xebbah

Maltese

Root
x-b-h
5 terms

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Arabic شَبَّهَ (šabbaha).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈʃɛb.baħ/
  • Audio (Gozo):(file)

Verb

xebbah (imperfect jxebbah, past participle mxebbah)

  1. to liken, to compare (to declare a similarity between to things, be it actual or figurative)
    Xebbahhom mal-ilpup.He likened them to wolves.

Conjugation

  • The sound /ħ/ is kept in all conjugated forms. The spelling is h instead of ħ because this fortition has not been generalised throughout the root (compare xbieha /ˈʒbɪːja/).
Conjugation of xebbah (Form II)
positive forms
singular plural
1st person 2nd person 3rd person 1st person 2nd person 3rd person
perfect m xebbaht xebbaht xebbah xebbahna xebbahtu xebbhu
f xebbhet
imperfect m nxebbah xxebbah jxebbah nxebbhu xxebbhu jxebbhu
f xxebbah
imperative xebbah xebbhu
negative forms
singular plural
1st person 2nd person 3rd person 1st person 2nd person 3rd person
perfect m xebbahtx xebbahtx xebbahx xebbahniex xebbahtux xebbhux
f xebbhitx
imperfect m nxebbahx xxebbahx jxebbahx nxebbhux xxebbhux jxebbhux
f xxebbahx
imperative xxebbahx xxebbhux

Derived terms

See also