FromArabicظُفْر(ẓufr). The unexpectedimala may be connected to an irregular development in some roots with final/r/, comparedeher andsider.
difer m (dualdifrejn,pluraldifrejnordwiefer)
- (anatomy)nail
2021 [2017], Antoine Cassar,Erbgħin Jum, 2nd edition, Malta: Ede Books:Bl-istess libsa vjola, tikxifli ħobbok
lewn l-ewwel ftira ma’ ħjiel iż-żerniq,
bl-istess sandli,difrejk ħomor daqs qalbi,
u xagħrek immewweġ jofrogħ fir-riħ.- (pleaseadd an English translation of this quotation)
- Difer andsaba’(“finger, toe”) are the only non-paired body parts in which the original dual is used with a plural sense. Withdifer, the dual is the normal choice, whereas the formdwiefer most often implies long or false nails. Only in very restricted contexts can the dual form still mean “two nails”. Only the dual form is possible with personal suffixes.
Inflection ofdifer | | singular | plural |
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| m | f |
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| singular | 1st person | difri | difirna |
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| 2nd person | difrek | difirkom |
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| 3rd person | difru | difirha | difirhom |
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|
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| plural | 1st person | difrejja | difrejna |
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| 2nd person | difrejk | difrejkom |
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| 3rd person | difrejh | difrejha | difrejhom |
|---|
