This job belies a quick fix, yet the paint and putty will cover all nicks. Dana xogħol ta’ ħorrox borrox, imma ż-żebgħa u l-istokk jgħattu kollox.Note the rhyming of the words jaqq and żaqq. Aħrab l-iff, il-puff u l-jaqq għax iġibu wġiegħ ta’ żaqqĪvoid all nah!, bah! and ughs! as these cause stomach aches.Whenever the translations are not lucid enough, then a brief clarification follows. Some of the English verses have not been rendered a literal translation, but still adhere to the gist of the tenets being delivered. The English translations of the Maltese sayings are my own. Most of these examples, have been picked up from the publication mentioned above. Here follows a number of proverbs that bear such traits. We laugh at some of these proverbs, not least because some tend to be aired in a vulgar tone. This twist triggers a reaction, such as, ‘ k os hux !’ or ‘ mur obsor ħej !’ which in English would be equivalent to, ‘Who would have thought of that!’. For the proverb to stick it must contain a funny twist at the end of the verse. It is these rhyming quips that help us recall and heed these emphatic warnings. One underlying factor that these humorous sayings are veneered with, is the rhyming of verses, usually in couplets. Whether the humour succeeds to make us smile or laugh is of course a matter of personal reaction, according to each recipient of such advice. ‘The Proverb Says’), one comes across at least fifty sayings that contain a humorous undertone. Amongst some 4,000 Maltese proverbs that are collated in, Il-Qawl Iqul – PEG Malta, 1989, (Eng. Some proverbs actually tend to hold an unusual humorous tone. One should not dismiss all proverbs as merely warnings that are all dull, sober and negative. The Maltese have a rich array of proverbs to choose from. ‘ Kliem ix -xi ħ żomm fih’, – always take heed of the old man’s advice, goes the Maltese proverb that heads all proverbs. Sages have mused about particular situations, taken, not least from their own bitter experiences and expressed them in such a way to establish them as unwritten guidelines, yardsticks if you will, that are absorbed into our psyche like a looped cliché. These are proverbs that have been passed down to us from one generation to the next, some, since going back hundreds of years ago. There exists a multitude of sayings that are referred to whenever sound advice is required. Ma nafx nitkellem bil-Malti (ma naf-sh nit-kel-lem bil-mal-ti): I don’t speak Maltese.A* B* Ċ* C* D* E* F* Ġ * G* GĦ* H* Ħ* I* J* K* L* M* N* O* P* Q* R* S* T* U* V* W* X* Ż* Z* Hemm il-frisk: No, it’s not you’re feeling frisky, but ‘it’s a bit chilly’. Ghandi qtugh ta’ laham: I’ve got cut of the meat (used when your muscles are aching after some physical exercise). Tnejn irkotta jew pizelli! (t-ney-n ir-kot-ta yew pi-ze-lli): Two cheese or peacakes ( pastizzi)! Impress your friends:Īw gobon (auw jo-bon): Directly translated as ‘hey cheese’ but used to call out someone you know (also commonly used: aw lily aw king aw kugin and the classic aw spice)įartas (pronounced with stress on both syllables): bald head (ironic, that) Pinta lager jekk joghgbok (pin-ta lager yekk yoj-bok): A pint of beer, please. Mela, mela (me-la, me-la): Yes, yes, I agree. Uwejja (oo-wei-ya): You’ve got to be kidding me! Titkellem bl-Ingliz? (tit-kell-em blin-gleez): Do you speak English? One word wonders: Kif int’illum? (kiff int ill-um): How are you today? Sara Cardoso/Unsplash Exchanging pleasantries:īongu Siehbi (bon-ju seeh-bi) or bongu habib (bon-ju ha-bib): Good morning, my friend.
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