If our ancestors had been afraid of language change, we would still be talking in Arabic, according to a Maltese linguistics academic.

“Take the word baqqun [pick axe], a Sicilian word. If our forefathers had not been open to keeping the language alive, they would have stuck to the Arabic word,” said Albert Borg, professor of Maltese linguistics and member of the National Council for the Maltese Language.

The council has just issued a new list of official Maltese translations for countries, nationalities and currencies, part of the style guide issued to Maltese translators in European institutions. This was unfavourably met by translators. “There is a certain dishonesty by translators because they asked for a revision of some terms,” Prof. Borg said.

“We are giving more choice not to fossilise the language. Many are afraid Maltese will die out... the members of the council are doing their utmost to counter such tendencies and allay irrational fears. Maltese is a live language and the council has no right to kill it.”

He said that about 300 people had attend a consultation seminar before the style guide was issued. “Do you know what that means? Usually only 30 people attend if you’re lucky,” he said of the interest the issue generated.

If you have something to tell me, say it to my face and not hide behind the minister

The consultative body was made up of people from all walks of life but also included academics, journalists and representatives of the government. “We consulted everyone but somewhere you have to draw a line,” he said.

Prof. Borg criticised an article in the Times of Malta entitled ‘Maltese language: what future?’ penned by historian Henry Frendo, which he said was “very similar” to the arguments raised in the consultation document on Maltese language issued by the Education Ministry.

“It merely instils the fear many people experience in the face of language change,” he said.

The document, which he described as a two-and-a-half-page ministerial document riddled with orthographical errors, calls for a re-evaluation of the existence, role and composition of the National Council for the Maltese Language.

The author of the document is unknown.

“On a personal level, it bothers me that the ministerial document is anonymous. If you have something to tell me, say it to my face and not hide behind the minister,” Prof. Borg said.

The council was set up in 2005 with orthography as its responsibility. It is made up of 11 members, five of whom are qualified linguists. “This guarantees that decisions are made after the issues involved are carefully evaluated,” Prof. Borg said. He fears the ministerial document wants to sow doubt on the credibility of the council.

He emphasised that, contrary to the impression given in Prof. Frendo’s article, the council had not yet published its recommendations about the spelling of English loanwords because it felt the need to have a wide consultation process and a diligent assessment of the issues at stake.

“We are not advocating the ‘phonetic’ writing of words like sordfixx (for swordfish) and xawer (for shower). We are still revising the 1984 rules, which had sanctioned the writing of English loanwords,” he said.

Karl Scicluna, from the Għaqda Qarrejja tal-Provi tal-Malti, said the association was in full agreement with the council. “The style guide would have gone through a very thorough sieve. Things cannot be debated on forever,” Mr Scicluna said.

With reference to Prof. Frendo’s article he said. “Prof. Frendo is the director of the Institute of Maltese Studies and that is not about Maltese language.”

The consultation period on the ministerial document, available on the Education Ministry website, closes on August 6.

Council’s reason for change

• Netherlandiż not Olandiż.

“Dutch do not like their country to be referred to as Holland. Holland for them is a region. Up till now we were using Pajjiżi l-Baxxi. But how many people think that when they think of Holland? We opted for the second closest, which is Netherlands,” Prof. Borg said.

• Ċina but Chad.

“Ċina has been in used in the Maltese language for a long time. The reference to Chad is relatively new. But would you write that as Ċed or Ċad? If you had to write it that way, no one would understand it when reading.”

• San Mariniż

“In our guidelines to translators we are saying that if someone is from San Marino we can say either ‘minn San Marino’ or ‘San Mariniż’ just like we say ‘dak mill-Ingilterra’ or ‘dak Ingliż’.

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