A long-lost manuscript of a Maltese-English and English-Maltese dictionary, compiled by Salvatore Mamo over a century ago, has been rediscovered by Steve Borg, Senior Manager at the National Bibliographic Office within Malta Libraries.
The manuscript has been digitised to ensure its preservation and is now being transcribed by the Department of Maltese at the University of Malta to make it accessible to the public.
The announcement came on 3rd December 2024, during the signing of an agreement between Malta Libraries and the University of Malta.
This collaboration will see academics from the Department of Maltese, under the leadership of Assistant Lecturer Dwayne Ellul, working alongside graduates Javier Degiorgio and Maria Simiana to study, transcribe, and prepare the dictionary for publication in partnership with Malta Libraries.
Professor Valerie Sollars from the University of Malta emphasised that this initiative aligns with the institution's goals of education, research, and community engagement.
Meanwhile, Adrian Grima, Head of the Department of Maltese, described the project as a significant step forward in advancing Maltese linguistic and cultural studies.
The manuscript, completed before Mamo’s death in 1918, is a more extensive version of his earlier 1885 English-Maltese dictionary. Spanning over 1,800 handwritten pages, it was discovered in a private collection during the summer of 2023, accompanied by a typed letter confirming its authorship by Mamo.
The discovery has also challenged historical assumptions. During his own dictionary project between 1947 and 1955, poet and linguist Dun Karm Psaila claimed that Mamo’s manuscript had been destroyed in World War II. Its survival raises questions about whether Psaila was misinformed or chose not to utilise Mamo’s work.
Salvatore Mamo was not widely recognised, even omitted from Michael Schiavone’s Dictionary of Maltese Biographies, which lists over 3,500 notable figures. However, research by Dr Ellul has uncovered Mamo’s legacy as a prominent educator who dedicated many years to compiling this dictionary.
The manuscript’s authenticity was confirmed during an initial examination in August 2024 by Dr Borg, Lecturer Olvin Vella, and Mr Ellul, although parts of the English-Maltese dictionary remain missing.
Cheryl Falzon, CEO of Malta Libraries, highlighted the manuscript’s significance in advancing the library’s cultural mission.
Speakers at the event underscored the importance of the manuscript, describing it as a cultural and educational treasure.
