bejn

bejn

Maltese

Root
b-j-n
2 terms

Alternative forms

  • bejniet (rare as such, but see usage notes)

Etymology

    Inherited from Arabic بَيْنَ (bayna).

    Pronunciation

    • IPA(key): /bɛjn/
    • Rhymes: -ɛjn

    Preposition

    bejn

    1. between
      • 1970, Anton Buttigieg, “Lis-Sena l-Ġdida 1964”, in Fl-Arena:
        X’sejra ġġibilna ġewwa l-fardal tiegħek.
        ja Sena Ġdida?
        Ah! biegħed minna
        il-għelt, il-ġlied,
        id-demm bejn l-aħwa;
        rażżan ir-regħba u l-ġibdiet tal-ħakma,
        rattab l-irjus u l-qlub,
        ġibilna s-sabar ta’ xulxin, l-imħabba,
        ġibilna l-għaqda,
        ġibilna s-sliem,
        ġibilna l-ħelsien!
        (please add an English translation of this quotation)

    Usage notes

    • When there is a second object (between X and Y), the preposition can be repeated optionally. This usage is preferred when one of the objects is a personal pronoun/suffix; otherwise it is fairly rare:
    bejn ommi u (bejn) missieribetween my mother and my father
    bejnhom u (bejn) martibetween them and my wife
    bejni u bejn marti / bejn marti u jienbetween my wife and me
    • The suffixed forms (except in the first and second person singular) have two variants: one from the stem bejn- and one from the stem bejniet-. The predominant usage is that the simple form is used when there is a second object (as bejnhom above), while the extended form is used when there is but one object, namely a plural or collective: il-problemi bejniethom (the problems between them, their internal problems).

    Inflection

    Inflected forms of bejn
    Personal-pronoun-
    including forms
    singular plural
    m f
    1st person bejni bejnna
    2nd person bejnek bejnkom
    3rd person bejnu bejnha bejnhom
    Inflected forms of bejn
    Personal-pronoun-
    including forms
    singular plural
    m f
    1st person bejnieti bejnietna
    2nd person bejnietek bejnietkom
    3rd person bejnietu bejnietha bejniethom