wisq

Maltese

Etymology

Possibly from Arabic وُسْع (wusʕ, “that of which one is capable, one's capacity, power”), with a rare shift from għ to q, which however could be accounted for in this phonetic position. Alternatively from وَسْق (wasq, “freight, load”); compare semantically English a load of (“much”).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /wɪsʔ/

Adverb

wisq

too, too much (more than is appropriate)
- 2022, Nadia Mifsud, meta tinfetaq il-folla, Ede Books, →ISBN:
  kollox għafsa. kollox fastidju. forsi
  għax għadu (wisq) kmieni. forsi.
  għax dallejl xtaqt stajt nimtedd maġenbek
  u dalgħodu stenbaħt
  b’subgħajja mwebbla għal ponn ramel
  u d-diqa mwebsa ma’ ħaddejja.
  (please add an English translation of this quotation)
- 1970, Anton Buttigieg, “It-Tallab”, in Fl-Arena:
  Wara l-bibien,
  fit-tul tat-toroq twal,
  batejt
  il-għeja
  il-qtigħ ta’ qalb,
  batejt fuq kollox il-mistħija;
  iżda ġarrabt ukoll
  il-ferħ u l-għaxqa
  li kull tallab iħoss
  x’ħin jasal wisq għajjien bil-ħorġa f’idu
  bil-ħobż għand ommu mġewħa.
  (please add an English translation of this quotation)
- 1949, Anton Buttigieg, “Il-Bejta fis-Sur”, in Mill-Gallerija ta’ Żgħożiti:
  U tela’ għas-sur, wisq imgħaddab,
  u kaxkar kull xitla, kull żrara,
  u l-bejta dlonk ħataf, ġarr miegħu
  bl-għasafar, jaħasra xi ħsara!
  (please add an English translation of this quotation)
highly, extremely (very much)