giref

Maltese edit

Root
g-r-f
1 term

Etymology edit

Probably from Arabic جَرَفَ (jarafa, “to sweep away, scoop, shovel”). Compare gerriefa (“kind of hoe”) with Arabic جَرّافة (jarrāfa) and مِجْرَفة (mijrafa), both originally “rake, hoe, shovel”.

Alternatively it has been linked to قَرَفَ (qarafa, “to peel, decorticate”), but this is less likely; also because Maltese g- almost never goes back to Arabic ق (q). Finally one should note Old French grifer (“to scratch”), from Proto-Germanic *grīpaną, which (though clearly not the ultimate origin) might have influenced the sense and/or form.

Pronunciation edit

IPA^(key): /ˈɡɪ.rɛf/

Verb edit

giref (imperfect jigref, past participle migruf, verbal noun grif)

to scratch
to steal, swindle

Conjugation edit

Conjugation of giref
		singular			plural
		1^st person	2^nd person	3^rd person	1^st person	2^nd person	3^rd person
perfect	m	grift	grift	giref	grifna	griftu	girfu
perfect	f	grift	grift	girfet	grifna	griftu	girfu
imperfect	m	nigref	tigref	jigref	nigirfu	tigirfu	jigirfu
imperfect	f	nigref	tigref	tigref	nigirfu	tigirfu	jigirfu
imperative			igref			igirfu