What's in a name? In the villages of Malta and the sister island of Gozo, each family has its wn nickname. Individual persons may also have separate nicknames.

The Maltese word for nickname is "laqam" (from "tlaqqam" meaning "to graft"). Indeed a nickname is grafted to the identity of a person, family or group and serves as a social label. Surnames are mainly used for official reasons.

The Maltese proverb "Skond ghamilek laqmek" (your nickname reflects your behaviour) underlines the personal and social implications of the endemic use of nicknames.

In general nicknames are rather innocuous. When they refer to some weakness they are usually good-humored. A few can be rude if not crude. Most nicknames are preceded by the preposition "ta" (of). One is referred to by first name followed by family nickname. Thus: Toni tal-Ggant (giant), Marija ta' l-Ghoqdija (knotty). A person may be specifically referred to by the definite article plus the nickname. Thus: il-Hotbi (the hunchback), il-Qanfud (the hedgehog).

Nicknames that describe a personality trait are the most expressive. Typical examples: "ta' Tontu" (stupid); "ta'Xewwiex" (troublemaker); "tal-Pupa" (doll); "tal-Patann" (chubby); " ta' l-Izdingat" (sloppy); " tan-Nittien " (lecher); No wonder some Maltese become paranoid about their nicknames. And there is no way one can get rid of one's nickname. Everybody is stuck with their nickname(s) through thick and thin.

Many nicknames derive from names of animals. These nicknames provide insight in the psycho-social dimensions of language. A quarter million Maltese coexist closely with limited animal resources. Maltese prize their animals but some islanders are notorious for trapping or shooting migratory birds. Here are a few examples of nicknames derived from animals: "ta' Gelluxa" (young bull); "tal-flieles" (chickens); "il-Kavall" (mackerel); "ta' Hanfusa" (beetle); "tas-Summiena" (quail). A priest who was nicknamed "il-Gurdien" (rat) is philosophical if not downright theological about his sobriquet! He says he endures it as a purgatorial penance.

The most prevalent nicknames are those referring to occupations; e.g. "tas-Surmast" (school principal), "tas-Saqqafi" (roofer), "tal--Melh" (salt vendor), "tar-Rizzi" (hawker of sea-urchins), "tas-Siggijiet" (man in charge of chairs in churches).

Entire towns and villages are given nicknames. These nicknames originated when villages and towns were isolated from each other. This separation led to parochialism verging on hostility.

"Tar-Redus" (manure) stigmatizes the town of Tarxien. This nickname triggered a violent disturbance some years back. On the feast-day of the patron saint in the neighboring town of Pawla, the local Band Club played a tune mimicking bleating of goats. Pawlaites baa'ed along with the march; which was just too much for Tarxienians. Violence erupted and police had to intervene.

Some village owe their origins to legends. Zejtun has a peculiar nickname. Zejtuners are known "ta' saqajhom catta" (flat-footed). According to legend, the inhabitants of Zejtun were the only Maltese who rejected the religion preached by Saint Paul after his shipwreck on the island. They stamped their feet in protest to Paul's proseletyzing. The man from Tarsus wasn't amused by this "barbarian" (not just in the biblical sense:-) behavior and laid a curse on the villagers and their descendants. As a Zejtuner my own feet are proof positive of the apostolic curse.