Language Question
I need some language help from my Maltese readers.
I have just finished reading “Il-Għar Tax-Xelter” by Trevor Żahra. Do not laugh, it may be a children’s book, but I have to start somewhere before I can build up to more complicated novels. The problem is, I cannot find the word “għawwietaq” in any dictionary and even M does not know what it means. This word is central to a plot twist, and now I am left hanging.
So… min jista’ jgħidli xi tfisser din il-kelma mbierka? Grazzi minn qabel għall-għajnuna taghkom.
Posted by
at
07:33:53
It must be some kind of poultry… I googled it and found a reference to it in a reply to a parliamentary question. A long list of other poultry included “għawwietaq”. Now i feel like Sherlock Holmes LOL!
By the way I don’t think it’s funny that you read children’s books. I started my Maltese reading with Ladybird fairy tales for first graders!
Grazzi Sabine! That actually makes sense in context.
And how ironic that the first reply I get to a question about Maltese is from a fellow non-native speaker!
I would imagine it is the singular of ghattuqa ( a young hen that has not begun to lay eggs…) but I would have thought it would be with one ‘w’: ghewietaq
PS One slight correction, we would say : Grazzi bil-quddiem rather than Grazzi minn qabel
Yay! I am all caught up on your blog. I would like to put a link to it from my blog with your permission? Thank you.
Wow Magickat, you read pretty fast! Yes you can link to my blog, how flattering.
And by the way, there is a Maltese bakery in New York that sells pastizzi and other goodies. They even ship it to you by FedEx if you can’t come to the store. I think it is in Upstate but I’m not sure. I will try to find out for you.
Yes there was a bakery in Astoria, Queens that sold both cheese and meat pastizzi but they closed. Now you have to order it from The Maltese Club in Astoria Queens but the hours for purchase are very odd. I get them whenever I can!
Ok - linking you! I’m so excited to have found this blog!