Malta University Publishing has issued George Cassola’s second Maltese dictionary for accountants and other operators in business and finance. The new Dizzjunarju tan-Negozju u l-Kontabilità follows on the first dictionary which was published in 2002. That first edition was highly appreciated for its usefulness to financial reporters and broadcasters, to accountants of co-operatives, local councils and many other business entities wanting to prepare their accounts in Maltese, and in particular to translators in EU and local institutions.
Since then, the world of business and finance has been further regulated with many new standards and rules that have introduced new terminology or redefined the old one. The new enlarged and updated dictionary widens the scope of the earlier one, not only by adding the new terms but by covering further concepts of business and finance in addition to those of accounting.
A novelty in this edition is that it is a two-way dictionary, having a Maltese-English section, unlike the first dictionary, which was only English-Maltese. In addition, it contains a list of acronyms used in the sector, which users will find quite handy.
A difficulty often encountered by users of dictionaries is that translation cannot be made word for word, but requires changes in the construction of sentences. A major advantage of this dictionary is the illustration by means of numerous examples, of the use of several terms, so that the equivalent in the alternative language is read in a context rather than in isolation. The user is thus assisted not only in the choice of a suitable term but also in its application.
The book carries a foreword by Peter J. Baldacchino, head of the University’s Department of Accountancy, who relates the book to Malta’s membership of the EU and the status of Maltese as an official language of the Union.
The Dizzjunarju tan-Negozju u l-Kontabilità is available from Malta University Publishing at the University of Malta and from all leading booksellers.