مالطا

Arabic

Alternative forms

  • مَالْطَة (mālṭa), مَالِطَة (māliṭa)[1][2]

Etymology

From Latin Melita, from Ancient Greek Μελίτη (Melítē), of disputed origin. The modern form without medial /i/ is apparently due to the influence of English Malta or Maltese Malta, although Latin Malta is attested in medieval manuscripts of the Antonine Itineraries.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /maːl.tˤaː/, /maːl.tˤa/, (archaic) /maː.li.tˤaː/, (archaic) /maː.li.tˤa/

Proper noun

مَالْطَا or مَالِطَا • (mālṭā or māliṭā) f

  1. Malta (an archipelago and country in Southern Europe, in the Mediterranean Sea)
  2. Malta (the largest island in the Maltese Archipelago)

Declension

Declension of noun مَالْطَا (mālṭā)
singular singular invariable
indefinite definite construct
informal — مَالْطَا
mālṭā 		—
nominative — مَالْطَا
mālṭā 		—
accusative — مَالْطَا
mālṭā 		—
genitive — مَالْطَا
mālṭā 		—

Descendants

  • Maltese: Malta (see there for further descendants)
  • → Ottoman Turkish: مالطه (malta)
  • → South Levantine Arabic: مالطا (mālṭa)

References

  1. ^ Martin R. Zammit (2016) “Ḍuriba bi-Mālṭa ‘Minted in Malta’: deciphering the Kufic legend on the Fāṭimid quarter dinar”, in Melita Classica‎[1], volume 3, Malta Classics Association, page 210: “In Arabic, the word Māliṭa can be written, or inscribed, either with two ’alifs,one after the letter /m/ and a final ’alif (مـالطـا), or with an ’alif after /m/ and a final tā’ marbūṭa (مـالطـة).”
  2. ^ Wehr, Hans (1979) “مالطا”, in J. Milton Cowan, editor, A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic, 4th edition, Ithaca, NY: Spoken Language Services, →ISBN

South Levantine Arabic

Etymology

Semi-learned borrowing from Arabic مَالْطَا (mālṭā), from Latin Melita, from Ancient Greek Μελίτη (Melítē), of disputed origin.

Proper noun

مالطا • (mālṭa) f

  1. Malta (an archipelago and country in Southern Europe, in the Mediterranean Sea)
  2. Malta (the largest island in the Maltese Archipelago)
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