aħwa

Maltese

Etymology

From Arabic إِخْوَة (ʔiḵwa, “brothers”). The use also for “sisters” from generic use of the masculine, perhaps reinforced formally by the construct form ħut, which would have been close to *ħwiet, the expected outcome of Arabic أَخَوات (ʔaḵawāt).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈaħwa/

Noun

aħwa (construct form ħut)

1. siblings
   1. plural of ħu (“brother”)
   2. plural of oħt (“sister”)
2. (ecclesiastical) brethren

Usage notes

• In order to specify sex in the plural, the appositions subien (“boys”) and bniet (“girls”) are used; see these.