merħla

Derived from Arabic ⁧رَحَلَ⁩ (raḥala, “to saddle, to journey”), which in early Maltese was used of herdsmen and their animals; compare raħħal (“herdsman, stockbreeder”), from Arabic ⁧رَحّال⁩ (raḥḥāl, “traveller”). The underlying form is probably ⁧مَرْحَلة⁩ (marḥala) or ⁧*مِرْحَلة⁩ (*mirḥala), though the formation would seem to be independent from the Arabic word meaning “day’s journey, stretch”. It could also be ⁧مُرْحَلة⁩ (murḥala) or ⁧مُرْحِلة⁩ (murḥila); compare ⁧أَرْحَلَ⁩ (ʔarḥala, “to have many camels; to train a camel; to become fat [of a camel]”).

• IPA^(key): /ˈmɛr.ħla/

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merħla f (plural mrieħel, paucal merħliet)

1. herd, flock