werwer

Maltese

Root
w-r-w-r
2 terms

Etymology

Formally from Arabic وَلْوَلَ (walwala, to wail, lament), itself probably from وَيْل (wayl, woe). The transitive use in Maltese would be a backformation from twerwer (be scared), from the fifth stem تَوَلْوَلَ (tawalwala), which in Arabic is used synonymously with the first-mentioned form.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈwɛr.wɛr/

Verb

werwer (imperfect jwerwer, past participle mwerwer)

  1. to scare, to terrify
    Synonyms: beżża’, waħħax
    • 2018, Antoinette Borg, Amina, Merlin Publishers, →ISBN:
      Werwritni sakemm wasalna! Vera kollox tagħmel bl-attenzjoni u bil-galbu, ħlief … is-sewqan!
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Conjugation

Conjugation of werwer (Form Iq)
positive forms
singular plural
1st person 2nd person 3rd person 1st person 2nd person 3rd person
perfect m werwirt werwirt werwer werwirna werwirtu werwru
f werwret
imperfect m nwerwer twerwer jwerwer nwerwru twerwru jwerwru
f twerwer
imperative werwer werwru
negative forms
singular plural
1st person 2nd person 3rd person 1st person 2nd person 3rd person
perfect m werwirtx werwirtx werwerx werwirniex werwirtux werwrux
f werwritx
imperfect m nwerwerx twerwerx jwerwerx nwerwrux twerwrux jwerwrux
f twerwerx
imperative twerwerx twerwrux