It is fast becoming customary to refer to Il-Belt Valletta and Floriana instead of the time-honoured expressions Il-Belt and Il-Furjana.

Why the superfluous Valletta? We Maltese always mean Valletta when we say “Sejjer Il-Belt” (“I am going to Valletta”) and tourists would look out for the road sign Valletta not Il-Belt Valletta.

And would any Maltese say “Jien twelidt il-Floriana” instead of “Jien twelidt Il-Furjana”? (“I was born in Floriana”).

Isn’t this a coarse manipulation of our dear Maltese language?

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