xegħel

From Arabic شَعَلَ (šaʕala, “to light”). The same verb is used for “to turn on a machine” in several languages. In Maltese it may be a calque of Italian accendere, but compare also Moroccan Arabic شعل (šʕal), French allumer, Spanish encender (all “to light” and “to turn on”).

• IPA^(key): /ʃɛːl/
• IPA^(key): /ʃɛˤːl/ (archaic)

xegħel (imperfect jixgħel, past participle mixgħul, verbal noun xegħil)

1. to light (a candle etc.)

   Antonym: tefa

   Qed nixgħel ix-xemgħa. ― I’m lighting the candle.

2. (by extension) to light up

   Wiċċu xegħel bil-ferħ ― His face lit up with joy

3. to turn on (a device)

   Antonym: tefa

   Se tixgħel il-laptop. ― She will turn on the laptop.

4. (intransitive) to burst out in anger

   Synonyms: sibel, rrabja, tgħaddab

   Xgħelt xħin semmejtlek lil oħtok. ― You burst out in anger when I mentioned your sister.