sejjer

Maltese

Root
s-j-r (going)
2 terms

Etymology

From Arabic سائِر (sāʔir), active participle of سارَ (sāra). The verb was lost in Maltese as it became homophonous with sar (“to become”), from Arabic صارَ (ṣāra).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsɛj.jɛr/

Adjective

sejjer (feminine singular sejra, plural sejrin)

1. on one’s way (to), going (somewhere)

   Jien u sejjer l-iskola, rajt kelb mejjet. ― One my way to school I saw a dead dog.

   • Traditional (lyrics and music), “Ja ħanina”, performed by Frans Baldacchino:

     Fuq il-blata ġej u sejjer, fuq il-blata nerġa’ mmur.
     Għax hemmhekk għandi namrata, u xxejjirli bil-maktur.
     Ħanina, nitolbok ħaġa: Islifli ftit il-maktur!
     Dawk in-nies ma jkunux jafu, ’l ommok ma ngħidilhiex żgur.

     To the rock I come and go, on the rock I always walk,
     For I have my sweetheart there, and she waves to me with a handkerchief.
     Darling, one thing I ask of you: Lend me that handkerchief a while!
     Those people won’t even know, and I sure won’t tell your mum.

Particle

sejjer

1. Indicates a future tense.

   Synonyms: se, ser, ħa

   • 1970, Anton Buttigieg, “Lis-Sena l-Ġdida 1964”, in Fl-Arena:

     X’sejra ġġibilna ġewwa l-fardal tiegħek.
     ja Sena Ġdida?
     Ah! biegħed minna
     il-għelt, il-ġlied,
     id-demm bejn l-aħwa;
     rażżan ir-regħba u l-ġibdiet tal-ħakma,
     rattab l-irjus u l-qlub,
     ġibilna s-sabar ta’ xulxin, l-imħabba,
     ġibilna l-għaqda,
     ġibilna s-sliem,
     ġibilna l-ħelsien!

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)