ħu

See also: Appendix:Variations of "hu"

Maltese

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ħuː/

Etymology 1

From Arabic أَخُو (ʔaḵū), construct form of أَخ (ʔaḵ, brother).

Noun

ħu m (plural aħwa or ħut, feminine oħt)

  1. brother, male sibling
    ħukyour brother
    ħu ommhaher mother’s brother, her maternal uncle
    • 1970, Anton Buttigieg, “Lis-Sena l-Ġdida 1964”, in Fl-Arena:
      X’sejra ġġibilna ġewwa l-fardal tiegħek.
      ja Sena Ġdida?
      Ah! biegħed minna
      il-għelt, il-ġlied,
      id-demm bejn l-aħwa;
      rażżan ir-regħba u l-ġibdiet tal-ħakma,
      rattab l-irjus u l-qlub,
      ġibilna s-sabar ta’ xulxin, l-imħabba,
      ġibilna l-għaqda,
      ġibilna s-sliem,
      ġibilna l-ħelsien!
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)
Usage notes
  • The singular of this word is used exclusively in the construct state, that is with a possessive suffix or with a following noun. The plural does not have this restriction, but it is equally the plural of oħt (sister) and thus means “siblings”. Meanings like “a brother” can only be paraphrased, e.g. wieħed mill-aħwa (literally one of the siblings). For “she has a brother”, one says għandha ħuha (literally she has her brother).
Inflection
Inflection of ħu
singular plural
m f
singular 1st person ħija ħuna
2nd person ħuk ħukom
3rd person ħuh ħuha ħuhom
plural 1st person ħuti ħutna
2nd person ħutek ħutkom
3rd person ħutu ħutha ħuthom
Derived terms
  • ħi

Etymology 2

See the lemma.

Verb

ħu

  1. imperative singular of ħa