“We should be proud of our country’s unique language, as we should be proud of Maltese traditions and culture,” said Minister for Education Justyne Caruana, during the launch of a new word in the Maltese vocabulary; ‘Imħobża’.
Minister Caruana, together with the directors of Maypole, launched this new word during an event that combined tradition, Maltese culture in the form of our bread, with the Maltese language. The composition of the word was approved as being a correct word in Maltese after consultations were held with Professor Michael Spagnol, a lecturer in Maltese Linguistics at the University of Malta.
The word is made up of the words ‘love’ and ‘bread’ and will be given to a heart-shaped product that will be linked to Valentine’s Day.
Minister Caruana said that despite our small size as a country, we are proud to have our own language, which is one of the official languages of the European Union. She went on to say that our language is a rich one, and we should treasure it and foster love for it in our children.
Minister for Education said that it is also significant that the launch was held in Gozo, the home of prominent Gozitans who have honoured our language, including Anton Buttigieg, George Pisani, Mary Meilak, Ninu Cremona and others, apart from the fact that dialects and old Maltese words are still in great use in Gozo.
She also said that we should not hold back from exporting our traditions and culture, not only because they are an intrinsic basis of our identity, but, along with our language, they make us what we are as a population. She reminded that the culinary art and culture of the Maltese ftira is now part of the UNESCO’s list of intangible heritage.
Minister Justyne Caruana mentioned that, in a meeting with the National Literacy Agency, she emphasized the need to strengthen the Maltese language, whilst understanding the importance of other languages. She mentioned the importance of the language policy for education, including the policy designed for the early years and the primary years, designed to foster a positive attitude towards Maltese, English and other languages, and for our children to develop skills in Maltese and English in different contexts.
Company Director Sebastian Debono spoke about the thinking behind this occasion and said that Maltese bread has always had links with Maltese culture, as we find various types of bread that are linked to festivals and other days in our Maltese cultural calendar.
Photo: MFED
