għ

• (phoneme) IPA^(key): /-/, /ː/, /ˤ/, /ɛ/, /ɔ/, /j/, /w/, /ħ/

għ (upper case Għ)

1. The ninth letter of the Maltese alphabet, called ajn and written in the Latin script.

• Maltese għ continues Arabic ع‎ (ʿ) and غ‎ (ḡ). In the early 19th century, the two phonemes were apparently still distinguished as /ʕ/ and /ʁ/ respectively. Soon afterwards, however, they were merged into one phoneme /ʕ/, which was regularly devoiced to [ħ] in word-final position. This is the phonological system on which Maltese spelling is based.
• In contemporary Maltese, għ remains a true consonant [ħ] in word-final position (maqtugħ [maʔˈtuːħ]) and in the cluster -għh-, which becomes [ħħ]. Otherwise it is silent or leaves at most a vocalic trace:
  • Following and preceding a, e, o are lengthened (if stressed): għodwa [ˈɔːdwa], nagħġa [ˈnaːdʒa].
  • Following i, u become diphthongs: bgħid [bɛjt], jistgħu [ˈjɪstɔw].
  • In intervocalic position it is a glide, [j] after i, ie, and [w] after u: tiegħek [ˈtɪːjɛk], maqtugħa [maʔˈtuːwa].
  • Adjacent vowels may also be laryngealised in very conservative accents, thus alternatively [ˈɔˤːdwa], [bɛˤjt], etc., for the above.
• After unstressed a, word-final għ is most often lost and then represented by an apostrophe: jisma' [ˈjɪsma]. It resurfaces when an ending is added to the word: jisimgħu [jɪˈsɪmɔw]. The only exceptions are the verb endings -ajt, -ajna, -ajtu, and -x, before which vowelised għ is simply dropped in the spelling: smajt [smajt], jismax [jɪsˈmaːʃ].
• Phonotactically, word-initial għ now generally behaves like a vowel, allowing contractions such as m’għandix [manˈdiːʃ]. However, word-internal għ still behaves like a (virtual) consonant. Compare the aforementioned jisimgħu, where the vowel i has been added before the m, as though the latter were followed by a consonant.

• (Latin-script letters) ittra; A a, B b, Ċ ċ, D d, E e, F f, Ġ ġ, G g, Għ għ, H h, Ħ ħ, I i, Ie ie, J j, K k, L l, M m, N n, O o, P p, Q q, R r, S s, T t, U u, V v, W w, X x, Ż ż, Z z