għakkes

The basic sense of the Maltese root is “being weak, feeble, deprived”, which is most readily derived from Arabic عَجْز (ʕajz) and its root; compare għaks (“oppression, destitution, famine”). Phonetically this is plausible since Arabic ج (j) becomes Maltese g in several words, especially in the vicinity of sibilants (compare gżira). Word-finally the sequence [ɡz] is devoiced to [ks] and this devoicing may have been generalised (equally a common phenomenon). On the other hand, the phonetically even closer Arabic عَكَسَ (ʕakasa) also shows meanings that are connectable with the Maltese form, namely “to tie a camel's neck to its forelegs”, “to let it starve in this position”, “to press to the ground”, “to prevent, restrain”. Presumably, both roots influenced each other.

• IPA^(key): /ˈaːk.kɛs/
• IPA^(key): /ˈaˤːk.kɛs/ (archaic)

għakkes (imperfect jgħakkes)

1. to oppress; to subdue
2. to restrain; to deprive