The spoken word

In today's Times of Malta Rosanne Zammit talks to the former president of L-akkademja tal-Malti Charles Briffa about the challenges of the Maltese language as an official EU language. He proposes the creation of an industry of translation even in literature. "Maltese authors can then write in Maltese and this industry will help export their work to the continent." From the Times:

The next time you're in a restaurant and the waiter asks: "How would you like your meat to be cooked?" try answering in Maltese and see the reaction. Asked this question Dr Briffa's automatic reply was: "Imsajjar tajjeb". The waiter looked at him and asked: "Well done?"
In a recent interview, Dr Briffa said certain aspects of a language that stopped being used died unless they continued to be needed in literature. Referring to the restaurant incident, the fact that the waiter had to translate into English to make sure he had understood correctly showed that the Maltese language of the kitchen was slowly being lost. So in this regard the language was getting poorer because the Maltese words for rare, medium and well done did exist. One should say bid-demm, kemm taqtaghlu d-demm and msajjar tajjeb, respectively.

But overall, Dr Briffa believed that Maltese is still alive and very much so. "Presently, Maltese is spoken in all the Maltese islands and among emigrants, who love to boast about how well they can speak their mother tongue." Written Maltese was very much alive. It was used continuously in newspapers and magazines. Recently, there had also been the Kullana Kulturali experiment - an encyclopaedia covering a wide range of subjects, including ones never before discussed in Maltese. Although 60 books had been planned for the encyclopaedia, the number has been extended to 72. Maltese, Dr Briffa added, had never been in danger of extinction. It was a language which had been developing for at least 1,000 years. One now also had the option to study the language up to doctorate level.

It was very difficult for the people to stop using the language especially since the national minimum curriculum permitted certain subjects to be taught in both English and Maltese, strengthening the bilingual aspect. This did not mean that the language was not being faced with huge challenges. Fresh challenges, for example, have even been created with the recognition of Maltese as an official language of the European Union. "One of the challenges Malta is facing in the EU is the export of the language to the continent." A year after membership, many publications were still unavailable in Maltese and the number of interpreters was nowhere near that required. But for the first time in Malta's history, Maltese was important not just to the people who spoke it but also to a whole continent. The fact that it had grown so much in importance presented new challenges especially since the EU was an entity of continuous change.

The biggest challenge ahead, Dr Briffa said, was to keep up to date with all that was happening. There were other challenges, however, such as that the Maltese had to start thinking on a continental level. Agriculture and fisheries, for example, were biedja and sajd in Maltese. But what about forestry? What should be done about this word, which the Maltese language had had no use for in the past? This posed a challenge and a solution had to be found. Malta had either to import the word or try to create another out of the words it had in a way which would satisfy the authorities. "The translation of advisory bodies into igsma tal-pariri, for example, was scandalous and the kind of translation we should avoid even if just to show that we are capable. There has to be an element of self-pride."

Some had argued, Dr Briffa, said, that had it not been for The Times, no one that mattered would have known about the mistake and that The Times should not have publicised the issue telling outsiders about it. Such attitude, he said, should not be. One could not be careful in the use of a foreign language and then pay little attention to one's own. There was also the issue of human resources. How were enough people to be trained in order to take up the work brought about as a result of the responsibility of the recognition of Maltese? For many years the aspect of translation had been ignored in a country with a tradition of translation. The Government Gazette, for example, has been published in Maltese and English since the 19th century.

Translation was no longer an obligatory part of the teaching of the language. Now, because of the EU, the people were realising that translation is a money earner. A part-time post-graduate diploma course in translation studies is being organised by the university. The course is in its second year and is being attended by 80 students. The diploma will be followed by a Master's degree. Dr Briffa pointed out that there were many different bodies and individuals doing translation and offering translation services and they needed to unite their efforts to avoid coining different terms.

Asked whether Malta should be able to choose which EU publications to translate, Dr Briffa said that if the country were given this option, it should take it by all means. But on the other hand, why shouldn't a Maltese fisherman, for example, be able to read in Maltese what measures were being taken in the North Sea? Young people had to realise that there were careers to be made in translation. Optimistically, he said, Malta would get there eventually but needed time. One, had to be careful on how to bring about change. Change was positive when it was necessary and when it was used to introduce innovative concepts. But it was negative to introduce change merely to demonstrate pomposity or be snobbish.

For example, it did not make sense for one to say Ha niftah il-window instead of it-tieqa but it was all right to say Ha niftah il-blinds. It was damaging to use non-Maltese words when these were available in Maltese. Changes had to be profitable and help the language continue to advance. A classical word adapted into Maltese by Il-Berqa in the 1960s and which is now commonly used was futbol. Asked whether words imported into Maltese should be spelt in a Maltese way or whether the spelling of the traditional language should be retained, Dr Briffa said that if it was easy for a word to fit into Maltese orthography, it should be spelt in Maltese. A case in point was kompjuter. From this international word, which the Maltese started spelling in Maltese, came several derivatives such as ikkompjuterizzajnihomlom - a whole sentence in English which could be said in just one word in Maltese. This showed the strength of the Semitic concept in Maltese language.

When changes were comfortable for Maltese orthography, they should be made. Such were lekcer and mowbajl, for example. In Maltese one also said qed jillekcerja bhalissa, creating a verb out of the word lekcer. This showed that there were derivatives that required the Maltese form of spelling. In such instances it was important to have the spelling in Maltese. There was then the category of words that would look problematic spelt in Maltese and so should be left in their original spelling, such as fashion show. A language reflected the changing needs of society. Like fashion, language had to reflect the people's tastes. The spoken language changed much faster than the written form. It was acceptable for one to say ghandi karozza bomba, for example, but this was not acceptable if it is written because it would be considered sub-standard.

Dr Briffa said that in saying all this he was taking a risk for there were those who argued differently. But more often than not, the nitpickers were people who never studied the language.

One had to realise, that for certain conclusions to be reached there had to be reasons. On the other hand, it was also positive that such reactions were created because they reflected a love for the language. Dr Briffa's pleaded for people to respect Maltese books and their authors. An EU challenge, he said, was by way of the policy of diversity. "What does this mean for an author who wishes to write a novel in Maltese but wants it read in the EU? The author can decide to write his book in English. But there is another solution. We can form an industry of translation even in literature. Maltese authors can then write in Maltese and this industry will help export their work to the continent."

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