Euro divisions
Malta is divided on the spelling of the Maltese Euro notes and coins. The Maltese Council for the Maltese Language suggests the Ewro but the government's preference appears to be to stick to the mainstream Euro spelling as favoured by the European institutions. It's one thing to disagree over spelling. Polarization is common in Malta even on questions of a non-political nature. It's another to be divided over what the Maltese public actually uses in everyday speech. That should be a simple matter of observation. Two popular Maltese columnists reach the same conclusion on the spelling debate but are miles apart on what they hear on the ground. Arguing for English to be recognised as a national language in Malta, Marisa Micallef writes:
Writing in the same paper (and on the same page), Daphne Caruana Galizia says exactly the opposite:
Both are off the mark. The simple truth is that both Euro and Ewro are used interchangeably by users depending on the mood, setting and disposition. No need to be so categorical about something like that.
All this is lost on those who want us to spell euro as ewro instead of euro! After all, even if it is written as euro, we will still all pronounce it ewro when we speak to each other, and perhaps euro when we travel or trade, if we are sensitive and intelligent enough that is.
Writing in the same paper (and on the same page), Daphne Caruana Galizia says exactly the opposite:
I have yet to encounter anyone who says ewro, even when speaking Maltese. It’s ‘euro’ to everyone I have come across, even those who speak no English at all, because that is precisely how it entered the language, as ‘euro’ and not as ewro.
Both are off the mark. The simple truth is that both Euro and Ewro are used interchangeably by users depending on the mood, setting and disposition. No need to be so categorical about something like that.
Mon Jan 16, 03:16:01 AM CETGrazzi, Robert. Għandek raġun: spiss l-użu ta' kelma/pronunċja Maltija jew Ingliża jiddependi mill-mument, mill-burdata li l-kelliem ikun fiha, u mhux neċessarjament minn preferenza personali, jew minn liema forma tkun jew tinħass l-aktar naturali. Għalkemm fil-każ ta' ewro/jurows, fattur ieħor ovvjament hu f'liema lingwa l-kelliem ikun qed jgħid in-numri (eż. ħames ewro imma five euros / fajv jurows, anzi jurowż - qed nikteb hekk għax hekk titlissen, mhux għax hija redikola: fil-fehma tiegħi m'hija redikola xejn).
DCG saħansitra tasal biex tgħid li l-użu (jekk mhux l-eżistenza!) ta' kliem bħal denfil juri nuqqas ta' edukazzjoni, għax fil-lingwa li l-kelma tnisslet minnha l-ordni tal-konsonanti huwa differenti (cf. Taljan delfino). Jidhirli li hawn qiegħda timxi fuq preġudizzju. L-ispostament ta' konsonanti likwidi fl-evoluzzjoni ta' kelma huwa proċess naturali msejjaħ metateżi. Eżempji hemm bil-bosta, u (m'hemmx xi ngħidu) mhux biss fil-Malti. Ngħidu aħna, il-kelma Latina għal 'periklu' fl-Ispanjol saret 'peLigRo', mhux għax il-kelliema ħawdu l-konsonanti minħabba "nuqqas ta' edukazzjoni" iżda għax f'din il-lingwa l-pronunċja ta' *peRigLo tirriżulta diffiċli. Il-konsonanti likwidi (l, m, n u r) min-natura tagħhom huma instabbli u hija ħaġa naturali li, fejn meħtieġ, jinbidlu sabiex il-kelma tkun tista' toħroġ aħjar.
F'għajnejn DCG ħafna kliem Maltin huma riżultat ta' korruzzjoni tat-Taljan. Dażgur: l-istess ħaġa ovvjament tgħodd għat-Taljan li huwa korruzzjoni tal-Latin. Għalkemm huwa veru li jeżistu każi (f'bosta ilsna jekk mhux f'kull lingwa) fejn kelma tinħoloq permezz ta' konfużjoni semantika u/jew etimoloġika, it-tibdil ta' l-ittri, ċjoè tal-fonemi, isir permezz ta' proċess evoluttiv li huwa totalment naturali.
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