There is no such word in the Maltese language.

This word has been invented by somebody, was taken up by the press, and has taken the language like the plague.

This word is being used as the plural of rih wind, but the plural of rih (wind) is rjieh. There is no such word in the Maltese language that forms the plural by adding an “at”.

The only words that form their plural by adding a “t” are those ending in “gha” like blugha, krugha (foolishness, ugliness) and become blughat, krughat.

So this word irjiehat used twice in l-Orizzont, 28 October on page 4, has entered the Maltese papers like the plague. Those who tried to correct the Maltese language did not care. They just did what in the Maltese idiom we say: Tahmil tad-dufrejn.

Joseph S. Ellul

Zurrieq