ħa

• IPA^(key): /ħaː/
• Rhymes: -aː

From Arabic أَخَذَ (ʔaḵaḏa). Disregarding the different vowel colour (triggered by the ħ-), the vocalic development was exactly the same as in kiel (“to eat”), which see. The paradigm was further complicated by an unusual loss of -d in all word-final positions (except for the participle); this is also found in some Maghrebi dialects, compare Tunisian Arabic ناخو (nāḵu, “I take”).

ħa (imperfect jieħu, past participle meħud, verbal noun teħid)

1. to take, to receive

   ħa nifs ― he took a breath

   ħa riħ ― he got a cold

2. to experience, to feel

   Biex xita li kien hemm ħa tixriba qawwija.

   With the amount of rain falling he experienced a great drenching.

3. to deceive
4. to occupy, take up
5. to lead [with għal]
6. to marry [with b’ and mart]
7. to treat [with direct object and bħal ‘as someone’]

   Ħadni bħal wieħed iblah. ― He treated me as if I were a fool.

8. to wound

   Ħa riġlu lbieraħ. ― He wounded his foot yesterday.

9. to undertake responsibilities [with fuq]
10. to feel the effects [with ġo or f’ ‘of’]
11. to take after [with minn]

    Ħadet minn ommha. ― She took after her mother.

12. to be offended [with għal]

    Ħadet għalija b’li għedt. ― She was offended by what you said.

13. to take personally [with b’ and kbira]

    Toħodhiex bi kbira din li se ngħidlek ― Don't take personally what I'm about to say.

14. to quarrel [with -ha ‘dummy object’ and ma’ ‘with someone’]

    Ħadha miegħi. ― He quarreled with me.

15. to assert one's self [with ta’]

    Ħa tiegħu. ― He asserted himself.

16. to shake hands [with b’ and id]

    Malli raħ ħadlu b’idejh. ― Once he saw him he shook his hand.

Possibly from ها (“behold, look”) as in hekk. Otherwise an alteration of the imperative form ħu.

ħa

1. Used to mark the completion of giving or handing something to someone; here you go, there.

   Hawn qiegħed dak li kont qed tfittex, ħa

   Here's what you were searching for, here take it

2. (by extension) Used as a discourse marker to interrupt, soften, or redirect an utterance, especially to avoid or mitigate a swear or emotionally charged expression.

   Ma tmurx tieħdu f’... imnieħrek ħa biex ma ngħidx ħaġ’oħra!

   Go put it up your ... nose! So I don't say something else!

Interestingly matches Egyptian Arabic and Levantine Arabic حـ (ḥ-), shortened form of راح (rāḥ). However, راح (rāḥ) can also be seen in Algerian Arabic, hence showing use of such particle in Maghrebi Arabic.

Hence related to riħ and ruħ, as both derive from the same root with the sense of moving.

Interestingly, notice the same phenomenon of the deletion of r preceding a ħ as in Ħal from raħal.

ħa

1. Indicates a future tense.

   Synonyms: se, ser, sejjer