Malta
Meaning
- An archipelago and country in Southern Europe, in the Mediterranean Sea. Official name: Republic of Malta. Capital: Valletta.
- The largest island in the Maltese Archipelago.
- A small city, the county seat of Phillips County, Montana, United States.
Synonyms
Translations
Frequency
Pronounced as (IPA)
/ˈmɒl.tə/
Etymology
In summary
From Italian and Maltese Malta, from Arabic مَالِطَا (māliṭā, “Māliṭā”) etc., from Latin Melita, from Ancient Greek Μελίτη (Melítē), apparently from μέλι (méli, “honey”) + -η (-ē, “-a: forming feminine place names”) although its use for the island of Malta is considered uncertain. Some scholars consider it to represent the importance of the islands' indigenous bees and their output. Others consider it a transcription of Phoenician 𐤌𐤋𐤈 (mlṭ, “Grand Harbor, Cospicua”), from 𐤌𐤋𐤈 (mlṭ, “refuge, port”), reapplied first to the island and then, after the Punic Wars, to its Roman seat of government at Mdina. Note however that Latin Malta is already attested in some medieval manuscripts of the Antonine Itinerary. See Wikipedia's articles on Melite and Malta. Doublet of Meleda and Mljet.
Notes
Sign in to write sticky notes
Start learning English with learnfeliz.
Practice speaking and memorizing "Malta" and many other words and sentences in English.