żamm
Maltese
Etymology
From Arabic زَمَّ (zamma, “to bind, tie up”). The sense must be a generalisation from the act of confining a person or animal in some place. Arabic does not have a generally applicable word for “to keep”, using different expressions depending on the context.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /zamm/
Verb
żamm (imperfect jżomm, past participle miżmum)
- to keep, hold
- to keep (a promise)
- (law enforcement) to detain
Derived terms
- nżamm