▶ omm [mother]
from Arabic أم (umm) ▶missier [father] from Sicilian misseri ▶ hu [brother] from Arabic أخ (akh) ▶ oht [sister] from Arabic أخت (ukht) |
▶kugin [cousin male]
from Sicilian/Italian cuscinu/cugino ▶ kugina [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)
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)