dejr
Maltese
editEtymology
editFrom Arabic دَيْر (dayr, “convent, monastery”), from Classical Syriac ܕܝܪܐ (dayrā). The meaning “castle, fortress” perhaps influenced by the militant Order of Malta. The knowledge about the word’s origins seems to have been lost rather early, as Vassalli already treats the sense “convent” as secondary and thinks that the basic meaning is “large house” (it being merely a variant of dar).
Pronunciation
editNoun
editdejr m