ċpar

Maltese

Etymology

Uncertain. Possibly related to Egyptian Arabic شبورة (šabbūra), also شابورة (šābūra, “mist”). Since sonorants are often used to extend roots, the final r need not be original. In that case, it may pertain to Arabic شُؤْبُوب (šuʔbūb, “shower of hail or rain, vehemence of heat”, and in one old source “thin rain cloud”), itself perhaps related with شَوْب (šawb, “state of being mixed, turbid, dim”, in modern dialects also “hot wind, heat”). Joseph Aquilina instead suggested a Romance etymology from a derivative of Sicilian ghioviri, chioviri, chiuppiri (“to rain”), from Latin pluere. In the end both theories passably explain the consonantism, but the vocalic form remains very unclear.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /t͡ʃpaːr/
• Rhymes: -aːr

Noun

ċpar m

1. fog
2. dimness of the eye

Verb

ċpar (imperfect jiċpar, past participle miċpar or muċpar)

1. (obsolete) Alternative form of ċċajpar (“to become foggy”)

Conjugation