Maltese

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Root
għ-j-n (eye)
2 terms
Root
għ-j-n (spring)
2 terms
 
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Għajn

Etymology

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From Arabic عَيْن (ʕayn).

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /aːjn/, /ajn/
  • IPA(key): /aˤːjn/ (archaic)
  • Audio (Gozo):(file)
  • Homophone: għin (one pronunciation)

Noun

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għajn f (plural għajnejn)

  1. (anatomy) eye
    • 2018 [1977], Alfred Massa, L-Istar tal-Imgħoddi, 2nd edition, Horizons, page 80:
      ”Taħseb li r-Russi m’humiex b’seba’ għajnejn biex jaraw min qed jidħol fl-Ammbaxxati tal-Punent? Jien għandi ħsieb ieħor”, qalilna Alexander.
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)
  2. (in the definite) the evil eye
    • 1865, P. P. Castagna, Malta bil ghzejer tahha u li ghadda min ghaliha: It-tieni parti[1], page 61:
      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.
      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.

Inflection

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    Inflected forms
Personal-pronoun-
including forms
singular plural
m f
1st person għajni għajnna
2nd person għajnek għajnkom
3rd person għajnu għajnha għajnhom
  • Especially in informal Maltese, the possessive inflections of the plural are also used with singular meaning, then taking singular agreement, e.g. għajnejh il-leminija (his right eye) instead of għajnu l-leminija. This use occurs also with other paired body parts and is always restricted to the possessive.

Derived terms

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Noun

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għajn f (plural għejun, diminutive għawejna)

  1. spring, source of water

See also

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