fellus

Maltese

Root
f-l-s
5 terms

Etymology

Inherited from dialectal Maghrebi Arabic (compare Tunisian Arabic فَلّوس (fallūs), Libyan Arabic فِلُّوس (fillūs), Moroccan Arabic فلوس (fallūs)), from a Berber language, from Latin pullus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fɛlˈluːs/
• Rhymes: -uːs

Noun

fellus m (plural flieles, diminutive flejles)

1. chick, young chicken
   • c. 2015, Il-Bibbja : il-Kotba Mqaddsa, 5th edition, Valletta: Ghaqda Biblika Maltija, →OCLC, San Mattew 23:37:

     Ġerusalemm, Ġerusalemm, int li toqtol il-profeti u tħaġġar il-messaġġiera mibgħutin lilek, kemm-il darba ridt niġbor lil uliedek bħalma l-qroqqa tiġbor il-flieles taħt ġwenħajha, u int ma ridtx!

     New International Version translation: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.

   • c. 2015, Il-Bibbja : il-Kotba Mqaddsa, 5th edition, Valletta: Ghaqda Biblika Maltija, →OCLC, San Luqa 13:34:

     Ġerusalemm! Ġerusalemm! Int li toqtol il-profeti u tħaġġar il-messaġġiera li jibgħatlek Alla; kemm ridt niġbor lil uliedek bħalma l-qroqqa tiġbor il-flieles tagħha taħt ġwenħajha, u int ma ridtx!

     New International Version translation: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.

2. (figuratively) suspicion

See also

• serduq
• tiġieġa