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

1. 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)

2. highly, extremely (very much)