zija
/ˈt͡siː.ja/feminine
Aunt in Maltese is zija.
zija means aunt, the sister of a parent or the wife of an uncle.
Meaning: a parent's sister or sister-in-law (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural is zijiet. Possession is shown with an ending, so her aunt is zijitha, with ha for her.
How do you pronounce it?
zija is pronounced /ˈtsiː.ja/, with the stress on the first of its two syllables.
Did you know?
- The word zija traces its lineage back through Sicilian and Latin to the Ancient Greek word theía.
- In Maltese, the word zija is not just a biological term, but can also be a way to honor a woman of a certain age in your community. Addressing a stranger as zija is a common way to show warmth and social respect.
- While many Maltese words use Arabic-style pluralization, the plural of zija is zijiet, which follows an Italian or Sicilian pattern. This highlights the linguistic tug-of-war between the Semitic and Romance influences in the islands.
Examples in context
- Għandha relazzjoni ħafna tajba ma’ zijitha.She has a very good relationship with her aunt.zijitha means her aunt, with the ending for her.
Example conversation
Kurt and Jessica are talking about a family gathering.
- KurtHija ħlief iz-zija tiegħek?Is she your aunt?
- JessicaIyeh, dik hija zija tiegħi.Yes, that is my aunt.
- KurtHija tġi mill-Beltem?Is she from Beltem?
- JessicaLe, iz-zija tiegħi tinsab f'Mdina.No, my aunt lives in Mdina.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “aunt” translations and entries zija, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries zija, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
