jisem

Maltese

Etymology

Root
s-m-j
4 terms

From the noun isem (“name”) followed by possessive suffixes as in: Ismu Xmun. (“His name is Simon.”) The phrase was then reinterpreted as verbal, whence the initial j- and the suffix -ni instead of -i in the first-person singular.

Verb

jism- (imperfect only)

1. (impersonal) to be the name of; expresses English be called, be named, etc.

Usage notes

• The verb exists only in the third-person singular masculine of the imperfect. It obligatorily takes pronominal suffixes according to the logical subject, i.e. them who bear the name:

Dan ir-raġel jismu Xmun u jien jisimni Marija.

This man is called Simon and my name is Mary.

(literally, “This man is-the-name-of-him Simon and I is-the-name-of-me Mary.”)

• As usually in defective verbs, the other tenses are expressed by forms of kien (“to be”) followed by the imperfect. Since jisem is an impersonal verb, kien is usually in the third-person singular masculine as well:

Kien jisimhom Xmun u Marija. ― They were called Simon and Mary.

• Occasionally, kien may inflect according to the logical subject (kienu jisimhom), but this is rare and perhaps nonstandard.

Inflection

Inflected forms of jisem
Personal-pronoun- including forms		singular		plural
		m	f
1st person		jisimni		jisimna
2nd person		jismek		jisimkom
3rd person		jismu	jisimha	jisimhom

Related terms

• isem