Ġaħan

Maltese

Etymology

From Arabic جُحَا (juḥā). The final -n is probably paragogic.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈd͡ʒa.ħan/

Proper noun

Ġaħan m

1. (folklore) A character in Maltese folktales, a “wise fool”, equivalent to the Arabic Joha and Sicilian Giufà, similar also to the Turko-Persian Molla Nasreddin, the Jewish Hershel of Ostropol, the German Till Eulenspiegel, etc.

Derived terms

• ġaħan