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Monday 2 January 2012

Kif tghidha?


Dear readers, help out!

I remember that when I was at Junior College, the late Dr. Mifsud Chircop... (yes, the one always reminding us that it was HIM who went through Prof. Friggieri's dictionary, and therefore giving the green light for it to be published - those of my year will certainly remember; those not having lived the experience, well, that's a pity!

...Anyway this lecturer used to throw tantrums whenever I said "politikant" and not "politiku": for he taught me that the former means "dilettant" and the latter "politician". (Yes, I passed my Maltese A'Level.)

However, presenters on TV and writers on newpapers make a distinguishable use of "politikant". And, to make my life more miserable, politicians themselves use The Word ad nauseam when they describe their job and that of their colleagues. They call each other 'politikant' and no one ever whinged.  

Is it that we have only "dilettanti" in our parliament? (You politicians said that, not me!) Or is it that rules within the Maltese language have shifted? (I know they made a big fuss about some changes - which I personally abhor {it's skonD, not skonT...but anywho.)

7 comments:

  1. Jean-Pierre Catania2 January 2012 at 19:10

    So true. Nicely said.

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  2. So it's "politiku" and not "poltikant" you say, huh?

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  3. I think it's politiku because in the plural it's politiki but I'll check about this, very interesting post K :)

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  4. That's funny, I would have said the plural is "politici". Ah, so confusing :/

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  5. No politician is definitely politiku and the plural politiċi. Politikant means a person who merely dabbles in politics and is as such a dilettante as you put it, with plural obviously politikanti.

    This was actually taught to me at secondary level but since everyone uses politikanti including politiċi themselves, I have thought it was a myth ever since but since you are bringing it up, then what my poor teacher was saying must have been true ... oh well ...

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  6. Of course I would add also those who study politics but are not themselves into politics as 'politikanti'

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  7. Yes, absolutely! That's what the word 'dilettant' means after all.

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