werwer

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Maltese

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Root
w-r-w-r
2 terms

Etymology

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Formally from Arabic وَلْوَلَ (walwala, to wail, lament), itself probably from وَيْل (wayl, woe). The transitive use in Maltese would be a backformation from twerwer (be scared), from the fifth stem تَوَلْوَلَ (tawalwala), which in Arabic is used synonymously with the first-mentioned form.

Pronunciation

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Verb

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werwer (imperfect jwerwer, past participle mwerwer)

  1. to scare, to terrify
    Synonyms: beżża’, waħħax
    • 2018, Antoinette Borg, Amina, Merlin Publishers, →ISBN:
      Werwritni sakemm wasalna! Vera kollox tagħmel bl-attenzjoni u bil-galbu, ħlief … is-sewqan!
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Conjugation

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    Conjugation of werwer
singular plural
1st person 2nd person 3rd person 1st person 2nd person 3rd person
perfect m werwirt werwirt werwer werwirna werwirtu werwru
f werwret
imperfect m nwerwer twerwer jwerwer nwerwru twerwru jwerwru
f twerwer
imperative werwer werwru