November 21, 2012
The first event in our Christmas calendar will be about an aspect of the Maltese language that few know about: The seven consonants that went missing through the ages ! How do we know about them? Olvin Vella, who has specialized in the history of the Maltese language, will talk about these missing consonants and how they were traced through old writings from literature to court transcripts, and will allow us to hear what Maltese once sounded like.
The lecture will be held in Maltese and in Olvin’s own words:
Kemm kienu jitkellmu Malti differenti!
Ma tantx għandna dokumenti antiki bil-Malti, imma għandna biżżejjed biex inkunu nafu kemm-il konsonanti tlifna fi żminijiet differenti. Tlifna seba’ ħsejjes – tnejn biss salvajniehom fil-kitba: l-għajn u l-akka.
Il-ħames konsonanti l-oħra nsibuhom miktubin fil-prietki u fid-dagħa, fiċ-ċajt u fit-tagħjir.
Nhar is-Sibt, l-1 ta’ DiÄ‹embru, se nitkellmu kif tbiddel il-ħoss tal-ilsien Malti.
Xi sentenzi li se jidhru fuq l-iskrin waqt il-preżentazzjoni kapaċi jdarrsu lil xi wħud minħabba l-kontenut tagħhom. Min huwa sensittiv għal ċertu lingwaġġ, mitlub jaqbeż din it-taħdita.
Olvin Vella jgħallem l-istorja tal-ilsien Malti, l-Università. Editja xogħlijiet fuq de Soldanis u Vassalli, u jirriÄ‹erka l-istorja tal-eqdem kitbiet bil-Malti u l-formazzjoni tal-Malti Standard, dak li nsejħulu l-pulit. Huwa membru attiv tal-Kunsill Nazzjonali tal-Ilsien Malti.
The lecture will be held at Palazzo Santa Sofia (a few doors down from Palazzo Falson), Mdina on Saturday 1st December, 2012 at 10.30am.
Attendance is free of charge. Seats will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
