Comments on: Oh, so now it's IRkotta, is it?

By: Clyde

Clyde — Wed, 09 May 2012 11:21:40 +0000

Every language has its peculiarities and these tend to increase over time.

For those of you who said Italians do not change the spelling for loan words you’re wrong. You’re also mistaken when you say that they do not use colloquialisms with different meanings in their official language even if they do not exist or have a different meaning in another language … golfino, basket, volley, mister, etc. It occurs in all or many languages not only Maltese.

Apart from this, I really believe in a Maltese saying “l-ispizjar milli jkollu jtik” (to be polite). As I said, all languages have peculiarities and irregularities INCLUDING English (if not the language par excellence with most irregularities). Yet it is widely spoken and undoubtedly has evolved, is evolving and will evolve and there is nothing ‘korrett’ or ‘skorrett/zbaljat’ about it.

Just get on with it and if you feel astonished or in dismay about it go along using your ‘correct’ Maltese and try convincing the population by writing in Maltese for a change and not classifying it as a ‘straightjacket’ without even trying … you might be surprised and influence much more people as a journalist and perhaps really help the language and your country … rather than going for the usual satire and criticism which is very easy to thrive on in Malta instead of offering true insights and plausible solutions in your stories.

By: Carmel Scicluna

Carmel Scicluna — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 14:37:03 +0000

In reply to Carmel Scicluna.

Ask any Maltese professor, Daphne. Or consult Aquilina’s dictionary. He will tell you the same thing.

Do not forget: it’s neither you (an excellent journalist) nor me (a Maltese author) who makes the language. Common people decide the language. That’s why it’s krips or krisps, and irkotta or rikotta or arkotta.

By: Carmel Scicluna

Carmel Scicluna — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 15:58:26 +0000

You can say irkotta, arkotta u rikotta. They are all variations of the same word.

[Daphne – I’ve just heard some very interesting and barely comprehensible Manchester accents on the BBC (those riots) and I don’t think anyone would say they are all acceptable variations of the same words.]

By: Thea Lynn Cesare

Thea Lynn Cesare — Mon, 23 May 2011 07:40:49 +0000

In reply to S.A.

What is real Maltese and unreal ? you must be joking ‘dialect or uneducated mishmash’. you must really be joking…..

You must really have a good sense of humour..age is just a number..people may be genious at 20 yet be still uneducated at 40.

By: Thea Lynn Cesare

Thea Lynn Cesare — Mon, 23 May 2011 07:38:21 +0000

In reply to S.A. 'retention or improvement of status' clearly i dont know how 'tal-pepe' may be seen as an improvement of status. besides, today the majority of the people want to improve their status, but we do that by studying.

By: Thea Lynn Cesare

Thea Lynn Cesare — Mon, 23 May 2011 07:36:12 +0000

In reply to Oliver Magro. Mario Serracino Inglott defines tal-‘pepè’ as ‘ksuħat; etiketta żejda; tixmir tal-imnieħer’, and J Aquilina defines it as ‘words used in certain idioms with a pejorative sense meaning ‘dandyism, affection’, snobbism.’ Cheers!

By: Thea Lynn Cesare

Thea Lynn Cesare — Mon, 23 May 2011 07:34:24 +0000

Study Sociolinguistics in Malta and you will get to know, that some words have two variations which are both accepted in Malta. It is just how one may be used to say something – does not mean that is a ‘grammatical error’. I say IRKOTTA not RIKOTTA, nontheless I don’t say ‘pirmli’, or ‘pitlolju’ (or whatever), and please note, Rkotta is also known as ‘ħaxu’, but as I may assume, that word is ‘the mistake(s) of the poorly educated’! Moreover, I know more than one person who is born and raised in Sliema and says ‘Irkotta’, which reduces the whole argument to nothing.
Besides, if attempting to right RICOTTA in Maltese, please do write it with a ‘k’, that is ‘rikotta’ . Need I not repeat what others said about the ‘vokali tal-leħen’ before the ‘R’.
For instance, ‘pathologist’ – how would you translate it? Patoloġista / Patologu are both accepted! So is the pronunciation of ‘tiegħi’ as [tiji] in the Cottonera area, it is today also accepted.
And by the way, if we are trying to correct how to write Maltese, the village should be referred to ‘Ħal-Kirkop’ not Kirkop, just like Ħaż-Żebbug, Tas-Sliema and the rest. Otherwise it is wrong and this is written in the ‘Decizjonijiet’.
PS I know I have reached this comment quite late, my apologies for that.

By: Thea Lynn Cesare

Thea Lynn Cesare — Sat, 21 May 2011 08:47:17 +0000

In reply to Malcolm. well said

By: Victoria

Victoria — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 12:35:11 +0000

What I would give to be able to buy Ricotta – The Maltese Ricotta….. Why do we Maltese have to knock anything made in Malta – in the UK we can only purchase the Italian equivalent of Ricotta – and what a poor substitute it is.

Well done for pointing out the grammatical error – too right – we should stand up and be counted!!!

By: Mark Mangion

Mark Mangion — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 15:55:14 +0000

IL-KLIEM LI DIEĦEL FIL-MALTI MILL-INGLIŻ

Ara: http://www.kunsilltalmalti.gov.mt u aghtu l-opinjoni taghkom.