dawl

Maltese

Root
d-w-l
9 terms

Etymology

From Arabic ضَوْء (ḍawʔ) with a paragogic -l, perhaps from a following article by resegmentation, and/or under influence of the antonym dell (“shade”).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /dawl/

Noun

dawl m (plural dwal, diminutive dwajjel)

light
- 1949, Anton Buttigieg, “Ir-Riħ u l-Bnazzi”, in Mill-Gallerija ta’ Żgħożiti:
  Ħarbat, mewwet dawk id-dwieli,
  wild il-għaraq tal-ħaddiem,
  żomm il-fqir ġol-gorboġ waħdu,
  u bla ħobż, bla dawl, bla sliem!
  Destroy, kill those vines,
  the offspring of the worker’s sweat,
  keep the poor man in the hovel alone,
  without bread, without light, without peace!
- 1949-1952, Anton Buttigieg, “Niftakar”, in Qasba mar-Riħ, published 1977:
  Niftakar
  tal-qniepen il-mota ferrieħa,
  u l-Ave Maria ta’ Schubert
  taż-żahar il-fwieħa
  u l-għafsa ta’ driegħek ma’ driegħi,
  u l-ħeġġa ta’ wiċċek ħamrani,
  u l-mantar bajdani
  jitkaxkar mal-qiegħa
  tal-korsija:
  id-dija u d-dawl tal-parilja,
  il-ħsejjes taż-żwiemel għaddejja,
  (please add an English translation of this quotation)
eyesight
(figuratively) information

Derived terms