dagħa

Maltese

Root
d-għ-w
4 terms

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /daː/
• IPA^(key): /daˤː/ (archaic)
• Rhymes: -aː, -aˤː

Etymology 1

From Arabic دَعَا (daʕā, “to call, call upon God, pray”). The sense is from the construction دَعَا عَلَى (daʕā ʕalā, “to imprecate, pray for divine vengeance against”). The same generalisation in the sense of “to curse, swear, abuse” is found in some Arabic dialects, though only for the prepositional construction, not the verb as such.

Verb

dagħa (imperfect jidgħi, active participle midgħi, verbal noun dagħa)

2. to curse, blaspheme

Conjugation

Conjugation of dagħa
		singular				plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person		1st person	2nd person	3rd person
perfect	m	dgħajt	dgħajt	dagħa		dgħajna	dgħajtu	dgħaw
	f			dgħat
imperfect	m	nidgħi	tidgħi	jidgħi		nidgħu	tidgħu	jidgħu
	f			tidgħi
imperative			idgħi				idgħu

Etymology 2

From Arabic دُعَاء (duʕāʔ).

Noun

dagħa m

2. verbal noun of dagħa