xellef

Maltese

Root
x-l-f
2 terms

Etymology

Probably inherited from dialectal Arabic; compare North Levantine Arabic شلف (šalaf, “to throw”). The football sense is a calque of English chip.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈʃɛl.lɛf/

Verb

xellef (imperfect jxellef, past participle mxellef, verbal noun tixlif)

1. to chip, to hew off a piece from
2. (figuratively) to break (a promise), to compromise (a principle)
3. (figuratively) to reduce (a price, wage)
4. (soccer) to chip (strike the ball lightly such that it ascends steeply)

Conjugation

Conjugation of xellef

		singular				plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person		1st person	2nd person	3rd person
perfect	m	xellift	xellift	xellef		xellifna	xelliftu	xellfu
	f			xellfet
imperfect	m	nxellef	xxellef	jxellef		nxellfu	xxellfu	jxellfu
	f			xxellef
imperative			xellef				xellfu

Derived terms

• xellef difru