elef
Maltese edit
Etymology edit
From Arabic آلَاف (ʔālāf). The expected form is *elief, but the stress was shifted backwards under the influence of a following noun. In independent position, *elief was probably maintained at first; it was then absorbed by eluf and restricted to the vague sense “thousands”.
Pronunciation edit
Numeral edit
elef pl
- paucal of elf
Usage notes edit
- This form is used with numbers between three and ten to indicate “thousand”: