A new word has been launched in the Maltese vocabulary – Imhobza. Minister for Education Justyne Caruana, speaking during the launch which took place in Gozo, said, “we should be proud of our country’s unique language, as we should be proud of Maltese traditions and culture.”

The word is made up of the words ‘love’ and ‘bread’ and will be given to a heart-shaped product that will be linked to Valentine’s Day.

Minister Caruana, together with the directors of Maypole, launched this new word during an event that combined tradition, Maltese culture in the form of our bread, with the Maltese language.

It was explained that the composition of the word was approved as being a correct word in Maltese after consultations were held with Professor Michael Spagnol, a lecturer in Maltese Linguistics at the University of Malta.

Minister Caruana remarked that despite our small size as a country, we are proud to have our own language, which is one of the official languages of the European Union.

She went on to say that our language is a rich one, and we should treasure it and foster love for it in our children.The Minister for Education said that it is also significant that the launch was held in Gozo, the home of prominent Gozitans who have honoured our language, including Anton Buttigieg, George Pisani, Mary Meilak, Ninu Cremona and others, apart from the fact that dialects and old Maltese words are still in great use in Gozo.

She also said that we should not hold back from exporting our traditions and culture, not only because they are an intrinsic basis of our identity, but, along with our language, they make us what we are as a population.

Minister Caruana reminded that the culinary art and culture of the Maltese ftira is now part of the UNESCO’s list of intangible heritage.

During a recent meeting with the National Literacy Agency, the Education Minister said that she had emphasised the need to strengthen the Maltese language, whilst understanding the importance of other languages.

She mentioned the importance of the language policy for education, including the policy designed for the early years and the primary years, designed to foster a positive attitude towards Maltese, English and other languages, and for our children to develop skills in Maltese and English in different contexts.

Company Director Sebastian Debono spoke about the thinking behind this occasion and said that Maltese bread has always had links with Maltese culture, with various types of bread that are linked to festivals and other days in our Maltese cultural calendar.

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