saltna

Maltese

Root
s-l-t-n
9 terms

Alternative forms

• saltnija, sultanija

Etymology

From Arabic سَلْطَنَة (salṭana).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsal.tna/

Noun

saltna f (plural saltniet, diminutive slajtna)

1. (now chiefly historical or figurative) kingdom, realm

   Synonym: renju

Usage notes

• The word is rare for modern internationally recognised states, but is otherwise still used in a broader or historical sense. Compare the Christian term below vis-à-vis a political term like Renju Unit (“United Kingdom”). A similar usage exists for sultan and re.
• The construct state is regular saltnet, but before suffixes it becomes saltnat- with a long /aː/, thus Tiġi saltnatek. (“Thy kingdom come.”)

Derived terms

• Saltna tas-Smewwiet (“Kingdom of Heaven”)