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Gozitan dialects

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gozitan
għawdxi
Pronunciation[/ˈaːw.t͡ʃɪ/]
Native toMalta
RegionGozo
Native speakers
About 32,000
Dialects
Latin (Maltese alphabet)
Language codes
ISO 639-3
Glottologgozo1238
Linguasphere12-AAC-cag
Gozo Island, Malta

The Gozitan dialects are rural dialects of Maltese spoken in the island of Gozo. The vowel shift of *ā (phonologically a) to o or u is their main differentiating trait.[2]

Vocabulary

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Comparison of some words in Standard Maltese and in the Gozitan dialects:[3]

English Maltese Gozitan
pills pilloli pinuri
shy staħa regħex
biscuit biskuttel fettul
mattress saqqu mitraħ
Gozo Għawdex Għawdix
dizzy sturdament mejt
bunch of għanqud xenxul
small table tavolina mejdina
internal hall door antiporta boxxla
to spoil someone fsied ħajm
silver foil fidda smontor
Yes iva ijwa

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Martine Vanhove, « De quelques traits prehilaliens en maltais », in: Peuplement et arabisation au Maghreb cccidental : dialectologie et histoire, Casa Velazquez - Universidad de Zaragoza (1998), pp.97-108
  2. ^ Klimiuk, Maciej; Lipnicka, Maria (2022). Cohen, Yoram (ed.). "The Gozitan Dialect of Xewkija: Three Recorded Dialogues and Some Preliminary Remarks". Telling of Olden Kings. The IOS Annual (22). Leiden: Brill: 146–147. ISBN 978-90-04-52679-2. OCLC 1350843539 – via The Wikipedia Library.
  3. ^ "Il-Malti Kontra L-Għawdxi – Is-Sbuħija Tad-Djalett". www.gwida.mt (in Maltese). 26 January 2019. Retrieved 2023-04-14.

Further reading

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