għonnella

Maltese

Etymology

From older Sicilian *gunnella (now gunnedda) and/or Italian gonnella, from a diminutive of Latin gonna, whence also English gown. The replacement of /ɡ/ with /ɣ/ is unusual even in early borrowings. At any rate it requires that the borrowing occurred before the beginning of the merger of /ɣ/ with /ʕ/, thus earlier than 1700.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɔnˈnɛl.la/
  • IPA^(key): /ɔˤːnˈnɛl.la/ (archaic)
  • IPA^(key): /ɣɔnˈnɛl.la/ (archaic, rural)

Noun

għonnella f (plural għenienel, diminutive għejnilla)

1. (historical, folklore) kind of head covering worn by Maltese women (generally until the 19th c. and occasionally still in the earlier 20th c.), most typically in the form of a long shawl with a stiff hem, creating a wide hood over the wearer’s head

   Synonym: faldetta

2. (obsolete) women’s overgarment more generally