Maltese

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Root
’-ħ-d
2 terms

Etymology

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From Arabic أَخَذَ (ʔaḵaḏa). Disregarding the different vowel colour (triggered by the ħ-), the vocalic development was exactly the same as in kiel (to eat), which see. The paradigm was further complicated by an unusual loss of -d in all word-final positions (except for the participle); this is also found in some Maghrebi dialects, compare Tunisian Arabic ناخو (nāḵu, I take).

Pronunciation

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Verb

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ħa (imperfect jieħu, past participle meħud, verbal noun teħid)

  1. to take
  2. to deceive
  3. to occupy, take up
  4. to lead [with għal]
  5. to marry
  6. to treat [with direct object and bħal ‘as someone’]
    Ħadni bħal wieħed iblah.He treated me as if I were a fool.
  7. to wound
    Ħa riġlu lbieraħ.He wounded his foot yesterday.
  8. to undertake responsibilities [with fuq]
  9. to feel the effects [with ġo or f’ ‘of’]
  10. to take after [with minn]
    Ħadet minn ommha.She took after her mother.
  11. to be offended [with għal]
    Ħadet għalik.She was offended by you.
  12. to quarrel [with -ha ‘dummy object’ and ma’ ‘with someone’]
    Ħadha miegħi.He quarreled with me.
  13. to assert one's self [with ta’]
    Ħa tiegħu.He asserted himself.

Conjugation

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Positive forms
    Conjugation of ħa
singular plural
1st person 2nd person 3rd person 1st person 2nd person 3rd person
perfect m ħadt ħadt ħa ħadna ħadtu ħadu
f ħadet
imperfect m nieħu tieħu jieħu nieħdu tieħdu jieħdu
f tieħu
imperative ħu ħudu
Negative forms (regularly derived, but peculiar)
    Conjugation of ħa
singular plural
1st person 2nd person 3rd person 1st person 2nd person 3rd person
perfect m ħadtx ħadtx ħax ħadniex ħadtux ħadux
f ħaditx
imperfect m neħux, niħux teħux, tiħux jeħux, jiħux neħdux, niħdux teħdux, tiħdux jeħdux, jiħdux
f teħux, tiħux
imperative teħux, tiħux teħdux, tiħdux