Where does “bħalma” come from?

bħalma (Maltese) comes from Maltese ma, from Arabic مَا — that; not; what.

bħalma (Maltese): as; in the same way that

Definitions

  1. as; in the same way that

Ancestry of “bħalma”, step by step

bħalma traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Maltese ma

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Maltesemanot; used to negate verbs and pronominal adverbs
2Arabicمَاthat; not; what

via Maltese bħal

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Maltesebħallike; as
Every word from Arabic مَا →Every word from Maltese ma →