Wirt Ghawdex has held its first event in this year’s programme, when guest speaker, Simon Salafia, gave a fascinating talk about , which left the audience enthralled.

During the event, held at the Santa Cecilia Chapel in Xewkija, Slafia described how one may decipher some names with a very plausible Catalan import, expounding on how this could have come about, and highlighted which surnames of Catalan origin are mostly evident in the Gozitan toponomic landscape.

From his two publications about Gozitan toponyms, Simon Salafia is able to decipher some names with a very plausible Catalan import.

Simon Salafia studied at the University of Malta graduating in Electrical Engineering. Following his interest in the Spanish Language, he studied this language up to its highest level – gaining the Proficiency Level of the Diploma of Spanish as a Foreign Language, D.E.L.E. (Superior), from the University of Salamanca.

He taught Spanish at the Spanish-Maltese Centre (CCHM), Government Schools, Institute of Tourism Studies (ITS) and as a visiting lecturer at the University of Malta.

His main interests include Maltese History and Culture, with special reference to the Medieval Period. He is a licensed tourist guide and a professional interpreter (in Spanish, English and Maltese,with Italian as a passive language). In 2020, he published the first volume of The Place-Names of Gozo. This was followed by the second volume in 2022.

Simon is currently focusing his research on three different fields: collecting place names of Malta and Gozo; collecting historical Maltese first names, with the intention to publish a Dictionary of Maltese Names; and investigating the possibility of words of Catalan origin in the Maltese Language.

Wirt Ghawdex expressed thanks to Simon Salafia, all those who attended, and sponsors, APS Bank and Delicata.

Photo: Wirt Ghawdex

Permalink: Simon Salafia gives fascinating talk on Catalan personal names in Gozitan dialects