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

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, 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 (a country and island in Europe)
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