Name origins

I refer to the letter by Joe Zammit Ciantar (May 7) where he didn’t agree with Joseph Aquilina on the name given to the place in Gozo (Għarb) called Ħalq Ħamiem

I think that Mr Zammit Ciantar still got the name wrong when he said it should be called Ħarq Ħamiem. The actual name is Ħarq Ħammiem. It is called so because Ħarq, which means a fissure, and Ħammiem comes from the noise that the sea waves make when coming up from the fissure at the bottom of the cliffs to the top, making this kind of murmuring noise. The verb of Ħammiem is iħammem and that’s why Ħammiem is called so.

I have been to this location many times and if Mr Zammit Ciantar can sometimes visit the place he can hear this murmuring noise when the waves happen to be from the right direction. One can also see the rush of the water coming up from the fissure all the way to the top (150-200 feet!).