The vitality of Maltese dialects in Gozo

Abstract

The editorial of The Gozo Observer No 19 in December 2008 was entitled ‘The demise of Gozitan dialects’. Ten years later, in 2018, I decided to examine the claim that Gozitan dialects were disappearing, from a linguistic point of view, as well as by examining the perceptions of the Gozitans about the vitality of their Maltese language varieties. In a questionnaire I conducted in 2018, a few Gozitans expressed a concern that immigration of foreigners to Gozo and of young Gozitans to Malta might be causing a reduction in opportunities for the use of Gozitan-Maltese varieties. However, several other respondents interpreted the use of their Gozitan dialect as an inalienable attribute of culture and identity.