żmien żemżem
Maltese
Etymology
żmien + żemżem, literally “the time of Zamzam”, referring to the time the Maltese people were Muslim.[1][2]
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈzmɪːn ˈzɛm.zɛm/
Noun
żmien żemżem m
- the far past
- 2011 August 24, “Proġett ikkofinanzjat mill-UE dwar ġrajjiet ir-Roma jirbaħ il-premju tal-midja diġitali [EU co-funded Roma stories project wins digital media award (English)]”, in Commission Spokesperson's Service, European Commission:
- "Jiena kburija li qed nara proġett iffinanzjat mill-UE li qed jopponi preġudizzji minn żmien żemżem kontra r-Roma li qiegħed jirċievi rikonoxximent fin-naħa l-oħra tal-Atlantiku."
- "I am proud to see an EU-funded project countering age-old (lit. since time immemorial) prejudices against Roma receiving acknowledgement across the Atlantic."
References
- Edward Fench (1978) Contemporary Journalistic Maltese:An Analytical and Comparative Study, page 68
- Ritienne Gauci; John Schembri (April 28, 2012) , “University seminar discusses water”, in Times of Malta: “The Maltese expression minn żmien żemżem (since time immemorial) owes its origin to a well which is reputed to have therapeutic powers in the holy city of Mecca, which according to tradition, goes back to the time of Abraham.”