tlajja

Maltese

Etymology

Probably from Old Occitan; compare Catalan atalaiar (“to keep watch”). The sense then from a guard’s waiting and patrolling. The Occitan verb is derived from Arabic طَلِيعة‎ (ṭalīʿa), itself related with Maltese tela'.

One could also derive it from Arabic لَوَى‎ (lawā, “to bend, turn, go around, wait”), whence Maltese lewa, or alternatively perhaps from أَلِيّة‎ (ʾaliyya, “shortcoming, tardiness”). But these are less likely because of the form tlajja (instead of *tlejja) and the Romance-like conjugation.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈtlaj.ja/

Verb

tlajja (imperfect jitlajja, verbal noun tlajjar)

to loiter, linger, stroll back and forth
(prostitution) to wait for clients, to walk the streets

Conjugation

Predominantly conjugated with a-vocalism, alternatively like a regular Vth stem.

Conjugation of tlajja

		singular			plural
		1^st person	2^nd person	3^rd person	1^st person	2^nd person	3^rd person
perfect	m	tlajjajt	tlajjajt	tlajja	tlajjajna	tlajjajtu	tlajjaw
perfect	f	tlajjajt	tlajjajt	tlajjat	tlajjajna	tlajjajtu	tlajjaw
imperfect	m	nitlajja	titlajja	jitlajja	nitlajjaw	titlajjaw	jitlajjaw
imperfect	f	nitlajja	titlajja	titlajja	nitlajjaw	titlajjaw	jitlajjaw
imperative			tlajja			tlajjaw

Conjugation of tlajja

		singular			plural
		1^st person	2^nd person	3^rd person	1^st person	2^nd person	3^rd person
perfect	m	tlajjejt	tlajjejt	tlajja	tlajjejna	tlajjejtu	tlajjew
perfect	f	tlajjejt	tlajjejt	tlajjiet	tlajjejna	tlajjejtu	tlajjew
imperfect	m	nitlajja	titlajja	jitlajja	nitlajjew	titlajjew	jitlajjew
imperfect	f	nitlajja	titlajja	titlajja	nitlajjew	titlajjew	jitlajjew
imperative			tlajja			tlajjew