Deputat prim ministru, prattikament. Il-Bambin jehlisna.
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January 20, 2012 at 7:08pm
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You are full of hatred. God can’t help you.
[Daphne – Actually, Rob. It’s not hatred but scorn. Maltese falls short of requirements in the descriptive department, which is why it is essential to learn a language which evolved in a more complex society, so as to be able to understand things more precisely and describe them accurately.]
Did God tell you this, Rob? Do you have His number? I’d like to ask Him for a Mercedes Benz.
Disprezz.
[Daphne – No, not accurate. Disprezz is disrespect, or lack of respect.]
Stmerrija is the word.
[Daphne – Again, not quite. As a verb, it would translate as ‘despise’ not ‘scorn’. As a noun, it translates as ‘contempt’. Scorn has an element of mockery which is missing from stmerrija. Try and translate ‘scornful laughter’ using it, for instance. It doesn’t work. Dear God, the word-anorak is emerging here.]
Indeed. I might have to put on my own anorak here, but does “disprezz” come from the Italian “sprezzo” (=contempt) or the French “mépris” (=scorn) via the Spanish “desprecio”/ Portuguese “desprezo”? If the latter, then “disprezz” would be about right, but only in its pre-21st century meaning.
[Daphne – Interestingly, yes, ‘contempt of court’ is ‘disprezz’. But that use of ‘contempt’ to describe a display of lack of respect seems to be unique.]
These definitions merge into each other like an artist’s palette. “Le mépris du danger” = “disregard for danger/recklessness” = c. “lack of respect” for danger, but “mépris” for someone would be scorn. Again, “sprezzo” = contempt, but the more refined gentlemen among you may remember Castiglione’s ‘Book of the Courtier’, in which he urges us cads to use “sprezzatura”, a word he made up himself, usually translated as “studied nonchalance” = disrespect for nerd-style rules. So we’re back to sprezzo = lack of respect, and we’re left wondering where “disprezz” came from.
God the conversation is engaging this evening.
[Daphne – You have the great advantage over me in that you speak French and Italian. http://translation.babylon.com/english/Sprezzatura/# ]
Scorn – disprezz. Very close.
At any rate, I feel the same way.
[Daphne – Disprezz is disrespect and implies an act. Scorn is very much stronger than that, and is an emotive opinion. There is no Maltese word for ‘scorn’. I don’t even think there is the equivalent emotion, really, in Maltese ‘culture’.]
It’s true, we don’t have a precise Maltese word for scorn. Apparently in Italian it’s ‘scherno’.
I’m going to take the liberty to coin the Maltese transliteration myself, right now: skernu.
If Rob wants the Maltese word it’s disprezz.
Rob, on the record, it has nothing to do with hatred, but everything to do with education, or in Anglu’s case, lack of.
According to an old Kalepin I have, scorn in Maltese is “zeblih” or “tmeghir.”
Bravo bravissimo, bravo bravissimo
Bravo, bravo, very well done!
It is zeblih indeed!
The pure Maltese expression would probably be “titnejjek bihom” or “titmellah bihom”.
Maybe zuffjett.
[Daphne – That’s mockery.]
Or kuljunar.
[Daphne – That’s taunting mockery.]
F Kollox tifhem daphne my god. Bondi gurnalizmu fuq kollox, u nt tifhem fuq kollox!
[Daphne – Dak ghax l-istandard hawn Malta huwa daqstant baxx li meta wiehed (u izjed u izjed, wahda) ikun jaf jitkellem dwar bosta affarijiet, l-ohrajn iqisu dan bhala bicca stramba, meta fil-fatt huwa normali, barra minn Malta, li bniedem ta’certu livell ta’ edukazzjoni ikun jaf dwar hafna affarijiet u jitkellem dwar x’inhu ghaddej f’pajjizu u fid-dinja.]
Jack of all trades kind of? Cajt apparti, I’d like to know why you hate errr sry scorn all those who don’t like gonzi? Do you actually think that if Joseph muscat is elected prime minister it’s gonna be the end of the world? I mean, come on.
[Daphne – I don’t feel scorn for those who don’t like Gonzi. It’s possible not to like somebody while still acknowledging their positive attributes. But I feel scorn for those who like Joseph Muscat, because to like somebody, you have to assume they have positive attributes. Note the difference. No, I don’t think it will be the end of the world. Don’t forget that I lived through 1971 to 1987. But I do think it will be an inferior state of affairs, and I believe we should work to improve life where possible, and not do the reverse.]
Daphne, like myself, I never experienced a labour government. I think sant was hopeless, however I do think Joseph Muscat is a better alternative to Gonzi. Let’s face it, after so many years, I think the country needs a change… Even the PN, it needs to do some soul searching in opposition and get rid of this ultra conservative thinking. The PN lost its liberal wing…. With its stance against divorce it got even weaker.
Anyway, goodnight.
[Daphne – Define conservative, Gozo. Too many people think it’s about religion and sex. It’s also about economics.]
Gozo, the real party of change is the PN which has renewed itself more than once since 1987.
In spite of protestations to the contrary, Labour is still anchored to the Golden Years of forty years ago. In this aspect they have actually regressed from the so-called New Labour of Sant.
Dear Daphne remind us please of Angelo’s tactics when he was an inspector? Veru Alla jghina.
Heaven has no rage, like love to hatred turned, nor hell a fury, like a woman scorned.
[Daphne – Has Anglu has a sex change? If so, it’s not a very good one.]
Scorn = tistma f’sorm**
[Daphne – Brilliant, and so very much the essence of Maltese.]
That’s it! I knew it was a vulgar expression, but I used the wrong one.
Maltese is so expressive at its most vulgar.
The problem with low-lives like “Rob” or “Effie Carbonaro” is that their vocabulary and wit is as limited as their intellectual capabilities.
Dim-witted though they are, they realise this, hence their frustrated, repetitive. semi-literate insults.
My god. Kemm hu basla.
Gozo, why do you think muscat is a better alternative to Gonzi?
I wish people would stop bringing up this whole divorce and conservative argument as a valid reason to have an inexperienced as opposed to an experienced one.
The reality is that Muscat with all his supposedly liberal views was not the one to introduce divorce in Malta nor was he the one to put in on parliament’s agenda, this despite all his posturing and empty words.
He or his party have not even managed to bring forward one valid proposal which could make anyone with a modicum of intelligence even consider him to be an alternative to Gonzi, let alone the better option.
All he has managed to do over these last three years is give me the impression that he is only after one thing, the position of prime minister, before he reaches the age of 40.
Do you think “stmerrijja” approaches the word “scorn”?