Comments on: More hysterics from Labour

By: Sybil

Sybil — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 11:19:06 +0000

M.Bormann as in Martin Bormann? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Bormann

By: Michael Debono

Michael Debono — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 17:06:16 +0000

@Daphne
Why interfere on how the Maltese language is written.
” though, tough and through?”All English words
Mrs. Daphne what are the gh doing in these words. They are nearly all mute. But let’s be more serious. The gh very much in use in the Maltese language is not a Maltese specialty as you might (note the gh) notice. The gh is very common in the English Saxon that is quite different from the “Norman” English which is more akin of the French or rather Latin languages.
Referring to dots, accents and other orthographical signs in the Maltese alphabet that you appear to dismiss their importance. How about writing to the French Academy and explain why they should abolish all those little niceties on the French vowels, that according to your opinion, are useless. All the students of French will be grateful if you succeed in your endeavour. No need to explain, it is obvious: simplicity. But simplicity might create confusion, hence the 40 immortals might not agree. It is the same for our Maltese.
It is not only the French language that has orthographical signs on certain vowels; even the Italian that is very simple to write has some, and Spanish. Other languages have orthographical signs not just on vowels but even on consonants if I am not mistaken
So please do not walk where angels fear to tread.

By: Daphne Caruana Galizia

Daphne Caruana Galizia — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 13:59:17 +0000

@Janice Bonello: you quoted it yourself, so can’t you understand the meaning of this sentence:

“This grisly phrase is the colloquial name for the death sentence which is more properly called hanged, drawn and quartered.”

In other words, the correct expression is not ‘hung, drawn and quartered’, but ‘hanged, drawn and quartered’. People are hanged, not hung, when what you are talking about is an execution rather than suspension from an abseiling rope.

The Poles and Czechs stick to their dots and dashes because they’ve had them for rather a long time, and their written language grew organically. The present form of written Maltese, on the other hand, was invented and forced upon us, to replace the previous organic form that had served everyone very well, and without dots and dashes.

By: Corinne Vella

Corinne Vella — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 10:20:30 +0000

Ganni Borg: Which group are you talking about? I don’t know about you, but I haven’t met many of the people who post comments here and it’s unclear whether they have met each other. How does that make everyone here a ‘group’ which would, incidentally, include you too. Perhaps you’re confusing ‘group think’ with ‘like mindedness’? You’d still be far off the mark, if that is the case. There are enough conflicting opinions to show that though not, apparently, to you.

By: Janice Bonello nee Gatt

Janice Bonello nee Gatt — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 08:33:17 +0000

Bormann – you’re a pedantic chappie aren’t you? Maybe a bit of a racist too?

Daphne – Hung, drawn and quartered. Meaning. A gruesome form of torture and, eventually, death by execution. Origin. This grisly phrase is the colloquial name for the death sentence which is more properly called hanged, drawn and quartered. File that will you. And also: http://www.usingenglish.com/reference/irregular-verbs/hang.html

To hang: hung/hanged

Incidentally you need not get too hot under the collar about the dotted Cs, Zs and Gs and the crossed Hs. Look around a bit and you’ll find that several wonderful languages stick to their ‘useless’ dots and strokes. Czech, Polish, Hungarian, Swedish. You name it, they’ve got it. This obsession with comparing everything to England and the English is quite tiresome. And boring.

By: Ganni Borg

Ganni Borg — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 06:42:21 +0000

Amanda Mallia, here is one of the main symptoms of Groupthink:

“4. Stereotyping those who are opposed to the group as weak, evil, disfigured, impotent, or stupid.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groupthink

Sounds familiar?

By: Ganni Borg

Ganni Borg — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 06:39:10 +0000

No Francis, nothing has realy changed. The majority is still one seat whioh means that JPO is still calling all the shots.

And the PM still has to pay his disgruntled ex-ministers 18 months salary for nothing to make sure they let him keep his seat.

By: John Schembri

John Schembri — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 04:11:36 +0000

@ Daphne : you don’t know how to write tal-biza it’s got the apostrophe at the end apart from the dot on the zee.Your English is perfect but your Maltese needs polishing , and its not your fault.
Removing the dot from the Maltese C is understandable .

By: Malcolm Buttigieg

Malcolm Buttigieg — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 21:27:46 +0000

Qed jahraqkom?

By: Daphne Caruana Galizia

Daphne Caruana Galizia — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 20:56:41 +0000

@Janice Bonello nee Gatt: it’s ‘hanged, drawn and quartered’ not ‘hung, drawn and quartered’. File that piece of information with your cruxi-fiction.