imb'
Maltese
Etymology
The -m- is probably a fossiled rest of the Arabic nunation. Compare Arabic وَجْهاً لِوَجْهٍ (wajhan liwajhin), راساً لِراسٍ (rāsan lirāsin), where Maltese has only replaced the preposition لِ (li) with بِ (bi). Compare also the nunation in Maltese xejn.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ɪmb‿/
Preposition
imb'
- Alternative form of b' used in a few expressions.
- wiċċ imb'wiċċ ― face to face
- ras imb'ras ― head to head