ħares

• IPA^(key): /ˈħaː.rɛs/

From Arabic حارَسَ (ḥārasa), rare variant of حَرَسَ (ḥarasa, “to guard, watch over, protect”), or an independent alteration of the latter. The semantic development under influence of Sicilian guardari, from Frankish *wardōn, perhaps additionally also of ussirvari, from Latin observare.

ħares (imperfect jħares, past participle mħares, verbal noun ħars or ħarsien)

1. to look; to glance
2. to look at; to observe
   • 1949, Anton Buttigieg, “Fuq Qabar Oħti”, in Fanali bil-Lejl:

     U waqt li nħares fuq ta’ qalbi x-xitla
     tat-tifkiriet tinbet tifkira ġdida,
     b’warda ta’ swied il-qalb fejn tilma demgħa
     minn ħbub għajnejja.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

3. to guard; to watch over; to protect
4. to observe; to keep (e.g. a commandment)

In the present form it should be from Arabic حارِس (ḥāris, “guard, guardian”), active participle of حَرَسَ (ḥarasa) above; quite plausibly through the idea that ghosts watch over, or haunt, certain localities. The unusual plural iħirsa (from underlying *iħrsa as in iġsma) might then be explained as continuing Arabic حَرَسة (ḥarasa). However, it is worth noting that Castagna in his history of Malta says that the peasants, even in his day, believed the ħares to be a black snake that controlled the destiny of a house’s inhabitants and therefore must never be killed.^[1] This leaves the possibility that the eventual etymon may in fact be Arabic خَرْساء (ḵarsāʔ, “viper”, literally “deaf one”).

ħares m (plural iħirsa or ħorsien or ħarsijiet)

1. ghost, spectre

   Synonyms: waħx, fatat