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Glite Dictionary
capital of Malta

capital of Malta

3.0
The main city of Malta where the government is based
  • noun
translation icon : capital de Malta
  • Valletta, the capital of Malta, is known for its stunning architecture.

Examples

  • If you're traveling to Malta, make sure to explore the capital of Malta, Valletta.

  • During my trip, I visited the capital of Malta, which was full of historic sites.

  • -Valletta, the capital of Malta.

    A Law for Christmas (2023)

Synonyms

national capital
vscapital of Malta
1 2.5

A city where a country's government and leaders work

refers to that one country's chief city rather than the general type
Valletta
vscapital of Malta
1 4.8

A city that is the capital of Malta on the northeast coast of the island

is the descriptive phrase for that same city rather than its proper name
Valetta
vscapital of Malta
1 4.6

Capital city of Malta on the island's northeast coast

is the standard spelling of that city with a double l

Surface Forms

capital of Malta singular
capitals of Malta plural

Morphology

capital + of + Malta

The meaning 'the chief city and administrative center of Malta' is directly and compositionally derived from 'capital' (a city where a nation's government is based) combined with the possessive relation expressed by 'of' and the country name 'Malta'. This is a very common, cross-linguistic noun phrase pattern, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words will readily understand the MWE.

Etymology

Capital of Malta comes from the old idea of capital meaning the 'head' or 'main city' of a country. So the capital of Malta is the city where the government sits and the country's main city, Valletta.