feġġ

Maltese

Etymology

Probably from Arabic فَجَأَ (fajaʔa, “to appear suddenly”). The phonetic form is slightly irregular (we would expect *feġa), but the development of the noun فَجْأة (fajʔa) into Maltese feġġa appears very plausible.

Alternatively perhaps from فَجَّ (fajja) with the original meaning “to cleave, open”, which makes sense for example when feġġ is used of blood or tears that erupt from the body. Compare also English break out (“to emerge suddenly”), German anbrechen (“to begin”), etc.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fɛt͡ʃ/
• Rhymes: -ɛt͡ʃ

Verb

feġġ (imperfect jfiġġ, verbal noun feġġ)

1. to appear (suddenly)

Conjugation

Conjugation of feġġ
		singular				plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person		1st person	2nd person	3rd person
perfect	m	feġġejt	feġġejt	feġġ		feġġejna	feġġejtu	feġġew
	f			feġġet
imperfect	m	nfiġġ	tfiġġ	jfiġġ		nfiġġu	tfiġġu	jfiġġu
	f			tfiġġ
imperative			fiġġ				fiġġu

Noun

feġġ m (instance noun feġġa)

1. verbal noun of feġġ: appearance, appearing, especially when sudden or brief

Derived terms

• kewkba feġġa