Dialects flaunted at Gozo activity

Marianna Galea Xuereb

Sep 11th 2008, 04:07

Thank you, Tenjkju, Grazzi…. Whatever happened to “Nizzik hajr”?

I must admit though, that I myself tend to use Grazzi or Thank you.

But I would like to know whether it is possible to use "Nizzik hajr" when thanking an audience rather than one person only. Is "Nizzikhom hajr" grammatically correct?

ODETTE MALLIA

Sep 10th 2008, 20:58

JAHASRA VERU NIDEJJAQ ...................KULL LINGWA HIJA HAJJA ALLURA BILFORS ,IRRIDU JEW MA RRIDUX ! DIN TRID TINBIDEL MAZ-ZMIEN. DIMENT LI META NITKELLMU DAK LI RRIDU NWASSLU JIFMHU KULL MIN QED JISMAGHNA MA JKUNX HEMM PROBLEMI.JIEN MA NAQBILX LI NKELLEM LIL XI HADD U NUZA KLIEM LI HU QATT MA SEMGHA QABEL GHAX.??... .FUQ KOLLOX IL-KLIEM QIGHED SABIEX WIEHED JIKKOMMUNIKA MA L-IEHOR DAK HU L-UNIKA GHAN WARA IL-KLIEM KOLLU. WARA KULL KELMA HEMM MESSAGG JASAL KIF JASAL, L-IMPORTANTI LI JIFTIHEM...MAWEGG ,BI DJALETT, B'ACCENT ,B'LINGWA DIFFERENTI ,GDID ,ANTIK, MHALLAT ,MODERN... GHALIJA KOLLU SABIH L'AQWA LI NIFMHU...KULL BNIEDEM HU LIBERU JESPRIMI RUHHU KIF JHOSSU KOMDU W HADD MA GHANDU DRITT JINDAHAL VIVA L-LIBERTA TAL-KELMA GRAZZI W HEKK IKKUMENTAJT JIEN UKOLL U BIL-LINGWA TIEGHI

Pauline Barbara

Sep 10th 2008, 17:54

Whether we like it or not accents /dialects will die out eventually because villages are no longer as insular as they once were. In the past people hardly ever communicated regularly with anyone outside their own village or at the most with those from nearby villages, this is how accents developed to begin with. Infact the villages (in Malta) with the strongest accents are those in the South and North of the island, because centrally located villages tended to be less insular then for ex. Zejtun, Mosta or Mellieha.

Nowadays people move freely from one part of the island to the other, children go to schools outside their village, people go to work outside their village and this all leads to the demise of accents.

It is a shame that accents will die out, but they will and I think its a good idea if different accents from Malta & Gozo can be recorded and written about for future generations.

Josette Buttigieg

Sep 10th 2008, 16:08

@ Paul Attard
You laugh at the Gozitan dialect, at what we have inherited from our ancestors, at what makes us different in a positive and authentic way. You think the clip is good because it made you laugh at what still remains of the original Maltese language which nowadays is being continously slaughtered in other parts of Malta, and worse still, on the media. I dare say that you have a very weird sense of humour.

John Portelli

Sep 10th 2008, 11:24

To all critics below in regards to my comments that the way we gozitans speak maltese is not a dialect but an accent, I say you really don't know what you are talking about. Also, for the record, I speak maltese with a gozitan accent and I am darn proud to speak it that way. On top of that, I don't attempt to speak my gozitan maltese the way it is spoken most parts of Malta (not all), because to do otherwise will do a disservice to out unique gozitan-maltese linguistic features.

Amanda Mallia

Sep 9th 2008, 23:02

Franco Farrugia - The fact remains, Mr Farrugia, that the correct expression to use - moreso given the circumstances where it was said - would have been "grazzi" or "nirringrazjak". Sadder still is the fact that although the man chose to use the English version, he could not even pronounce it properly.

Oh, and your closing word "chortle" leads one to think that you must have learnt your English from the Dandy or Beano

Paul Attard

Sep 9th 2008, 19:41

I had to laugh at this and I'm sorry. In a very small Island if this gets any 'worse' no one will be able to understand anyone else in a few years! Only in Gozo huh? :)

Before anyone gets upset, I originally come from Gozo. I thought the festival was a good idea! :) It just made me laugh out loud.

mark causon

Sep 9th 2008, 18:07

congratulations to the organisers, pity it was not highly advertised, because i am sure a lot of people would have loved to attend such a festival.

A Padovani

Sep 9th 2008, 17:55

I am intrigued by the term 'brejku' which describes the dialect hailing from Gharb.

I am reliably informed by a Gozitan colleague that this dialect is difficult to understand, even by Gozitans. To my mind, this term seems to be a corruption of the word 'Ebrajk', meaning Hebrew.

Is there any linguist who perhaps might shed some light on whether this dialect is descended directly from the Hebrew language, and what would be the historical significance of this?

Robert Callus

Sep 9th 2008, 17:13

@Martin Farrugia
I agree with your analysis. What I don't agree with, or probably misunderstood you is that if dialects signify identity it seems like something wrong. I think it's ok if they make you feel 'united' with people of the same dialect. United does not mean superior or inferiour, hostile to others or more or less Maltese. Just like the unity between people supporting a football team (not the ones that use violence obviously)

Martin Farrugia

Sep 9th 2008, 14:23

Languages are first and foremost a means of communication, and temporal or geographic variations should not be interpreted as grades of 'Malteseness'. An old Gozitan farmer's wife speaking in an old dialect while working on bizzilla is no more Maltese than an IT specialist working in an iGaming firm in say, Msida, who is chatting on his mobile phone in his usual mix of english words and maltese syntax. Languages are never static, but develop and change overtime. Therefore, there is no such thing as original Maltese language but there is Maltese as spoken and understood by the people of Malta. The same applies to national identity. Identities are never static but develop and change over time. The inhabitants of this island identified themselves with the romans, arabs, normans and knights, but it is only in the 18th centrury that the concept of 'nationhood' emerged and 'Malteseness' , born. So let us put things in perspective. Dialects are nice because they are quaint. However dialects should not be used to identify grades of 'Malteseness' or to taint our past with quasi-spiritual qualities our history (nor that of any other country - for that matter), ever had.

James De Giorgio

Sep 9th 2008, 14:19

I so wish dialects and accents won't die out. A small question to you all: how do you pronounce "tieghi"? Like "tiyay", "tiyey", "tiyi" or "tiyoy"? Any other variation? I'm from Hamrun and I say "tiyey", like my mother who is from Luqa. However the rest of my family says "tiyay" like my dad who's from Hamrun.

Katie Micallef

Sep 9th 2008, 13:09

@ John Portelli: you're actually wrong. The Gozitan dialect is not merely 'Maltese pronounced badly' as you are implying, it has a variety of vocabulary unique to Gozitans only. The Gozitan dialect is actually closer to the origins of Maltese than Maltese is. Before you ask other people to get their facts right, it helps if you get yours right first.

AnnMarie Pawley

Sep 9th 2008, 11:39

@john portelli

From www.dictionary.com;

accent - prominence of a syllable in terms of differential loudness, or of pitch, or length, or of a combination of these.

dialect - a variety of a language that is distinguished from other varieties of the same language by features of phonology, grammar, and vocabulary, and by its use by a group of speakers who are set off from others geographically or socially.

So what we speak are actually dialects even in different villages.

John Portelli

Sep 9th 2008, 11:13

Please allow me to say a few words regarding this topic. I do not think that the way we Gozitans and Maltese (Maltese in many parts of Malta also speak Maltese with a different accent) is a dialect. I hope that the Maltese and Gozitan linguistics come out and speak on this. What we gozitans and maltese speak is an ACCENT. I have all around the world and many people in different countries like the US, UK, Canada and Australia for that matter who all speak english and they all speak it differently. We don't say they have a different dialect. We say they have a different accent. I think we need to use correct terminology and not classify the way gozitans speak as a dialect. The way gozitans speak is Maltese (not a gozitan dialect) ebecause after all, once we gozitans are outside of Maltese, we are Maltese above anything else. We really need to put things in perspective and stop inventing something that doesn't exist.

AnnMarie Pawley

Sep 9th 2008, 10:55

@D.Galea

Having read your comment I came to the conclusion that you're one of the 'tal-pepe' who thinks that speaking Maltese is scandalous and out-dated.

I'm sure that you are aware that the English language you probably revere is not the grammatically correct English we are taught in our schools, and that each region in England alone has it's own particular accent and dialect (and I am referring to accents and dialects as spoken by the 'real' native English not foreigners who chose to make England their home).

Maybe you should do better to learn Maltese and appreciate our unique language than to scorn it. Or at least if you're so pro-English learn to employ proper sarcasm. After all that is the English trademark.

I.Sammut

Sep 9th 2008, 06:14

Now, that's very clever - we're criticizing the use of "Tenjkju" while I am sure that the great majority of us use it everyday. Would our conscience have been appeased if they had used the italian-derived Grazzi instead?

Well, I guess there are people who live to grumble and need to have something to bicker about. It's easier to break down other people's Sandcastles than build our own.

Warm Compliments to the organisers for supporting our disappearing heritage.

Gorg Gauci

Sep 8th 2008, 23:07

Well done to the NGO VersAgħtini - Il-Kelma Maltija.

If you want to read something fascinating go to:

http://victorgalea.blogspot.com/2008/09/inobb-dak-li-hu-tagna.html

Apparently the blogger participated in this social event and did not shy away what he inherited from his forefathers. Prosit.

G. Gauci
Balzan

Franco Farrugia

Sep 8th 2008, 22:35

@ Amanda Mallia - Amanda, dearest, I am not the Mayor so pls don't attack ME for that silly but acceptable omission (We are all prone to making mistakes, are we not?). Hence, no need to get angry with me, chortle!!!!

Amanda Malia

Sep 8th 2008, 22:02

Franco Farrugia - Are you insinuating that "tenk yuw" is a Maltese expression? At a gathering such as this one, the organisers should have been all the more conscious of using only Maltese, which "thank you" (the correct pronunciation) is not; likewise the use of the word "televixxin".

Rest assured, Mr Farrugia, that when people in my family speak Maltese, then they would do so properly, without having to think. In the above case, the word "grazzi" would have been more appropriate, especially given the nature of the gathering.

Charles DeMicoli

Sep 8th 2008, 20:06

A great big 'thank you' to Miriam Cassar for taking the initiative to preserve our dialects. I believe she held other such events in Malta already. A few years back I bought a CD by a Maltese-Australian band, the Mifsud Brothers. One of my favorite tracks is a song they do in one of the 3 Zejtun dialects.

By the way, 'celebrating', 'showcasing' or 'focusing on' are more suitable than 'flaunting', in my opinion. 'Flaunting' carries some negative, confrontational, connotiations. But then again, jien fej' nuf!

Charles Sammut

Sep 8th 2008, 17:16

A very interesting clip indeed with very familiar faces. It's amazing that since Gozo is so tiny and there is so little real estate separating these localities that the different pronunciation is so distinct. Very good event when people from various localities can get together and have a good time expressing themselves in their local brogue; After all it does not matter where one is from in Gozo; bottom line every one there is a close neighbour to each other.

Angie Warrington

Sep 8th 2008, 16:45

As a teacher I found this clip really interesting. Now this is a hands-on way of teaching Maltese to my class! It is also something which foreigners find very interesting; any linguist would find this an invaluable source of research

Doris Sacco

Sep 8th 2008, 16:16

An enjoyable video-clip. Let's have more

Franco Farrugia

Sep 8th 2008, 14:57

It's such a pity that we have some people in Malta who think that they are above the rest of us, common mortals, and downplay the Maltese language with its different dialects. In another Eng. language newspaper, a particular columnist attacked these dialects. Of course, she was told where to get off. She should first start by learning the Maltese language properly, and appreciate it; THEN, start writing about dialects in Gozo.

Philip Grech

Sep 8th 2008, 14:34

helwa hafna...izda xorta s-Sindku wiegeb 'tenk ju" meta qala it-tifkira!!

Nathalie Doneo

Sep 8th 2008, 14:08

'Thank you' ................ xi djalet tal-Munxar ???? :) :) :)...................u tlett darbiet. Tilifli il-gost li hadd.

D.Galea

Sep 8th 2008, 13:35

It's goes to show that it's no wonder people misunderstand eachother so much here!

Emmanuel Vella

Sep 8th 2008, 12:43

I fully agree with Paul A. Attard, about holding a National Dialect Festival in Malta as well. It is amazing how this tiny island have so many different dialects.
It could be very interesting for each and every one especially the young ones. This surely helps in appreciating one's language and mother country.

A Formosa

Sep 8th 2008, 12:29

Very interesting...I just hope the youngsters will still be able to spell in Maltese!

Jo.Galea

Sep 8th 2008, 11:52

What a nice event, this must be very educational.

Paul A Attard

Sep 8th 2008, 11:36

Beautiful dialects from our friends in Gozo - it's such a pleasure listening to them. I loved overhearing Gozitans speaking in what I thought was "Gozitan". Now I've discovered that in such a tiny island there are actually various dialects / varying dialects. Keep it alive!
What about a Dialects Festival in Malta - the Maltese do have a rich variety (including tal-Pepe'!) with which to compete with the Gozitans. Where is George Mifsud Chircop, God bless his soul?
[However, poor children, who have to follow the orthography of the Kunsill Nazzjonali tal-Ilsien Malti!]