese form presupposes *خُجاج (*ḵujāj). Compare the even more distorted dialectal Arabic form قُزاز (quzāz); furthermore Hebrew זכוכית (zəḵūḵīṯ) alongside זגוגית (zəḡūḡīṯ). Doublet of żġieġ.

cog

Hebrew זכוכית (zəḵūḵīṯ)


klassifikazzjoni

mt-noun

klassifikazzjoni f (plural klassifikazzjonijiet)


konservazzjoni

konservazzjoni f (plural konservazzjonijiet)


applikazzjoni

applikazzjoni f (plural applikazzjonijiet)


tranżizzjoni

tranżizzjoni f (plural tranżizzjonijiet)


zokkor

From Arabic سُكَّر (sukkar). The expected form would be *sokkor (or *sokkar). The onset z- is due to influence by Sicilian zuccuru, itself borrowed from the Arabic.


komunikazzjoni

komunikazzjoni f (plural komunikazzjonijiet)

Borrowed from Italian comunicazione and/or Sicilian cumunicazzioni.


protezzjoni

From Italian protezione or Sicilian prutezioni.


toqba

toqba f (plural toqob, paucal toqbiet, diminutive tqajba)

toqob (plural)
toqbiet (paucal)
tqajba (diminutive)


tradizzjoni

Borrowed from Italian tradizione and/or Sicilian tradizzioni.


ġilda

ġilda f (plural ġlud, diminutive ġlejda)

ġlud (plural)
ġlejda (diminutive)
ġildti (first-person singular)
ġilditna (first-person singular)
ġildtek (second-person singular)
ġilditkom (second-person singular)
ġildtu (masculine singular third-person)
ġilditha (feminine singular third-person)
ġildithom (singular third-person)


sitwazzjoni

Borrowed from Italian situazione and/or Sicilian situazzioni, from Latin situatio.


pożizzjoni

pożizzjonijiet (plural)
posizzjoni (alternative)


prepuzju

F’xi kulturi jaqtgħu l-prepuzju tat-trabi.

In some cultures they cut babies’ foreskin.


pubblikazzjoni

pubblikazzjoni f (plural pubblikazzjonijiet)


baqra

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

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


psikoloġija

Psikoloġija jien qatt ma studjajt,
 Biss meta mdejjaq, issibni warajk.

2014, “Jien ma naħdimx”performed by Karen DeBattista:

Psychology I’ve never studied,
 But when you’re depressed, you find me there for you.


eċċitazzjoni

eċċitazzjoni f (plural eċċitazzjonijiet)


diskussjoni

Borrowed from Italian discussione, from Latin discussio.


sorm

srum (plural)
sram (plural)
sorom (plural)

X’sorm għandu dak ir-raġel.

(anatomy, potentially vulgar) butt, buttocks, arse, ass


borża

borża f (plural boroż, diminutive borżetta)


toqba tas-sorm

toqba tas-sorm f (plural toqob tas-srum)

Ilek ma taħsel it-toqba ta’ sormok.


sbuħija

sbuħiti (first-person singular)
sbuħitna (first-person singular)
sbuħitek (second-person singular)
sbuħitkom (second-person singular)
sbuħitu (masculine singular third-person)
sbuħitha (feminine singular third-person)
sbuħithom (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:


bijodiversità

bijodiversità f (plural bijodiversitajiet)


ħolma

singulative of ħolm: a dream (a single instance or object of dreaming)


ħolm

Dal-lejl ħlomt ħolma.
Waħda ħelwa, imma stramba.
Fil-verità, waħda li qed noħlom ta’ spiss.

2019, Kristina Borg, Imkejjen u Rkejjen, Ede Books, →ISBN, page 18:

Last night I had a dream.
A pleasant dream, but strange.
Actually, it's a recurring dream.