lagħab

Maltese

Root
l-għ-b
12 terms

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /laːp/
IPA^(key): /laˤːp/ (archaic)
Homophone: lgħab

Etymology 1

From Arabic لَعِبَ (laʕiba).

Verb

lagħab (imperfect jilgħab, past participle milgħub, verbal noun logħob)

to play
to gamble
to cheat, to deceive
to waver, to be undecided

Conjugation

Conjugation of lagħab
		singular			plural
		1^st person	2^nd person	3^rd person	1^st person	2^nd person	3^rd person
perfect	m	lgħabt	lgħabt	lagħab	lgħabna	lgħabtu	lagħbu
perfect	f	lgħabt	lgħabt	lagħbet	lgħabna	lgħabtu	lagħbu
imperfect	m	nilgħab	tilgħab	jilgħab	nilagħbu	tilagħbu	jilagħbu
imperfect	f	nilgħab	tilgħab	tilgħab	nilagħbu	tilagħbu	jilagħbu
imperative			ilgħab			ilagħbu

Etymology 2

From Arabic لَعّاب (laʕʕāb).

Originally the noun was pronounced /laʕˈʕaːp/, while the verb was /ˈla.ʕap/. Both merged in the 19th century when għ was vowelised. The spelling lagħgħab, which is sometimes seen, is incorrect because għ can never be geminated in Maltese.

Noun

lagħab m (plural lagħaba, feminine lagħaba)

gambler
Synonyms: lagħbi, lagħabi