‘Goverment’ – just like they pronounce it

This is the natural consequence of bad pronunciation being reflected in mandatory spelling, as dictated by the Maltese language police: blekbord being one of the most offensive examples.

Now we have a whole bunch of people, most of them apparently in government communications, who think you can do the same with English. And so we have GOVERMENT writ large on numerous, boastful billboards in the most prominent positions possible.

GOV-ER-MENT is exactly how many people pronounce it in Malta, doing away with the ‘n’ because the ‘nm’ sound is way too complicated for lazy tongues accustomed to twisting petrol into petlor and pilloli into pirmli.

You have to wonder how it went all the way from design stage to printing to transportation to pasting up on the billboards without anybody noticing that glaring error. Or maybe they noticed and thought “U ejja, mhux xorta. People will still know what we mean, and it’s only one stupid letter missing.”

Te soner tey ar votd ot of government, te beter fore Maltta.

UPDATE: The posters have since been replaced. You have to wonder how much cancer medication that would have paid for.