• The infinitive is żomm.
• Present tense (3rd person masc.): hu jżomm
• Past tense: hu żamm, hi żammet
• Imperative: żomm! — “Hold!”
• Participles: miżmum (held) — parallels Arabic maḍmūm.

Meanings:

1. to hold
   → Żomm idejja. — “Hold my hands.”
2. to keep, to retain
   → Żamm kelmtu. — “He kept his word.”
3. to restrain, to control
   → Żamm lilhom milli jitkellmu. — “He kept them from speaking.”
4. to endure, to bear (emotionally or physically)
   → Ma stajtx inżomm id-dmugħ. — “I couldn’t hold back the tears.”
5. to reserve / book (modern usage)
   → Żammejt mejda fir-ristorant. — “I reserved a table at the restaurant.”

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🧬 Etymology:

żamm derives from Arabic root ʾ-M-M / Z-M-M or Ṣ-M-M, possibly related to ḍamma (ضمّ) — meaning to gather, hold together.

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🌍 Cultural and idiomatic usage:

Maltese uses żomm/żamm in many idioms and phrases that carry both literal and metaphorical meanings:

• Żomm sikkina fil-qalb — “Holding a knife in the heart” (used of someone keeping silent pain).
• Żomm f’wiċċek — “Hold your ground” / “Stand up to someone.”
• Żomm kelmtek — “Keep your word.”
• Żomm il-post — “Keep the place” (also: don’t move from your seat).

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🔍 żamm fil-wiċċ (idiom) – Lexical Breakdown and Idiomatic Meaning:

• żamm – from the verb żamm, meaning “to hold, to keep, to maintain.”
• fil-wiċċ – literally “on the surface” (wiċċ = “face” or “surface” + fil = “in the/on the”).

🧭 Literal Translation:

“To keep on the surface”
→ Which naturally extends to:
“To stay afloat” (e.g., in water), or “to cope, to endure, to manage to stay up” (in metaphorical situations).

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🌊 Primary Meaning: Swimming / Floating

In physical terms:

“Tifel żamm fil-wiċċ għal minuta.”
“The boy stayed afloat for a minute.”

Here it has the direct sense of not sinking — as in swimming or floating on water.

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💡 Figurative Usage: Coping or Enduring

Much like in English or other languages, this phrase is used metaphorically:

“Qiegħed nipprova nżomm fil-wiċċ minkejja kollox.”
“I’m trying to stay afloat in spite of everything.”

This could refer to finances, emotions, health — surviving difficulties without going under.

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żamm fil-wiċċ (idiom)
— to stay on the surface; to remain afloat
— fig. to cope, to endure; to keep one’s head above water

Etymology:
From żamm (to hold/keep) + wiċċ (face, surface). Literally “to hold on the surface.”

Synonyms:
— żomm ruħek għaddej (keep yourself going)
— tgħum (to swim) — related in context, but different verb

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• Maltese, Malta ✠