xiex
Maltese
Etymology
From x' + earlier *iex (“what”), of which latter x' is itself a contraction, thus a reduplicative formation. *Iex is from Arabic أَيُّ شَيْء (ʾayyu šayʾ, literally “what thing”), exactly equivalent to Moroccan Arabic آش (āš). Also cognate with Hijazi Arabic إيش (ēš), where the contracted vowel is different, however.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ʃɪːʃ/
Pronoun
xiex
- (interrogative) what
Usage notes
- Used following a verb or preposition and in isolation. For details on usage, see the notes at x'.
See also
- x'
- x'inhu