ċagħqa

• ċagħka

From Sicilian ciaca (“pebble”). The word was also used for a kind of limestone found near Palermo, so it is probably from Latin calx, calcis (“limestone, chalk”). Formally this is explainable through metathesis (*clac-, whence regularly Sicilian chiac-, ciac-). The sense “pebble” is apparently not found in Latin, but is that of Ancient Greek χάλιξ (khálix), itself perhaps the etymon of the Latin word. The sense may have been borrowed in southern Italy directly from local Greek-speakers. Based on the Maltese form, a derivation from Arabic كَعْكة‎ (kaʿka, “biscuit”) has also been considered, which is less convincing, however. The għ was probably inserted in Maltese to preserve the central realisation of the -a- (as in some other early Romance borrowings). Variation between k and q is fairly common in Maltese; compare serduq, serduk.

• IPA^(key): /ˈt͡ʃaːʔa/
• IPA^(key): /ˈt͡ʃaˤːʔa/ (archaic)

ċagħqa f (collective ċagħaq, plural ċagħqiet)

1. pebble