ħwar

Maltese

Etymology

Probably from Arabic حَرارَات‎ (ḥarārāt). The same dissimilation is apparently attested in regional Tunisian Arabic حوارات‎ (ḥwārāt). The Maltese singular thence by backformation. The contemporary plural ħwawar appears to be secondary as it irregularly contains a long vowel followed by a semivowel.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ħwaːr/
  • Rhymes: -aːr

Noun

ħwar m (plural ħwawar)

  1. spice (plant used for seasoning)
This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.