nnifs-
Maltese
Alternative forms
- innifs- (after a consonant, mostly also after a pause)
Etymology
From Arabic نَفْس (nafs, “self, soul, living being”), related with Maltese nifs (“breath”), from Arabic نَفَس (nafas). Regarding the initial gemination in some of the forms perhaps through the prepositional construction بِنَفْسِي (binafsī), بِنَفْسِكَ (binafsika), etc.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /nˈnɪfs/
Pronoun
nnifs-
- -self; used with a pronominal suffix to form emphatic pronouns
- jiena nnifsi ― I myself
- Alla nnifsu ― God himself
Usage notes
- Before the ending -ha of the third-person feminine, the stem usually becomes nfis-, thus nfisha (“herself”).
- Before plural endings, the stem becomes nfus- (“-selves”).
Synonyms
- stess
Derived terms
- nnifsi (innifsi)
- nnifsek (innifsek)
- nnifsu (innifsu)
- nfisha (infisha); rarely also nnifsha (innifsha)
- nfusna (infusna)
- nfuskom (infuskom)
- nfushom (infushom)
See also
- ruħ- (reflexive pronoun)