Australian Aboriginal languages, of which it is believed there were some 300 varieties prior to the European invasions, were never written down in an entire 40 millennia and thereafter. The many varieties of the Berber family of languages still used to this day in the northern regions of the African continent remain largely unwritten. My point is that formalising languages into a regulated structure, mostly for convenience, merely provides guidelines for general usage and comprehension of a particular code of human communication.
Grammars should NOT be used as some kind of “final solution” to regulate and regularise any linguistic form, the creation (evolvement) of which took literally centuries to mature into what is ultimately humankind’s imperfect attempt at communicating verbally with others of his kith and kin, the most complex of concepts. Such concepts are initially expressed in the spoken word; the oral form always preceding the written. The resultant written expression is man’s attempt at “perpetuating” what would otherwise dissipate into the atmosphere at the definite risk of it being completely forgotten.
Ever since its formal consensus on the orthography of Maltese in 1924, traditionally we have all abided by the golden rule of a phonetic (i.e. Maltese phonetics) orthography. With this consensus is implicit that (i) etymology should never stand in the way of phonetics and (ii) we should not seek to emulate what other linguists are planning for their own languages in respect of outside influences; in our case mainly Italian and English and to a lesser extent Arabic.
It seems to me that all the brilliant and foresighted spadework carried out by the late Professor Joseph (Guze’) Aquilina, is being slowly but progressively sidelined in order to instil a new form of orthography.
Such approach can only act as a forerunner to even more ridiculous, embarrassing, offensive and destructive forms for our Maltese orthography and expression.
All this, despite the obvious goings on in this very tiny circle of opponents and diehards, is all instituted by decree (i.e. with the consent and assent of the nation’s parliament through legislation), thus lumbering an entire nation and “Greater Malta” (if this concept is to be taken seriously), so disrespectfully, with a system that throws into question the whole gamut of brilliant scholarship laid down logically, clearly and in a scientific approach by Aquilina.
The Kunsill Nazzjonali tal-Malti through its Decizjonijiet 1, in which it unashamedly describes its formulators and collaborators as “experts” (whatever that is supposed to imply), has alienated and insulted the greater majority of so many well meaning scholars and writers of Maltese.
Considering the urgency and the severity of this situation of national concern, I call on the Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and his government together with the Leader of the Opposition Joseph Muscat and his party, to abolish the Kunsill Nazzjonali tal-Malti by repealing the legislation that created this monstrosity (the KNM) and to reconstitute the Akkademja tal-Malti in such a manner that restores it to its former dignified role.
It is incumbent upon all those concerned with the dissemination and planning of Maltese (i.e. the entire Maltese media – TV, radio, print, Internet, and so on), all teachers of Maltese, writers/authors, serious thinkers, all local intellectuals who care, to rally to this clarion call, this cri de coeur, in opposing this dictatorial, arrogant and unacceptable approach to what constitutes a rehash of our own indigenous Maltese language; the only real, actual and true icon which gives us our unique identity as Maltese within the world family of nations.
The dead silence within the dissenting ranks beguiles me to no end. While I sense a certain reluctance to speak out by certain quarters, where fear of retribution and/or of falling out with long-time friends, such preoccupation must never be allowed to overrule our national sentiments for which we have supposedly and collectively laboured for so long and so diligently.
What magnifies the severity of this current impasse is that so many of the silent dissidents are so highly placed that they are beyond any political vindictive reach of all and any assailants of our supposedly treasured Maltese tongue.
If this “movement” (the Kunsill Nazzjonali tal-Malti) is allowed to continue legislating through Parliament and thereby imposing its deviant newfangled ideas on our language system, we may as well tear up all previous works on Maltese by the entire academe of scholars beginning with Vassalli, De Soldanis and Panzavecchia right down to Cremona, Saydon, Aquilina et al, pack our bags and go home; to wherever that nondescript “home” happens to be in the imagination of these nouveaux intellectuelles.
Thus, all that is said from hereon in the realm of the Maltese language will be rendered meaningless if “silence” remains the choice of our leading intellectuals who have in the past devoted a lifetime of effort and devotion to the promotion and cultivation of our own rich and mature Maltese language.
This question, being a matter of no less than national concern, having reached this level of severity and beyond dialogue (the legislation put a stop to dialogue), must be remedied immediately by the entire political movement of this sacred land to arrest this insidious assault on Maltese by the KNM, thus restoring the rightful respect and dignity to the Maltese people who ultimately are the sole originators and guardians of this our treasured national icon.
Roderick (Rigu) Bovingdon