Arabic

edit

Alternative forms

edit

Etymology

edit

From Latin Melita, from Ancient Greek Μελίτη (Melítē), of disputed origin. The modern form without medial /i/ is apparently due to the influence of English Malta or Maltese Malta, although Latin Malta is attested in medieval manuscripts of the Antonine Itineraries.

Pronunciation

edit
  • IPA(key): /maːl.tˤaː/, /maːl.tˤa/, (archaic) /maː.li.tˤaː/, (archaic) /maː.li.tˤa/

Proper noun

edit

مَالْطَا or مَالِطَا (mālṭā or māliṭāf

  1. Malta

Declension

edit
edit

Descendants

edit
  • Maltese: Malta (see there for further descendants)
  • Ottoman Turkish: مالطه (malta)
  • South Levantine Arabic: مالطا (mālṭa)

References

edit
  1. ^ Martin R. Zammit (2016) “Ḍuriba bi-Mālṭa ‘Minted in Malta’: deciphering the Kufic legend on the Fāṭimid quarter dinar”, in Melita Classica[1], volume 3, Malta Classics Association, page 210:In Arabic, the word Māliṭa can be written, or inscribed, either with two ’alifs,one after the letter /m/ and a final ’alif (مـالطـا), or with an ’alif after /m/ and a final tā’ marbūṭa (مـالطـة).
  2. ^ Wehr, Hans (1979) “مالطا”, in J. Milton Cowan, editor, A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic, 4th edition, Ithaca, NY: Spoken Language Services, →ISBN

South Levantine Arabic

edit

Etymology

edit

Semi-learned borrowing from Arabic مَالْطَا (mālṭā), from Latin Melita, from Ancient Greek Μελίτη (Melítē), of disputed origin.

Proper noun

edit

مالطا (mālṭaf

  1. Malta (a country and island in Europe)
edit