silġ

Maltese

Etymology

From Arabic ثَلْج (ṯalj). Maltese s- (instead of expected t-) may be due to irregular assimilation of [θ] to the following alveolar [l]. The subsequent dissimilation š- → s- under the influence of following -j- would be less surprising (compare e.g. siġra).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sɪlt͡ʃ/

Noun

silġ m (collective, singulative silġa, paucal silġiet)

1. ice; hail
   • c. 2015, Il-Bibbja : il-Kotba Mqaddsa, 5th edition, Valletta: Ghaqda Biblika Maltija, →OCLC, Il-Ktieb ta' Ġob 6:16:

     Li jkunu mqallgħin bil-ħalla tas-silġ, xħin togħdos fihom il-borra.

     New International Version translation: when darkened by thawing ice and swollen with melting snow,

2. snow

   Synonym: borra

   • 1949-1952, Anton Buttigieg, “Il-Ħolma tan-Natura”, in Qasba mar-Riħ, published 1977:

     U meta tiġi x-xitwa erħilha teqred
     bir-rxiex, bis-silġ, bil-bard, bir-riħ u rwiefen
     il-ħlejjaq qodma: weraq sfajra u morda,
     u rix mitbiela,

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)