nnifs-

Maltese

Alternative forms
  • innifs- (after a consonant, mostly also after a pause)

Etymology

From Arabic نَفْس (nafs, “self, soul, living being”), related with Maltese nifs (“breath”), from Arabic نَفَس (nafas). Regarding the initial gemination in some of the forms perhaps through the prepositional construction بِنَفْسِي (binafsī), بِنَفْسِكَ (binafsika), etc.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /(ɪ)nˈnɪfs/

Pronoun

nnifs-

  1. -self; used with a pronominal suffix to form emphatic pronouns
    Synonym: stess
    jiena nnifsi ― I myself
    Alla nnifsu ― God himself

Usage notes
  • Before the ending -ha of the third-person feminine, the stem usually becomes nfis-, thus nfisha (“herself”).
  • Before plural endings, the stem becomes nfus- (“-selves”).

Inflection
Inflected forms of nnifs-
Personal-pronoun-
including forms		 singular plural
m f
1st person nnifsi nfusna
2nd person nnifsek nfuskom
3rd person nnifsu nnifsha nfushom

See also
  • (reflexive pronoun) ruħ-
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