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family |
OMM mother from Arabic أم (umm)
MISSIER father from Sicilian misseri ĦU brother from Arabic أخ (akh) OĦT sister from Arabic أخت (ukht) KUĠIN cousin (male) from Sicilian/Italian cuscinu/cugino KUĠINA cousin (female) from Sicilian/Italian cuscina/cugina ZIJU uncle from Sicilian ziu ZIJA aunt from Sicilian zia NANNA grandmother from Sicilian nanna NANNU grandfather from Sicilian nannu |
Despite being a Semitic language related to Arabic and Hebrew, Maltese has borrowed many terms from Sicilian to refer to family members.
Some Arabic-derived terms for family members have fallen into disuse in Modern Maltese [1] [2] [3]: ab/bu/abu (father) għamm (paternal uncle) għamma (paternal aunt) ħal (maternal uncle) ħala (maternal aunt) ġid d (paternal grandfather) Even some Romance-derived terms are no longer used [4]: barba (maternal uncle) |