bejn

Maltese

Root
b-j-n
2 terms

Alternative forms

• bejniet (rare as such, but see usage notes)

Etymology

From Arabic بَيْنَ (bayna).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bɛjn/

Preposition

bejn

1. between
   • 1970, Anton Buttigieg, “Lis-Sena l-Ġdida 1964”, in Fl-Arena:

     X’sejra ġġibilna ġewwa l-fardal tiegħek.
     ja Sena Ġdida?
     Ah! biegħed minna
     il-għelt, il-ġlied,
     id-demm bejn l-aħwa;
     rażżan ir-regħba u l-ġibdiet tal-ħakma,
     rattab l-irjus u l-qlub,
     ġibilna s-sabar ta’ xulxin, l-imħabba,
     ġibilna l-għaqda,
     ġibilna s-sliem,
     ġibilna l-ħelsien!

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Usage notes

• When there is a second object (between X and Y), the preposition can be repeated optionally. This usage is preferred when one of the objects is a personal pronoun/suffix; otherwise it is fairly rare:

bejn ommi u (bejn) missieri ― between my mother and my father

bejnhom u (bejn) marti ― between them and my wife

bejni u bejn marti / bejn marti u jien ― between my wife and me

• The suffixed forms (except in the first and second person singular) have two variants: one from the stem bejn- and one from the stem bejniet-. The predominant usage is that the simple form is used when there is a second object (as bejnhom above), while the extended form is used when there is but one object, namely a plural or collective: il-problemi bejniethom (“the problems between them, their internal problems”).

Inflection

Inflected forms of bejn
Personal-pronoun- including forms		singular		plural
		m	f
1st person		bejni		bejnna
2nd person		bejnek		bejnkom
3rd person		bejnu	bejnha	bejnhom

Inflected forms of bejn
Personal-pronoun- including forms		singular		plural
		m	f
1st person		bejnieti		bejnietna
2nd person		bejnietek		bejnietkom
3rd person		bejnietu	bejnietha	bejniethom