ħatar

Maltese

Root
ħ-t-r
2 terms

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈħa.tar/

Etymology 1

From Arabic اِخْتارَ (iḵtāra), an eighth stem from the root خ ي ر (ḵ y r). Reinterpreted in Maltese as a ninth stem from a root ħ-t-r (older Maltese ħtar), then reconstrued as a first stem. Doublet of ħajjar.

Verb

ħatar (imperfect jaħtar, past participle maħtur)

to elect; to choose by vote
to select; to appoint; to choose for a task or position

Conjugation

Conjugation of **ħatar** (Form I)
positive forms
		singular			plural
		1^st person	2^nd person	3^rd person	1^st person	2^nd person	3^rd person
perfect	m	ħtart	ħtart	ħatar	ħtarna	ħtartu	ħatru
perfect	f	ħtart	ħtart	ħatret	ħtarna	ħtartu	ħatru
imperfect	m	naħtar	taħtar	jaħtar	naħtru	taħtru	jaħtru
imperfect	f	naħtar	taħtar	taħtar	naħtru	taħtru	jaħtru
imperative			aħtar			aħtru

negative forms
		singular			plural
		1^st person	2^nd person	3^rd person	1^st person	2^nd person	3^rd person
perfect	m	ħtartx	ħtartx	ħatarx	ħtarniex	ħtartux	ħatrux
perfect	f	ħtartx	ħtartx	ħatritx	ħtarniex	ħtartux	ħatrux
imperfect	m	naħtarx	taħtarx	jaħtarx	naħtrux	taħtrux	jaħtrux
imperfect	f	naħtarx	taħtarx	taħtarx	naħtrux	taħtrux	jaħtrux
imperative			taħtarx			taħtrux

Related terms

aħjar

Etymology 2

From Arabic. At least two roots are comparable and the Maltese is perhaps from a merger of them: 1.) حَظِر (ḥaẓir, “picket, cane for a fence”), حِظار (ḥiẓār, “fence, enclosure”); 2.) خِطْر (ḵiṭr, “branch of a tree”), خَطّار (ḵaṭṭār, “camel’s tail, pendulum, quivering spear”). If the original meaning was “club, cudgel”, then حَدَرَ (ḥadara, “to be thick, swollen”) may also be relevant.

Noun

ħatar m (plural ħtar or oħtra or ħtur or ħtura, diminutive ħtajjar or ħtajtar)

stick, cane, rod, club, cudgel
- c. 2015, Il-Bibbja : il-Kotba Mqaddsa, 5th edition, Valletta: Ghaqda Biblika Maltija, →OCLC, Il-Ktieb tal-Eżodu 4:4:
  U l-Mulej qal lil Mosè: “Midd idek, u aqbdu minn denbu” - u medd idu u qabdu, u sar ħatar f’idu.
  King James Version translation: And the Lord said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand.