ħatar

• IPA^(key): /ˈħa.tar/

From Arabic اِخْتارَ (iḵtāra), an eighth stem from the root خ ي ر (ḵ-y-r). Reinterpreted in Maltese as a ninth stem from a root ħ-t-r (older Maltese ħtar), then reconstrued as a first stem.

ħatar (imperfect jaħtar, past participle maħtur)

1. to elect; to choose by vote
2. to select; to appoint; to choose for a task or position

• għażel

From Arabic. At least two roots are comparable and the Maltese is perhaps from a merger of them: 1.) حَظِر (ḥaẓir, “picket, cane for a fence”), حِظار (ḥiẓār, “fence, enclosure”); 2.) خِطْر (ḵiṭr, “branch of a tree”), خَطّار (ḵaṭṭār, “camel’s tail, pendulum, quivering spear”). If the original meaning was “club, cudgel”, then حَدَرَ (ḥadara, “to be thick, swollen”) may also be relevant.

ħatar m (plural ħtar or oħtra or ħtur or ħtura, diminutive ħtajjar or ħtajtar)

1. stick, cane, rod, club, cudgel
   • c. 2015, Il-Bibbja : il-Kotba Mqaddsa, 5th edition, Valletta: Ghaqda Biblika Maltija, →OCLC, Il-Ktieb tal-Eżodu 4:4:

     U l-Mulej qal lil Mosè: “Midd idek, u aqbdu minn denbu” - u medd idu u qabdu, u sar ħatar f’idu.

     King James Version translation: And the Lord said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand.