Where does “għajn” come from?
għajn (Maltese) comes from Arabic عَيْن, from Proto-Semitic ʿayn-, from Hebrew עַיִן — eye.
għajn (Maltese): eye; the evil eye; spring, source of water
Definitions
- eye; the evil eye; spring, source of water
Ancestry of “għajn”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Arabic | عَيْن | spy; eye; spring, eye |
| 2 | Proto-Semitic | ʿayn- | eye |
| 3 | Hebrew | עַיִן | eye |