ħares

• IPA^(key): /ˈħaː.rɛs/

From Arabic ⁧حارَسَ⁩ (ḥārasa), rare variant of ⁧حَرَسَ⁩ (ḥarasa, “to guard, watch over, protect”), or an independent alteration of the latter. The semantic development under influence of Sicilian guardari, from Frankish *wardōn, perhaps additionally also of ussirvari, from Latin observare.

ħares (imperfect jħares, past participle mħares, verbal noun ħars or ħarsien)

1. to look; to glance
2. to look at; to observe
3. to guard; to watch over; to protect
4. to observe; to keep (e.g. a commandment)

In the present form it should be from Arabic ⁧حارِس⁩ (ḥāris, “guard, guardian”), active participle of ⁧حَرَسَ⁩ (ḥarasa) above; quite plausibly through the idea that ghosts watch over, or haunt, certain localities. The unusual plural iħirsa (from underlying *iħrsa as in iġsma) might then be explained as continuing Arabic ⁧حَرَسة⁩ (ḥarasa). However, it is worth noting that Castagna in his history of Malta says that the peasants, even in his day, believed the ħares to be a black snake that controlled the destiny of a house’s inhabitants and therefore must never be killed.[1] This leaves the possibility that the eventual etymon may in fact be Arabic ⁧خَرْساء⁩ (ḵarsāʔ, “viper”, literally “deaf one”).

ħares m (plural iħirsa or ħorsien or ħarsijiet)

1. ghost, spectre

   Synonyms: waħx, fatat