arżnu

Perhaps from Arabic أَرْز‎ (ʾarz, “cedar”). For the last syllable compare żnuber, itself meaning “fir” but being from Arabic صَنَوْبَر‎ (ṣanawbar, “pine”). The form could thus plausibly stem from the clipping of a pleonastic *arżnuber. However, one (or even both) of these phonetic connections might be entirely coincidental. (This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

• IPA^(key): /ˈar.znu/

arżnu m

1. pine (tree)

• The singular is used both as a singulative and a collective. The form siġra tal-arżnu may be used instead, and paucal and plural are always expressed with inflections of siġra.

• ċedru (“cedar”)