żebagħ
Maltese
editRoot |
---|
ż-b-għ |
8 terms |
Alternative forms
edit- żeba’ (variant; see usage notes below)
Etymology
editFrom Arabic صَبَغَ (ṣabaḡa), with generalisation of the regular assimilation [sb] → [zb].
Pronunciation
editVerb
editżebagħ (imperfect jiżbogħ, past participle miżbugħ, verbal noun żbigħ)
Usage notes
edit- There are three sets of realisations for the forms of this verb:
- The older state, retained by some contemporary speakers, is that the devoiced sound /ħ/ is used only in the syllable coda, while għ is vowelised before the endings -et and -u.
- Other speakers have generalised either devoicing or vowelisation, meaning they pronounce all forms of żebagħ with /ħ/, or use the variant żeba’.
Conjugation
editConjugation of żebagħ | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
singular | plural | |||||||
1st person | 2nd person | 3rd person | 1st person | 2nd person | 3rd person | |||
perfect | m | żbagħt | żbagħt | żebagħ | żbagħna | żbagħtu | żebgħu | |
f | żebgħet | |||||||
imperfect | m | niżbogħ | tiżbogħ | jiżbogħ | niżbgħu | tiżbgħu | jiżbgħu | |
f | tiżbogħ | |||||||
imperative | iżbogħ | iżbgħu |