In the Gozitan dialect, there are many phrases and words which are different from those used in Malta. Differences in dialects are found not just in the vowels, but also in the consonants of the word.

For example, many residents in Xewkija tend to pronounce the q as k, so for example instead of saying ‘qattus’ (cat) they would say ‘kattus’.

In the dialect of Għarb and some other Gozitan dialects, the Maltese silent għ (referred to as għajn,) is also pronounced as r, for example dgħajsa (boat), is pronounced as drajsa.

In the dialect of Żebbug and San Lawrenz, the Maltese h (akka) is still pronounced as ħ, for example, instead of dahru (his house), they pronounce it as daħru.

Gozitans also make use of the interjection ‘ħajz’, which has the same meaning of disgust as ‘jaqq’, which is ‘yuck’ in English.

Author Joe Camilleri also spoke about these different phrases and sayings where he explained their meaning while used in a Gozitan context, in an interview with Newsbook.

“Traditional dialects nowadays have their own threats as well, with failing to keep up with the current times,” he said.

Camilleri also brought the example of Gozitan’s pronunciation of the word ‘bath’, which they pronounce as ‘baff’ due to the differences in speech.

A phrase such as ‘qisek ix-xuxana’ also originally came from Gozitan dialects, and it is used when someone’s hair is unruly or out of place.

Speaking about the present situation of the Gozitan dialect, Camilleri said that a language that is alive, and a dialect that is alive, will be constantly susceptible to change.

Lovin Malta is here with another series of articles, and this time we’re looking into different varying dialects across multiple locations in Malta. Stay tuned for more to come, as part of our ‘Il-Malti’ series. 

Get in contact with [email protected] if you would like to discuss anything related to our language.

Do you know anyone that still speaks in the Gozitan dialect?