rgħajn

Maltese

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic غَيْن (ḡayn). The spelling ‹rgħ› is a merely linguistic convention, due to the use of [ʁ] for ‹r› in languages like French or German as well as in Maltese speakers with a rhotacism.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɣajn/ (properly)
• IPA^(key): /raːjn/, /rajn/ (among those who cannot produce the sound)

Noun

rgħajn f

1. the voiced velar or voiced uvular fricative /ɣ~ʁ/, an archaic phoneme in Maltese; see għ for more