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)

to take
to deceive
to occupy, take up
to lead [with għal]
to marry
to treat [with direct object and bħal ‘as someone’]
Ħadni bħal wieħed iblah. ― He treated me as if I were a fool.
to wound
Ħa riġlu lbieraħ. ― He wounded his foot yesterday.
to undertake responsibilities [with fuq]
to feel the effects [with ġo or f’ ‘of’]
to take after [with minn]
Ħadet minn ommha. ― She took after her mother.
to be offended [with għal]
Ħadet għalik. ― She was offended by you.
to quarrel [with -ha ‘dummy object’ and ma’ ‘with someone’]
Ħadha miegħi. ― He quarreled with me.
to assert one's self [with ta’]
Ħa tiegħu. ― He asserted himself.

Conjugation

Positive forms

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

Negative forms (regularly derived, but peculiar)

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