Letters to the editor – Thursday, November 3, 2022
Surnames of Sicilian origin
I am no expert on Maltese surnames (‘What’s in a surname?’, John Galea, October 30) but the first question I would have about their coats of arms is whether these were “invented” in Malta or whether they are of Sicilian/Italian origin?
I ask this because when you visit Sicily and southern Italy, you notice that most of our surnames are not only of Sicilian or southern Italian origin but also that, somewhere along the way, we have dropped the last letter or two from some of the original ones. So, just north of us, you’ll find Zammitti, Zammitta, Agiusa, Mangione, Attardi, Attardo, Stilone, etc.
We have also slightly altered the name of some villages. In some old maps, my village ofAttard is labelled Attardo.
Albert Cilia-Vincenti – Attard
Lights off at danger point
The pedestrian traffic lights between Fortizza and Preluna on Sliema’s Tower Road have been out of action for two weeks now. This is a heavily used pedestrian crossing, being the only safe point to get across Tower Road between the lights at Fond Għadir and the next crossing beyond the Regina Hotel construction mess further along Tower Road.
Moreover, in this tourist dependent country,...