Maltese

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Root
ħ-t-r
2 terms

Pronunciation

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Etymology 1

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From Arabic اِخْتارَ (iḵtāra), an eighth stem from the root خ ي ر (ḵ-y-r). Reinterpreted in Maltese as a ninth stem from a root ħ-t-r (older Maltese ħtar), then reconstrued as a first stem.

Verb

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ħatar (imperfect jaħtar, past participle maħtur)

  1. to elect; to choose by vote
  2. to select; to appoint; to choose for a task or position
Conjugation
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    Conjugation of ħatar
singular plural
1st person 2nd person 3rd person 1st person 2nd person 3rd person
perfect m ħtart ħtart ħatar ħtarna ħtartu ħatru
f ħatret
imperfect m naħtar taħtar jaħtar naħtru taħtru jaħtru
f taħtar
imperative aħtar aħtru
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See also
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Etymology 2

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From Arabic. At least two roots are comparable and the Maltese is perhaps from a merger of them: 1.) حَظِر (ḥaẓir, picket, cane for a fence), حِظار (ḥiẓār, fence, enclosure); 2.) خِطْر (ḵiṭr, branch of a tree), خَطّار (ḵaṭṭār, camel’s tail, pendulum, quivering spear). If the original meaning was “club, cudgel”, then حَدَرَ (ḥadara, to be thick, swollen) may also be relevant.

Noun

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ħatar m (plural ħtar or oħtra or ħtur or ħtura, diminutive ħtajjar or ħtajtar)

  1. stick, cane, rod, club, cudgel
    • c. 2015, Il-Bibbja : il-Kotba Mqaddsa, 5th edition, Valletta: Ghaqda Biblika Maltija, →OCLC, Il-Ktieb tal-Eżodu 4:4:
      U l-Mulej qal lil Mosè: “Midd idek, u aqbdu minn denbu” - u medd idu u qabdu, u sar ħatar f’idu.
      King James Version translation: And the Lord said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand.