‘Kurrenzija, disvantaggi, polluzjoni, jadmiraw’ – Students turn to English in ‘Macaronic’ Maltese exams

While the Maltese used by candidates sitting for their MATSEC exam is “reflecting the living language used in our bilingual society,” it is also showing that many candidates are using the first word or expression that comes to their mind – resulting in what an examiners’ report describes as language “heresies” and Macaronic (hotch potch) language.

Macaronic refers to text using a mixture of languages particularly bilingual puns. A rough equivalent in spoken language is code-switching, a term in linguistics referring to using more than one language or dialect within the same conversation.

The word macaronic comes from the New Latin macaronicus which is from the Italian maccarone – a term that obviously has derogatory overtones.

Among the examples cited were “In-nisa kienu jigu treated differenti” (women were treated differently); “Marija kienet hard working ħafna” (Marija was very hard working); “Il-genituri ta’ Zahra kienu overprotective” (Zahra’s parents were over protective).

The exam report recommends that students should be discouraged from expressing themselves in this way. 

On various occasions the report notes that candidates used English words unnecessarily simply because they find it difficult to express themselves in Maltese.

“Wherever they stumbled they resorted to English.”

Examples cited in the report include “Mark Antonin għandhu heart kbir” (Mark Antonin is generous); “Għajneja kienu blu ta sea”; (My eyes are blue like the sea), “il-kelb kellu jigi putdown” (the dog had to be put down); Geraldine “kellha xagħarha blond” (Geraldine had blond hair). 

English influence was also noted in some of the idioms used like “waqgħu fl-imħabba” (they fell in love); “saqsew għaz-zwieg” (they asked to be married); “qegħdin fuq ħarga” (they are on an outing”). 

Some students even invented new words derived from English and Italian including: ħosbital, kurrenzija, disvantaggi, polluzjoni, eskludi, nipplanjaw, especjalment, protettat, jadmiraw.

The word relattivi derived from “relative” was used instead of “qraba”. Other crude hotch potch words included nikrea (create) isstressati (stressed), eventi (events), jispredja news (disseminate news), l-isola (the island), jinvita (invites), tittravilja (travelled), privizij (privacy), tarag spiralliku (spiral staircase), allegra (happy), poverta (poverty), klikkja moħħna (realized), kkavrat (covered), trappolat (trapped), imperdonabbli (unforgivable), portabbli (portable), bla ħesil (without hassle). 

When assessing the literature component of the exam the examiners described the state of Maltese orthography as “very bad,” noting the situation is deteriorating from year to year with the general level being described as mediocre. 

“Candidates are using Maltese without thinking. They are writing the first word which comes to mind. This is leading to a number of linguistic heresies.”