werżieq
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Maltese[edit]
| Root |
|---|
| w-r-ż-q |
| 1 term |
Etymology[edit]
Related to the verb werżaq (“to scream, shriek”), which has a plausible origin in a blend of werwer + obsolete żagħaq, themselves from Arabic وَلْوَلَ (walwala, “to wail”) + زَعَقَ (zaʕaqa, “to shout”). Werżieq would then be the agent noun of this verb (“screamer”). However, it is seems equally likely that the verb is in fact a backformation from the noun, which would in turn stem from Berber; compare Kabyle warzigen, arzigen, obsolete variants (each attested once near the end of the 19th c.) of contemporary awerǧeǧǧi, awerǧeǧǧin (“cidada”).
Pronunciation[edit]
Noun[edit]
werżieq m (plural wrieżaq)