giref – Maltese verb conjugation

Past participle: migruf

Noun from verb: grif

Verb Classification:

• Form: I

Hyphenation:

Imperative

Singular	igref
Plural	igirfu

Verbs conjugated like giref

af, afda, alza, amar, amba, badbad, bagħad, bagħat, bagħbas, bagħtar, baħat, baħbaħ, baħnan, bahrad, bahraġ, bakar, balbal, balja, balka, bambal

Etymology

1. Probably from Arabic جَرَفَ (jarafa, “to sweep away, scoop, shovel”). Compare gerriefa (“kind of hoe”) with Arabic جَرّافة (jarrāfa) and مِجْرَفة (mijrafa), both originally meaning “rake, hoe, shovel”.
2. Alternatively, it has been linked to قَرَفَ (qarafa, “to peel, decorticate”), though this is less likely, partly because the Maltese ⟨g⟩ almost never derives from Arabic ق (q). However, geddum is an example where such a phonological shift is attested.
3. Finally, it is worth noting Old French grifer (“to scratch”), from Proto-Germanic *grīpaną, which, although clearly not the original source, may have influenced the word's meaning or form. See: Arabic 'جَرَفَ', Proto-Germanic '*grīpaną'.

Sample Sentences