Mitrah or saqqu? 10 vocab variations that differ between Malta & Gozo

The small islands that make up Malta's archipelago love a little rivalry. Be it Qormi’s San Bajstan or San Gorg, the north or the south, St Aloysius or De La Salle, a rivalry of some sort is standard practice here, and will continue to be so till the end of time. And like all other 'battles', the Gozitan vs Maltese language is a fierce one. Here are 10 Gozitan words that totally differ from the Maltese ones we know. Read on, you’ll get it.

1. Ghawdix

The Maltese variation is Ghawdex, meaning Gozo in English. This word is used when mentioning Malta's sister isle and is possibly the most common variation out there.

2. Mejdina

This would be tavolina in Maltese, and 'small table' in English. The Maltese word for table is mejda and the Gozitans added the diminutive suffix -ina to it, while the Malta version is derived from the Italian word, tavola.

3. Hafsa

You wouldn't want one of these little biatches on you. A hafsa is what we call a ponta in Maltese, meaning 'pimple' in English.

4. Pinuri

This is another common one that has everyone arguing over the correct pronunciation. In Maltese it's pilloli, referring to medicinal pills, but Gozitans seem to use pinuri, pinnoli or pilloli interchangeably. 

5. Hajm

In Gozo, you'll get hajm, in Malta you'll get fsied. It usually means to spoil someone with things or cuddles even! (We like the latter ... well who are we kidding - the former, too!)

6. Combini

Combini actually comes from the pins used to make the traditional bizzilla (lace). But in another context, they refer to what we call labar tal-inxir (clothes pegs) in Maltese.

7. Trampi

In Gozo, doing silly things is called trampi, while the Maltese version would be kummiedji. We even use kummidjant to describe a person who is just plain silly.

8. Nemusiera

Mosquitoes and flies love to make their presence felt on the islands, especially in summer. A nemusiera would be a xibka tan-nemus in Maltese, meaning a 'mosquito curtain.'

9. Xenxul

In Maltese we've got a couple of words that describe collectives. Xenxul in Gozitan or ghanqud in Maltese is one of them, meaning 'a bunch (of something).'

10. Mitrah

Gozitans use the Semitic version coming from Arabic, which is mitrah, while the Maltese use saqqu to refer to a mattress. We'll use either one if it means we'll be getting a comfy bed!

Are there any other ones you know of? Let us know in the comments below!