ħa

Maltese

Root
’-ħ-d
2 terms

Etymology

From Arabic أَخَذَ (ʔaḵaḏa). Disregarding the different vowel colour (triggered by the ħ-), the vocalic development was exactly the same as in kiel (“to eat”), which see. The paradigm was further complicated by an unusual loss of -d in all word-final positions (except for the participle); this is also found in some Maghrebi dialects, compare Tunisian Arabic ناخو (nāḵu, “I take”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ħaː/

Verb

ħa (imperfect jieħu, past participle meħud, verbal noun teħid)

1. to take
2. to deceive
3. to occupy, take up
4. to lead [+ għal (object)]
5. to marry
6. to treat [+ b’ (object)]

   Ħadni bħal wieħed iblah. ― He treated me as if I were a fool.

7. to wound

   Ħa riġlu lbieraħ. ― He wounded his foot yesterday.

8. to undertake responsibilities [+ fuq (object)]
9. to feel the effects of [+ ġo (object)] or [+ f’ (object)]
10. to take after [+ minn (object)]

    Ħadet minn ommha. ― She took after her mother.

11. to be offended [+ għal (object)]

    Ħadet għalik. ― She was offended by you.

12. to quarrel [+-ha] [+ ma’ (object)]

    Ħadha miegħi. ― He quarreled with me.

13. to assert one's self [+ ta’ (object)]

    Ħa tiegħu. ― He asserted himself.

Conjugation

Positive forms

Conjugation of ħa
		singular				plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person		1st person	2nd person	3rd person
perfect	m	ħadt	ħadt	ħa		ħadna	ħadtu	ħadu
	f			ħadet
imperfect	m	nieħu	tieħu	jieħu		nieħdu	tieħdu	jieħdu
	f			tieħu
imperative			ħu				ħudu

Negative forms (regularly derived, but peculiar)

Conjugation of ħa
		singular				plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person		1st person	2nd person	3rd person
perfect	m	ħadtx	ħadtx	ħax		ħadniex	ħadtux	ħadux
	f			ħaditx
imperfect	m	neħux / niħux	teħux / tiħux	jeħux / jiħux		neħdux / niħdux	teħdux / tiħdux	jeħdux / jiħdux
	f			teħux / tiħux
imperative			teħux / tiħux				teħdux / tiħdux