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Maltese History & Heritage
A project run by the vassallomalta.com website
The Origin of the 'Maltese' Surnames
Godfrey Wettinger
Maltese Surnames coat-of-arms
Early in Angevin times, less than half a generation from the proscription of Islam from Malta, government officials were repeatedly enjoined to keep personal records in the form of names and surnames. It might be taken that these merely implied that the use of nicknames would not be tolerated, as would be the case had the directions been made in our times, when it is still a commonplace that, in several parts of the Maltese islands nicknames, are popularly perhaps more widely used and known than the surnames themselves. However it must be emphasized: the real background of the government requirement was the then still prevailing survival of Arabic naming customs. This differed radically from the one that had been growing up and spreading throughout Europe since the year 1000 AD and was then being spread to the recently Christianized lands of Andalusia, the Balearic Islands, Sicily and Malta. The present study is concerned specifically with what seems to have happened in the MalteseIslands.
As late as 1241 Islam was still numerically strong in the MalteseIslands. The royal commissioner Giliberto Abate reported that Malta then had a total of 681 Saracenic households compared to the mysteriously small number of Christian ones: 47. The figures for Gozo are 155 Saracenic households and 203 Christian. [1] Ibn Khaldun puts the expulsion of Islam from the Maltese Islands to the year 1249. It is not clear what actually happened then, except that the Maltese language, derived from Arabic, certainly survived. Either the number of Christians was far larger than Giliberto had indicated, and they themselves already spoke Maltese, or a large proportion of the Muslims themselves accepted baptism and stayed behind. Henri Bresc has written that there are indications of further Muslim political activity on Malta during the last Suabian years. [2] Anyhow there is no doubt that by the beginning of Angevin times no professed Muslim Maltese remained either as free persons or even as serfs on the island.
On 22 May 1271 Bertrando de Real, the magister and castellan of Malta was instructed to keep a note of the names and surnames of those who transported the falcons to the royal court from Malta. [3] He had similarly to note the names and surnames of the serfs who had servile duties to perform towards the royal estates, together with those of the other members of their families of both sexes together with their ages. [4] The French soldiers engaged two years later for garrisoning duties in the Castle-by-the-Sea had similarly to be listed by name and surname. [5] The latter does not occasion any remark, but the serfs in particular must have been largely descended from local Muslims and almost certainly still followed Muslim and Arab traditions in their personal and family nomenclature. In 1277 the authorities in Naples ordered the release of the widow, son and two daughters of the late castellan Robbertus Caffuri, and of their goods which had been distrained in view of an investigation into Caffuri's alleged extorsions, but directed that a number of sufficiently wealthy persons should stand surety on the family's behalf, listed by name and surname, nomina et cognomina. Fortunately, an official copy of the list of 38 names and surnames has survived, drawn up and authenticated by Notary Antonius de Cappillerio, Martinus Calleya, the baglio Benedictus de Chaggio, Andreas de Calemera and Symon de Bonanocte (witnesses), providing the first direct evidence of the surnames then current on Malta: [6]
Dionisius de Barba, Guillelmus de Asmundo, Leo de Ayaco, Jacobus …, Albertus de Farlo, Girardus Machaliphus, Marcus de Asmundo, Robbertus de Bidoso, Nicolaus de Friderico, Nicolaus de Capua, Michael de Assante, Dominicus de Vetulo, Jacobus de Messana, Simon Schiucha [sic, Schiricha?], Raynaldus Ramia, Dominicus Far, Benedictus Machalephus, Nicolaus Cubu [sic, Cumbu?], Silvester Buruchus, Jacobus Bellus, Iugus Quairatus, Andreas Cafarnia, Bartholomeus de Rosicario, Leo Caleya, Raymundus de Cachuro, Maynus Picardus, Paschalis de Barba, Petrus Caniclenus, Jacobus Alayno [sic, Alaymo?], Gualterius de Avaracio, Guido Resta, Dardanus de Famiya, Andreas de Messana, Johannes de Melacio, Nicolaus Grecus, Benedictus Xeni, Robbertus Yella [sic, Vella?], Johannes de Mistretta.
It will be noticed that these persons belonged to the wealthy class and they obviously did not include any serfs or peasants. That explains why the list does not include any surnames of Arabic derivation. The surname Far which has been hitherto regarded as deriving from an Arabic or Maltese nickname meaning exactly 'a field rat' is most probably derived instead from the place-name near Messina called to Faro: [7] it led to the formation of the place-name Raħal Far, now Ħal Far. [8] It is interesting to find the surname Ramia, itself undoubtedly giving rise to the Siggiewi place-name Raħal Ramija, now Ħarramija. The surname Assant, now Sant, is recorded once in the place-name Casali Tamim Assant, Ħal Tmin. Melacio refers to the Sicilian town of Milazzo and seems to have been modified eventually to form the Maltese or Gozitan surname of Mejlaq, morphologically an Arabic diminutive form. [9] As such it has survived to the present time and has travelled round the world. Grech of course is still a very common Maltese surname, unlike Picardus, another ethnic surname. Micallef is also still a very common Maltese surname. In the late fourteenth century it is recorded to have been held by Maltese Jews. [10] Buruchus itself was probably a Jewish surname in spite of the 'Christian name' Silvester.
From the whole list only Asmundo, Barba and Friderico are undoubtedly patronymics, that is formed from an ancestor's first name. By far the larger number refer to localities of origin: Ayaco (Ajaccio?), Capua, Mistretta, Messina, Far(o), Milazzo, Alaymo (?). For Calleya a Greek origin has been claimed by no other than Commendatore Abela. Seeing that its presence in this list antedates Malta's connection with Spain by a few years, he could very well be right.
The list represents precisely the type of Christian settlers on Malta one expects in post-1127 times, those who reintroduced their religion into the island which was otherwise apparently still solidly Muslim until well into the thirteenth century. They had no direct connection with the recently converted peasants largely or completely reduced to the status of serfs. Most of the surnames in the list did not survive in the MalteseIslands down to the fifteenth century. [11] Even as late as 1419 the survivors are still largely to be found mostly concentrated at Mdina and Rabat and possibly the larger villages. [12]
Such upper-class surnames have also been found on the island of Gozo for the year 1299. [13] These include:
Gullielmus de Malta miles
Clara de Rocca, uxor Gullielmi de Malta
Lukina sua filia
Raynaldus de Barba judex Gaudisii
Manfridus de Arcudio judex Gaudisii
Johannes de Permuntono judex Hgaudisii
Leo de Puntetremulo notarius
Andreas comes insularum Malte et Gaudisii
Nicolaus de Lentini notary
Henricus de Montemurro witness
Chone de Lerro witness
Guillelmus de Tynart witness
Jacobus Ssuavi witness
Rogerius de Daniele witness
Arnaten Pousalè witness (signs in Greek characters)
Tristanus de Actardo witness
Again it would not appear that any of these persons had any blood relationship with any of the recently converted Maltese or Gozitan Muslims. Pontetremulo is Latin for Pontremoli, an Italian locality close to Carrara and was to survive abundantly on Gozo at least right down to 1551, and Actardo was a Germanic personal name which has become one of the main surnames of the two islands right down to the present day and had certainly already been closely associated with casali Actard, one of the raħal place-names, even as early as 1419. Barba has been dealt with already. Pousalè is possibly connected to the surname Psaila for which a totally different derivation has been advanced by others. None of the other surnames has survived into much later times.
A notarial document of 1324 provides another short list of surnames: [14]
Caterina Greca
Basilius Limera
Lucas de Albano Judge of Malta
Rogerius de Alamanno notary
Fredericus de Burdino witness
Benedictus Camilla witness
Benedictus Cuskerius witness
Henricus Cuskerius witness
Niolunus de Hasmundo witness
Johannes de Salerno witness
Simon Siriha witness
Angelus Calimeta (= Calimera?)
Bartholomeus Biseti, a priest
Ignoring Hasmundo (=Asmundo) and Siriha (=Sciricha), already noticed in 1277, one finds the appearance of well-known 'Maltese' surnames like Cuskerius and Burdino, the latter of which however has not survived to the present day. Calimera means 'Good-morning' in Greek; cf. surnames Buongiorno and Bonanno; Limera = (Ca)limera, similar to Milleri = (Ca)milleri.
In the circumstances it would seem that the normal way the ex-Muslims could have been provided with surnames was to use their father's name as a new family surname. Those of them who were first generation converts to Christianity, and that must have included most of them, would thus have acquired Arab personal names as surnames, some two scores of which have survived as such to the present time. [15] A similar number of surnames seem to have died out during the course of the last eighty years of the fifteenth century, and an unknown number must have already disappeared between ca. 1250 and 1419, being purposely discarded perhaps for prudential reasons during times when delation to the Inquisition could have led to exile and the confiscation of their property. [16] Such surnames represent only a small proportion of the Arab or Muslim names once current in Malta since those whose sons lived in times when they could keep their religion survived, if at all, only in the place-names which pepper the pages of later documentation. Thus though later documentation only provides Buġibba, Buhagiar, Buras, Busalib, Butigieg and possibly Busuttil among the kunya surnames of undoubted Arabic origin, [17] place-names give us a total of some twenty place-names of kunya form which must originally in all cases have had a personal reference: Bixrub, Biżbud, Bubaqra, Budaqq, Bufula, Buġimgħa, Buġineh, Bugħarbiel, Bugħarien or Buhurien, Buleben, Bunixeb, Bunuħħala, Buqana, Burix, Busewdien, Busif, Buskieken, Busrawel, Butomna, Bużellaq. [18] Buskieken might be represented by the surname Biscone. The others fall into one type or other of Arabic personal nomenclature.
It is here presumed that all Christian parents whether belonging to Old Christian families or to New Christian ones would normally strictly avoid giving Muslim prenames to their offspring, and that therefore all new surnames with such an origin would have been conferred on sons of Muslims. [19] This would mean that the 'Arabic' or 'Muslim' surnames would largely antedate the year 1300 by a number of decades. In the MalteseIslands a certain permanence and stability of surnames was established as early as 1300 except for the progressive elimination of Arabic or Muslim connections.
An important point to make is that few if any Arabic female names ever seem to have led to the formation of surnames. Neither Għajxa and Mejmuna, names, incidentally, of two of the wives of the Prophet, nor Ħalima, Muhammad's fostermother or nurse, ever became surnames in the MalteseIslands. However, Nuwwara, blossom, flower, and its plural Nuwwar, as well as Zahra and Zahira both became surnames, only Zahra surviving to the present time. [20] To these one may also add Zejne, fem. of Zejn, beautiful, pretty, beauty, grace, only recorded as a surname once in 1419 at Ħal Għargħur. One may add that the words bin and bint were obviously carefully proscribed from all surnames, so that the 'Maltese' surnames do not have the equivalent of Stephenson, Johnson, O'Brian, Prichard, Fitzgerald, and so on. Possibly this was the result of a desire to distance themselves from the universal Arabic use of such words in personal nomenclature. Sephardic Jews in general, however, suffered from no such misgivings and Ben surnames can easily be found in Israel, for example among their descendants.
This brings us to another point, that several Maltese surnames of Arabic origin end in the letter -a, as if it were a feminine word when that is absent in its Arabic form. Thus one finds Raħal Farruġ among the place-names corresponding in Arabic to al-Farrug becoming a Maltese surname as Farrugia, Karwan as Caruana, Muhtar as Muchtara or Muhtara, Zabbar as Sabbara or Zabbara, Salib as Saliba, [21] Sultan as Sultana, perhaps 'Ali becoming Galea, Rasul becoming Arexula, Bajjad becoming Bajjada, and Msid Msida. Other surnames not of pure Arabic extraction showing a final -a, which might explain the propensity of notaries to favour such an ending, include Aquilina, Barba, Barbara, Briffa, Cachia, Calleja, Cassia, Ciappara, Cusburella, Formosa, Furmica, Grima, [22] Manduca, Michola, Pirera, Petrella. [23] The final -a in Abdilla has a different origin seeing that it is derived from the word Alla, God.
Of course, those whose father was a Christian convert adopted their father's Christian name as a surname. Thus we find patronymics of this type in Bartolo from Bartolomeus, Brincat from Pancratius, Bastianu from Sebastian, Attard from the identical Germanic personal name, perhaps Gerada from Gerardu, perhaps Clairo from Calogero, Basili, Blingkeri, Bonanno, [24] Bonavia, Bernardu, Hili (Sp. For Julio), Laurenzu, Luchia, Manueli, Marinu, Nastasi, Nicolachi, Valent, Tonna, Theuma from Thomá not a nickname from tewma, 'garlic', Ursu, Federicu, Franciscu, Frendu and Ferrandes (Catalan or Castilian for Ferdinandu), Gomes, Gusman, Micheli, Narda, Pericuni and Petrella (from Petru), Ponzu, Refalu, Ristainu. [25] However, it should be noted that innumerable Christian names never became patronymics in the Maltese islands during the Middle Ages so far as is known: Angeli, Blasi, Bringeli, Dimitri, Johanni, Paulu, Jacobu, Pasquale, Georgi, Dominicu, Agustinu, Philippu, Stephanu, Gregori, Ximuni, Julianu, Manfre, Marcu, Andrea, Rugeri, Martimu, and so many others. Was that because there were so few second generation Christians at the time when surnames were introduced officially and formalised in the islands? Were the figures given by Giliberto Abate after all more precise than what most historians have allowed for? Possibly it is a mere defect of our documentation. Several of them can be found in the present surnames of Malta as patronymics, usually preceded by the possessive word 'de', but these are all either later formations or intrusive surnames which did not form part of the islands' surnames during the late middle ages. On the other hand was their scarcity merely the result of a psychological reluctance to adopt Christian names as patronymic surnames in preference to other types of surnames, such as those derived from locational or nickname sources?
It is not clear when the surnames originating from nicknames were formed. Generally they go back to a post-Islamic date as surnames though as nicknames they might be much older, whether they were of Arabic or of Romance origin, and belong originally to members of any of the three religious communities in the islands, Muslim (only if of Arabic and pre-ca. 1250 origin), Jewish or Christian: Bakibac, Blancu, Chetcuti, Falca, Falzon, Fauchellu, Fantin, Felfuli, Felu, Fenech, Ferraru, Furmica, Gambinu, Gazal, Gigante, Grassu, Hafaride, Mahanuc, Mifsud, Fartasi, Mintuf. They would also include surnames resulting from occupations: Balestrera, Camilleri, Carbone, Cassar, Caxaru, Feraru, Baldachinu, Balzan, Millahi. [26] Others reveal personal status: Vassaldu or Vassallo, Spiteri, Chiantar, Chakem.
Ethnic surnames which started off as nicknames include Armenia and Darmanin, Alban, Albanu and Albanisi, Calabru, Caschun from Gascon, Causiri (Cosyra, Pantelleria), Cuzin from Siracusa, Urdub or Corduba (from Cordoba), Ferriolu, Gaudixi and Gaudixanu, now Gauci (Gozitan), Grech, Harabi, (A)laman, Lumbardu, Luuki and Lukisi (Lucchese), Majurkino, Malf or Melfi, Maltisi, Navarru, Pisani, Ponzu, Pullichinu, Ragonisi, Santurinu, Sardu, Savoye, Scavuni, Spanu, Turentinu, Xiruntan (Florentine), Vinicianu (but Bindiki survived as a surname down to 1417). Some are not recorded to have made it to the status of surnames: Masri, Ginui, Sindiwa, Cerkes, Tartarni. Probable ethnic names also are Curmi and Dingli, the first possibly referring to the Crimea, the latter to Dongola down south of the Red Sea. Both seem far-fetched. Some would regard Azzopardi as ethnic, asssociating it with the word Sephardic referring to an Oriental Jew, but the separate existence of Accio and Pardo as surnames in the twelfth century counsels caution in reaching premature conclusions. [27] However, the credentials of Ellul or Hellul as a Jewish name or surname seem unimpeachable seeing that Hellul is identical with the name of a month of the Jewish calendar. Muxi for Moses must also be of Jewish extraction. Other Jewish surnames might be Parnis, Refalo, Cagege, Sansuni, Episcopu, the latter frequently resulting from the conversion of a rabbi. It has also been suggested that Muscat could also be of Jewish origin.
To the ethnic surnames one might add those that refer to Sicilian or other European towns, such as Agusta, Avula, Catania, Girgenti, Xortinu, Palermu, Madiona, Mazzara, Mullica (i.e. Modica), Naso, Oluna, Platamuni, Pontremulu, Pulisi, Ravellu, Rigio (ie. Reggio), Saguna or Sahona, Santurinu, Suria (in Spain), Tirrana, Galata. Do all these point to foreign origins for such surnames of non-Arabic origin?
It is clear that there was a consistent effort during the later Middle Ages to move away from the more obvious Arabic and Muslim names. Thus surnames like Muhammed, Xara, Canzuhuc (whatever the latter meant), Razul, Cahalun, Duhamuri, Gibasal, Hafaride, Harabi, Muzangar, Busalib, Zumahac dropped out almost completely by 1500. Others were disguised so to speak. Thus we have Calabachi from Halap (Aleppo, cf. Mtaħleb and the benefice called Ta' Ħalap), Cusburella from Kożbor; Werratello apparently from Werrad (cf. Bin Werrad), Caruana from Karwan, Farrugia from Farruġ, and others have already been discussed. There are then those that were eventually translated into a Romance form. The clearest case is that of Dejf which was changed early in the sixteenth century into Magro or Magri. Here one must also consider that Dejf itself was not originally the Maltese or Arabic word meaning 'lean' but the Arabic word meaning 'guest' in the theophoric personal name Dejfullah. [28] Other possibilities of such calques can be pointed out, such as that of Salam, Salâma, Selmun, Salma into Pace, the nicknames Dnieri and Dnajjar into Aquilina, Kabir into Qrendi [29] which however did not survive either, the same fate that happened in the attempts to replace Fenech by Coniglo and Psaila by Cipolla. [30]
There is a group of surnames which seem to be of late Greek or Byzantine formation: Bonnici, [31] Burlo, [32] Cachi, [33] Calimera, Cachia, [34] Callus, [35] Callea or Calleya, Grixti, Chalpas or Chappas, Cumbo, Percopu, Cuschieri, Gamichi, Percopulli and probably Psaila. Stafrace seems to have been developed from Stauracius. The Greek connections may be vague in some cases, in others quite strong.
It is sometimes difficult to reach firm conclusions at the present stage of our knowledge of how particular surnames arose. Thus Tabone can be found throughout Italy at the present time and seems surely to be of Italian origin. Yet tabuni, its earliest form in Malta, means a peasant oven or kiln low on the ground which is still to be found, for example on Djerba Island in the pottery industry. Also Debono and Tabone were very likely interchangeable at one time. The surname Vella reached a frequency of some 3% in the militia lists and remains very common to the present day, especially in the north of Malta. It cannot be of Arabic origin. The common idea that it is derived form the Italian word vela, 'sail', seems particularly pointless. In Catalan vella means 'old' (fem.), raising the possibility that it replaced an original nickname xiħ, 'old' (masc.), the final -a ending being the one frequently associated with surnames. The surname Borg, which disputes with Vella primacy of occurrence among Maltese surnames, could have resulted from the Sicilian town of Burgi, itself perhaps from the Greek pyrgos. This however would not explain its lack of occurrence in Sicily itself. It is very well known that it has a much wider occurrence in Europe, especially in Sweden and Spain (Burgia). One other explanation that needs serious consideration is whether it is not, after all, derived from Ambrogio, the name of one of the principal Fathers of the Church known throughout medieval Europe. Certainly Ambrogia in Malta did take the form of Burgia. Though Borġ is not normally listed as an Arabic or Muslim personal name it can be found repeatedly in Sicilian Norman name lists written in Arabic or Greek as el-Burgi and in the Maltese militia lists as il Burgi. Does the 'Maltese' surname Gatt derive simply and solely from the Italian gatto, a cat, or is it ultimately derived from Agata, gr. Agathé. [36]
What are we to think of the surname Mamu? In its modern form, one might be forgiven for mistaking Mamo for an undoubted Italian creation, only it is very rare in that country. [37] Annemarie Schimmel has suggested that the taboo on the personal name Muhammad has led to its replacement by Mamu in Mali and Kurdistan. Could that have happened in Malta where Muhammad survived surprisingly as a surname well into the fifteenth century but then mysteriously disappears, while Mamu, although missing from the Militia Lists, appears before the end of that century and waxes strong ever since. The surname Mamux, also mentioned by Schimmel similarly appears in the early Militia Lists.
On the other hand, as has been said by the present writer on several occasions, it has been possible to take the origin of the surname Mintoff back to tenth century Baghdad or thereabouts. It was immediately apparent from its occurrence in late fifteenth century notarial records from Malta and Gozo that its proper and original form was Mintuf. It immediately became imperative to discover what mintuf could have meant, since it is inconceivable that a person could be plucked except metaphorically, even if his surname was really Butigieg, Farrugia or Chetcuti. It was clear that the Maltese Mintuf family originated on Gozo, where it can still be found firmly established in one little area between Għarb and Żebbuġ roughly in the neighbourhood of Għasri. Later it transpired that it is also recorded on the platee of Norman Sicily in Arabic and Greek transliteration, Iben el-Mentouf, a serf on the estate of the monastery of Monreale at Calatrasi. [38] Finally, the nickname has been found in Mesopotamia sometime in the lifetime of Khalif El-Mansur (136-158 A.H./753-774 A.D.). The traditional Arab writer 'Abd Allah b. 'Ayyach was nicknamed El-Mentouf because he had the habit of pulling at the ends of his beard while speaking. It is said that the Abbassid Khalif El-Mansur one day asked his minister Rebi' to promise this scholar a rich recompense if he stopped the habit. 'Prince of the Believers,' the vizir answered, 'He gets greater pleasure from pulling out his beard than if he obtained kingly power. How can I get him to agree to your offer?' The same nickname was held by two others. [39]
It will be seen that surname study involves not only the preliminary documentation of the earliest occurrence of the surnames themselves in the MalteseIslands, but also much research into the dating and circumstances of their occurrence elsewhere. The field of study might range from medieval Baghdad to Renaissance Italy and Spain and involve linguistic research both of Indo-European languages as Latin, Greek, Spanish, Sicilian and Tuscan Italian as well as of Semitic tongues like Arabic and even (in a very few examples) of Hebrew itself. The dating is fundamental to such studies.
[1] A Luttrell, 'Giliberto's Report on Malta 1241', Proceedings of History week 1993, ed. K. Sciberras, Malta 1997, 1-30.
[2] H. Bresc, 'Società e politica in Sicilia nei secoli XIV e XV', Archivio Storico per la Sicilia Orientale, vol. 70, 273.
[3] Vincenzo Laurenza, 'Malta nei documenti Angioini del R. Archivio di Napoli', Archivio Storico di Malta, V, 1-4 (1934), doc. xv, 115.
[4] Ibid., doc. xix, same date, p. 117. Unfortunately these particular records have not survived.
[5] Ibid., doc. xxxiii, dated 20 March 1273, 128.
[6] Ruggiero Moscati, 'Fonti per la storia di Malta nel Regio Archivio di Stato di Napoli', Archivio Storico di Malta, n.s. VII, 4 (1936), 506, doc. dated 3 May 1277 inserted in doc. xxvi, dated 13 December 12??.
[7] E. De Felice, Dizionario dei cognomi italiani (Milano, 1978); 122, s.v. Faro.
[8] In my Place-names of the Maltese Islands I gave what I then thought were unanswerable reasons for thinking the surname Far was of Arabic origin. I was not then aware of its presence in this particular list.
[9] It is therefore not derived from the Maltese word mejlaq, a strop; that would make excellent dictionary sense but no real sense; its current form recalls that of the surname Sejkel, perhaps derived from the name of the Sicilian town of Scicli, again possibly an Arabic diminutive form, but Sejkel could possibly have another independent Arabic derivation. Diminutives were in fact favourite forms for surnames derived from names of foreign towns or showing ethnic origins; thus Pullicino from Polizzi, Majurkino from Majorca, Turentinu from Taranto [?], Tartarni [ie. Tartarini] from Tartar (only surviving in the place-name Rahal Tartarni).
[10] Machaluffi was the name of a Gozitan Jew retained in captivity at Tunis on the turn of the fifteenth century: Archivio di Stato di Palermo, Real Cancelleria, vol. 40, ff. 16-17, doc. dated 14 May 1403.
[11] Asmundo, Ayaco, Farlo, Bidoso, Capua, Vetulo, Ramia, Buruchus, Bellus, Quairatus, Cafamia, Rosicario, Cachuro, Picardus, Caniclenus, Avaracio, Resta, Famiya, Xeni, Yella and Mistretta. Barba and Friderico did not survive the fifteenth century, and Far died out also at about the same time.
[12] This is of course not true of Calleya, Michallef and Grech or Mejlaq.
[13] H. Bresc, 'Malta dopo il Vespro Siciliano', Melita Historica, VI, 3 (1974), 313-321.
[14] Ibid., 320-21.
[15] All of these can or could be found in Arab countries: Abdilla, Agius, Axac (see comment below by Stephen Asciak), Bajjada, Buhagiar, Butigieg, Caruana, Cassar, Farrugia, Galea [perhaps from 'Ali], Randun, Mallia (=?), Mamo, Said, Saliba, Sammut, Sultana, Xerri, Xiberras, Xuereb, Zammit.
[16] Arexula (=Ra]un), Bakibac, Berqax, Bugibba, Buras, Busalib, Buturra, Cadide, Cadumi, Cadus, Cafor, Cagege, Cahalun, Canzuhuc, Carcar, Carchune, Chakem, Cutiti, Dejf, Dorbies, Fartasi, Gazal, Gibasal, Guaractu, Hafaride, Lificar, Mahduf, Mahnuq, Meze, Mifsud, Mihallef, Muhammad, Muhtar, Mula, Muzangar, Sabbara (Zabbara), Sansuni (reintroduced from Sicily), Tabuni, Xara, Zumahac.
[17] G. Wettinger, 'The Distribution of Surnames in Malta in 1419 and the 1480s', Journal of Maltese Studies, No. 5 (1968), examples on p.33. Bunezza, Buturra and Bucellu have been ignored as insufficiently studied. The abu names in the Maltese Islands are properly to be regarded as a variety of nicknames rather than kunya names properly so called.
[18] G. Wettinger, Place-names of the Maltese Islands, xvii-xviii.
[19] However, the place-name Temim Assant (Ħal Tmin), probably an anthroponym, could indicate that at least occasionally Muslim pre-names remained in use among Christians, since Temim is apparently the pre-name and Assant the surname in this place-name.
[20] Idem, 'The Distribution of Surnames in Malta in 1419 and the 1480s', Journal of Maltese Studies, No. 5 (1968), s.vv. For the Muslim equivalents see Salahuddin Ahmed, A Dictionary of Muslim Names.
[21] However, cf. Saliba, burgensis Accon, an inhabitant of Acre, 16 September 1264: A. Zammit Gabarretta and J. Mizzi, Catalogue of the Records of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem in the Royal Malta Library, Malta, 1964, vol. I, 223. Saliba here is probably a pre-name.
[22] Grima moglie di Donadeo, doc. 358, Grima moglie di Giovanni…, doc. 479, Grima vedova del quondam Jocaro (?)…, docs. 7, 8: index entries on p. 296 in Ministro dell'Interno, Pubblicazioni degli Archivi di Stato, XXV, Abbazia di Montevergine, Registro delle Pergamene, a cura di G. Mongeli, OSB, vol. I (Roma 1956). See also: … sua moglie Falegrima, abitante in Taruasi, doc. 616 dated 1177, in ibid., p.173, …sua moglie Gaytelgrima, doc. 833, dated 1190, in ibid., p. 223, Sikelgrima, figlia del giudice Aldenaro e moglie di Urso, docs. 68 and 69 dated 1065, 1066, in ibid., and Adelgrima, doc. 20, dated August 1003, in ibid., index entry on p. 312. All these instances of Grima refer to personal names.
[23] G. Wettinger, 'The Distribution of surnames…', s.vv. The following surnames ending in a-have been omitted because they obviously originated from the name of a locality with that final letter: Alagona, Agusta, Asti, Bezzina, Bugeia, Calava, Carduna, Catania, Daiona, Damiata, Davula, Franza, Galata, Licata, Mazzara, Mollica, Muntana, Saguna, Sardigna.
[24] For Bonanno, see Henrici de Bono Anno, 26 June 1210, in Lanfranco (1202-1226), a cura di H.C. Krieger and R.L. Reynolds, "Notai liguri del secolo xii e del xiii, VI", Società ligure di Storia Patria, Genova, 1953, vol. I, doc. 605, 270.
[25] Most of these can be found in the Militia List of 1419 and it is not possible to tell whether they were actually created in Malta or alternatively when they entered the island from abroad.
[26] For Balzan, see Jacomo Grasso de Balçamo Mediolanensi, 31 May 1205 in Giovanni de Guiberto 1200-1211, a cura di M.W. Hall-Cole et al., "Notai liguri del secolo xii, V", Genova 1940, doc. 1360.
[27] For Accio see: Codice diplomatico della Repubblica di Genova, "Fonti per la Storia d'Italia", Roma 1942, III, doc. 44, p. 120: Azo Rovedus, Azo Borel, giugno 1197; and Azo de Pangiano, Azo, Salvaticus, Azo Rovedus, and Azo de Avolasca in ibid., doc. 50, pp.131-132, 27 Agosto 1198. Ogerius Açopardus figures among witnesses to a notarial deed in Genoa on 4 August 1201: Giovanni de Guiberto (1200-1211), a cura di M.W. Hall-Cole et al., "Notai liguri del secolo XII, vol. V," Genoa, 1940, doc. 350 in vol. I, 173.
[28] This arises from the consideration that Dejfullah is a normal Arabic and Muslim theophoric name while dejf, meaning 'lean', has not been found in the dictionaries of Arabic or Muslim personal names. That such theophoric names frequently drop the second and divine element is also extremely common.
[29] G. Wettinger, Place-names of the Maltese Islands, s.v. Qrendi. Cf. Laurencius Crendi of Gozo, in S. Fiorini (ed.), Documentary Sources of Maltese History, II, Documents in the State Archives, Palermo, No. 1, Cancelleria Regia: 1259-1400, Malta 1999, doc. 277, p. 325, dated Catania, 30 August 1399.
[30] See above, p. 4 for the relationship between Pousalè and Psaila.
[31] G. Rohls, Dizionario storico dei cognomi nella sicilia orientale, p.52, s.v. Bonnici: 'da Bonmici = Bonamici (De Felice 82)?'; however, cf. s.v. Bunikis: Petros Bunikis, 1189. Cf. Johannes Bonichi in Oberto Scriba de Mercato (1186), "Notai liguri del secolo xii, IV", a cura di Mario Chiaudano, Genova 1940, doc., 220, 81 and Hospinelli Bonichi, 9 November 1203 in Giovanni de Guiberto 1200-1211, a cura di M.W. Hall-Cole et al., "Notai liguri del secolo xii, V", Genova 1940, doc. 997, 462.
[32] G. Rohlfs, Cognomi…, p.5, s.v. Burlò: cfr. Burlákis cognome in Grecia. But cf. Rolandus de Burlo, 14 August 1203 in Lanfrancus (1202-1226), a cura di H.C. Krueger and R.L. Reynolds, "Notai liguri del secolo xii e del xiii, VI", Società ligure di storia Patria, Genova 1953, p. 206, doc. 463. Cf. 'homines de sexto et de Priano et de Borzoli et de Burlo debent per unumquemque due faxium de lignis', Decreto col quale si assegnano a determinati posti di guardia I cittadini chiamati a prestare servizio in persona e si indicano le coresponsioni in denaro o in derrate dovute da coloro che non dimorano nel recinto o nelle vicinanze della città, 1142?, Codice diplomatico della Repubblica di Genova, "Fonti per la Storia d'Italia, III", Roma 1942, 143, doc. 120.
[33] See Boni Senioris Cachi, 3 October 1225, in Lanfranco (1202-1226), a cura di H.C. Krueger and R.L. Reynolds, "Notai liguri del secolo xii e del xiii, VI", Società ligure di Storia Patria (Genova 1953), vol. II, p. 285. Doc. 1602.
[34] See Giovanni de Cachia, cittadino abitante di S. Maria, 15 May 1322, in P. Egidi, Codice diplomatico dei Saraceni di Lucera, Napoli 1917, 396, doc. 795.
[35] However: 'Il toponimo è infatti già attestato nella forma Caluxium almeno nel 1177… La sua origine più probabile va infatti ricercata nel gentilizio latino Calusius', review by Aldo A. Setta of J. Vignano-G. Ravera, Il "Liber decimarum" della diocesi di Ivrea (1368-1370), Roma 1970, in Rivista di Storia della Chiesa in Italia, vol. 25 (1971), 253.
[36] Rohlfs, Dizionario storico dei cognomi nella Sicilia orientale, Palermo 1984, 37, s.vv. Àgata, Agàti; cf. Latinised version De Agatiis.
[37] Annemarie Schimmel, Islamic Names, "Islamic Surveys", Edinburgh 1989, p. 30.
[38] Salvatore Cusa, I diplomi greci ed arabi di Sicilia pubblicati nel testo originale tradotti ed illustrati, 169, document of 1178.
[39] A.-C. Barbier de Meynard, 'Surnoms et sobriquets dans la littérature arabe', Journal Asiatique, Sept.-Oct. 1907, 233.
113 responses to "The Origin of the 'Maltese' Surnames"
Louis Fenech
Selvagi seems have been left out. Why?
vassallomalta
This is an article about the origins of Maltese surnames. So it is understandable that Selvagi does not figure out in this article
The surname Mallia originates from Sicily not Arabic as you suggest. Its obviously an Italian name. There may be Arabic placenames with similar spelling but doubt very much there is a connection. The name is widely found in Italy and Spain.
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Sam LaPorta explains why he wants to play in Iowa's bowl game against Kentucky
Scott Green | 1 month ago
Sam LaPorta, Iowa's star tight end, will play in the upcoming game against Kentucky in the TransPerfect Music City Bowl on Dec. 31.
The Iowa Hawkeye's offense struggled this season scoring just 17.9 points per game but despite that LaPorta was able to get a good level of production this year. According to PFF in 2021, he led the B1G with 53 receptions for 670 yards and had an impressive 206 yards after contact.
Iowa TE Sam LaPorta on why he's playing in the bowl: "I gave this program a lot and it's given me more than I've ever dreamed of."
"I'm here and I want to be here."
"I want to be out here one more time with my boys."
LaPorta had his knee scoped after tearing his meniscus at Minn
— Scott Dochterman (@ScottDochterman) December 22, 2022
LaPorta got injured this year against Minnesota and suffered a torn meniscus which required arthroscopic surgery. He stated that "I gave this program a lot and it's given me more than I've ever dreamed of" when announcing that he would play in the bowl game despite the injury.
He is an extremely athletic and during his high school career played wide receiver despite being roughly 220 pounds. He's a critical piece to the Hawkeye's offense and will be a major factor if Iowa is to win against the Wildcats.
LaPorta had 53 receptions for 601 yards and one touchdown this season.
Scott Green has been covering and following college football since 2017. After primarily covering the Georgia Bulldogs, Scott began to branch out and build relationships with other national media members. He played football and graduated from the LaGrange College in 2014. He currently is enlisted in the Georgia Army National Guard after deploying with them in 2019 to Afghanistan.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Movie Review: "The Great Wall" is Far From Great, But it's Eye Popping, Campy Fun
Starring Matt Damon, Pedro Pascal, Tian Jing, Willem Dafoe, Andy Lau
Story by Max Brooks and Marshall Hershkovitz & Edward Zwick
Screenplay by Caro Bernard & Doug Miro and Tony Gilroy
Directed by Zhang Yimou
Reviewed by Paul & Patick Gibbs
Out of Four
As critics, we generally get to go into a Hollywood film relatively fresh, before too much buzz has built up to give us a strong expectation as to its quality, but The Great Wall isn't a normal Hollywood movie: it's a Chinese and American production, the first big blockbuster English language film from famed Chinese director Zhang Yimou (2011's The Flowers of War, starring Christian Bale, was still considered a Chinese language film), and this fantasy epic opened in China on December 15, 2016. There's already been a good deal of press about it, and while it has done well at the box office, it has also faced some pretty harsh reviews and accusations of "whitewashing", with some feeling that putting white actors like Matt Damon and Willem Dafoe headlining a film set in ancient China with a predominantly Chinese cast was Hollywood pandering and giving us yet another "white savior" formula movie.
So, despite being fans of the director and his star, we were going into this movie with some genuine hope, but also prepared for the worst. And it most definitely is not a multilayered masterpiece: it's a silly monster movie with something of a '90's fantasy feel, a sort of Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves or even Dragonheart kind of vibe. But none of those movies were directed by Zhang Yimou, and The Great Wall still manages to be yery fast moving and quite enjoyable taken on its own merits, with some outstanding action and truly gorgeous visuals. It's not a classic. It's not even a great popcorn flick. But it's also not the total dud that many are making it out to be.
The story begins with a group of European mercenaries searching for black powder while being pursued by Khitan bandits. They take refuge in a cave, where they are attacked by a mysterious and highly dangerous predator. The only two survivors are William (Matt Damon) and Tovar (Pedro Pascal, of the Netflix hit Narcos.). William manages to slashed off the monster's arm, and two men decide to bring it with them, figuring they can always use an extra hand (rimshot.). The next day, they stumble upon the Great Wall and are taken prisoner by Chinese soldiers of a secretive military sect called the Nameless Order, which has been around for hundreds of years (you'd think during that time someone would have thrown out at least one name suggestion that would stick.). The order is tasked with guarding the Great Wall, which was conceived for the sole purpose of repelling a horde of monsters called the Tao Tei, who rise every sixty years (though despite the Emperor's campaign promises, he never did get the monsters to pay for the wall.) The commanding officers are shocked to see the severed hand, as they believed that the next monster invasion was still several weeks away. They welcome the visitors with open arms and hero status after they prove themselves in combat, but there is a catch: they cannot ever leave.
There's no question that the plot is a bit muddled, and the characterizations are ill defined to put it mildly. There is a pervasive cartoonish feel throughout, but that sometimes plays to its favor. Once you accept that this isn't going to be Lord of the Rings meets Red Cliff, and just go with it, there's really a lot of fun to be had.
Damon fairs pretty well as the cookie cutter hero, giving us a weak but workable Hollywood period accent that wavers just a little between Irish and Northern England, but doesn't wander all over the map as some reviews wrongly suggest (actually, it plays at times like he is doing a direct impression of Brendan Gleeson, much like Robert Downey, Jr.'s Sherlock Holmes seemed to borrow so heavily from Jeremy Irons.). Far more problematic is the character itself. William's character arc happens so quickly and with so little clear motivation that it never entirely works (the film's 1 hour and 46 minute run time and rushed narrative indicates that some pretty big cuts were made.). The result is that we are never fully sold that the character was ever the ruthless and heartless mercenary we are told he was, nor that he has a strong enough reason for his drastic change, aside from a comment made by Willem Dafoe's character suggesting that William want to impress the new female General (Tian Jing.).
The banter between Damon and Pascal is quite enjoyable, in no small part due to the latter's strong sense of comic timing. The Chinese cast members are all solid, though the stoic nature of their characters limits their ability to make too strong an impression (fairing best is Andy Lau as Strategist Wang), and Dafoe is largely wasted (he played a much better weasel in The Fantastic Mr. Fox.) Given not only the number of credited writers, but the pedigree of story writers Marshall Herskovitz and Edward Zwick (Thirtysomething, The Last Samurai) and screenwriter Tony Gilroy (the Bourne series, Michael Clayton, Rogue One), and sheer potential of the premise, one would certainly think that a better script could have been hashed out, but as is often the case, too many cooks spoil the soup, and the final script feels more attributable to Carlo Bernard and Doug Miro (Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time and The Sorcerer's Apprentice.).
Ultimately, for us, Zhang's expert and fluid visual style and creativity counted for a lot (if Chinese women in blue armor bungee jumping from the Great Wall with spears to fight creatures that look like a velociraptor and a Warg from Lord of the Rings got bizz-ay doesn't do anything for you, we simply don't know what to say). Between that fact, Damon's Harrison Ford-like ability to carry an action film, and the rousing score by Ramin Djawadi, there was more than enough here to make it worth our time. It's something of a guilty pleasure, but it's hard to feel guilty about enjoying sone thing that undeniably dazzling, and the fact is that we had fun with it and will definitely see it ahain. It's a shame that it didn't embrace its Pacific Rim potential more strongly, but it's still a diverting ride (and the stunning visuals make it well worth paying extra for 3D.).


A greave is a piece of armor that protects the leg. These Greek Folded Greaves are a simple example of early leg armor that was designed with function in mind. These greaves protect the front of your leg, while still providing a range of mobility. The only specific difference between these greaves and authentic Greek replicas are that Greek hoplites typically favored bronze greaves, mostly because bronze was the more prominent metal of the age. These folded greaves provide protection to the front of the leg, stretching from the ankle to the knee. These Greek Folded Greaves have a sleek, polished steel look that differs slightly from the classic Greek look, but still makes for a great piece of protection for any re-enactor who wants to ensure the safety of his legs.


text:
Israeli attacks Nablus News Report West Bank
Israeli Soldiers Kill A Palestinian In Nablus
Israeli soldiers killed, on Thursday at dawn, a young Palestinian man near Balata refugee camp, east of Nablus, in the northern part of the occupied West Bank.
The Palestinian Health Ministry has reported that the slain young man is Bakeer Mohammad Hashash, 21, and added that he was shot with live fire.
http://imemc.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/271337407_1874124336107562_4932255068492255484_n.mp4
Media sources said protests took place after many Israeli army vehicles invaded the area and added that Palestinian resistance fighters also exchanged fire with the invading soldiers.
During the invasion, the soldiers invaded and searched several homes and abducted a young man, identified as Mohammad Salama from Balata al-Balad adjacent town.
After his death, hundreds of Palestinians marched in Nablus calling for ongoing resistance against the Israeli occupation.
http://imemc.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/271372993_618373849904378_2569527452666491524_n.mp4
His cousin, Mohammad Hashash, said Bakeer recently opened fire at the soldiers during an invasion into Nablus city, and since then, the soldiers have been trying to abduct him.
He added that, approximately at 2:30 at dawn, the soldiers invaded the eastern area of Balata refugee camp, Balata town, and the al-Quds Street, and said that Mohammad exchanged fire with the soldiers for nearly twenty minutes before he was shot and killed.
Updated: Elderly Man Critically Injured After Israeli Military Truck Ran Over Him Near Hebron
Palestinian Killed After Being Rammed By A Colonist's Car


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Voices for New Democracy
Post-Industrial Society (1985)
Tag: Elections
Analysis Democracy: Rule of Law & Elections Organizing Social Justice
Watch: Forum on Voting Rights with Penda Hair & Dayna Cunningham
Post author By voicesfornewdemocracy
No Comments on Watch: Forum on Voting Rights with Penda Hair & Dayna Cunningham
On Sunday, November 14th, Voices for New Democracy hosted our monthly political forum on the importance of voting rights, the ongoing assault against them, and key insights for today's Left as we work to build a more democratic country.
Moderated by civil rights lawyer and new Dean at Tufts University Dayna Cunningham, the discussion was led by longtime voting rights lawyer, Senior Counsel at Forward Justice, and national leader in the fight for voting rights Penda Hair. Throughout the wide-ranging conversation, Penda provided an important historical view of voting rights in the 20th century (including the Voting Rights Act of 1965) and highlighted the intimate links between voting rights and racial justice. She also gave an important update on the latest right-wing efforts to restrict voting rights, including SCOTUS rulings undermining the strength of the Voting Rights Act, redistricting and gerrymandering efforts aimed at securing Republican minority rule, and the dire implications these trends have for the Left, including in the 2022 election cycle. We also discussed signs of hope, understanding that the forces of reaction have been triggered by the real progress and momentum that the Left has made around the issue, and highlighted several promising bills in Congress that could strengthen our democratic rights.
Watch the full conversation below.
Tags Courts, Democracy, Elections, Law, Organizing, Social Justice, Voting Rights
Democracy: Rule of Law & Elections
Join us November 14th: Forum on Voting Rights with Penda Hair
No Comments on Join us November 14th: Forum on Voting Rights with Penda Hair
This Sunday, November 14th, join Voices for New Democracy for our next monthly political forum discussing voting rights with civil rights lawyer Penda Hair.
The forum will be held on Sunday, November 14th, at 4pm PT / 7pm ET. Join the conversation at bit.ly/3b1xlp7.
Penda Hair is the Legal Director for Forward Justice, a law, policy, and strategy center dedicated to advancing racial, social, and economic justice in the U.S. South. A graduate of Harvard Law School and former director of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, she also co-founded the Advancement Project, a multi-racial civil rights organization committed to building a just and anti-racist democracy. Under her direction, the Advancement Project spearheaded legal challenges to voting restrictions across the country, including a fight against the disenfranchisement of Black voters in Florida during the 2000 election. She has also led more recent campaigns for the restoration of voting rights for people with felony convictions, and against voter ID restrictions and other discriminatory voter suppression tactics.
The forum will be moderated by Dayna Cunningham, civil rights attorney, founder and executive director of the Community Innovators Lab (CoLab) at MIT, and Dean of the Tisch College of Civic Life at Tufts University.
Tags Democracy, Elections, Politics, Voting Rights
Political Possibilites in the South & Sun Belt
2 Comments on Political Possibilites in the South & Sun Belt
| Matt Perrenod |
In the wake of the 2020 election cycle, there has been renewed attention among progressive electoral activists to Sun Belt states where people of color are a large part of the electorate in a region that for several decades has been dominated by conservative whites. The Biden electoral victory resulted not just from his winning three northern states Trump won in 2016 (Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin), but also from victories in Georgia and Arizona, where Democratic candidates were unsuccessful for decades. Similarly, the narrow Democratic majority in the U.S. Senate arguably rests on Georgia and Arizona, where Dems flipped four seats in 2018 and 2020. There has also been significant attention given to North Carolina and Florida, where the GOP eked out a series of narrow victories in the 2018/20 electoral cycles, and Dems won the NC governor's race. Dems now control the state government in Virginia, as well as a majority of that state's Congressional delegation. A coalition of Hispanic, Native American and progressive white voters have delivered Dem majorities in New Mexico for several cycles.
Through much of the South and Southwest, however, the GOP retains an electoral majority, and progressives have been working on how to extend the successful experience in states like Georgia and Arizona to other areas. Major states like Texas have drawn the attention of progressives for several cycles, but remain locked in the hands of the GOP. Stronger candidates have come forward in places like Mississippi, Louisiana, South Carolina and Alabama, but all of these states continue to be dominated by the right, despite large African-American populations. With few exceptions, Republicans dominate the border states of Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky and West Virginia as well.
The South and Southwest have become centers of demographic diversification in the U.S. Much of the growth in Latinx voters has been in the region, and AAPI communities have become a major component of urban centers like Houston and Atlanta. The region remains the largest concentration of African-Americans in the country. Given this, we ought to continue to look closely at the opportunities for progressive political power in this region, while acknowledging that demographics doesn't automatically confer success. Rather, we should be asking, and acting upon what it will take. I believe the successes in Georgia and Arizona point to the importance of prolonged grassroots organizing to breaking the conservative white lock on the Sun Belt. For this reason, I hope to post occasionally on the intersection of grassroots and electoral organizing in my native region, and highlight emerging examples of how these movements are striving for political power. I will look to both electoral contests as well as community campaigns, help amplify regional voices, and try to identify the lessons as they're being tested and learned. And I would like to hear from others living and working in the region, and your perspectives on the current situation. Please comment on my posts, and feel free to email me directly at mperrenod@gmail.com.
Tags Analysis, Democracy, Elections, Organizing, Politics, Sun Belt
© 2022	Voices for New Democracy


text:
Q: Setting FOV in Maxscript I am fairly new to Mascript and Autodesk - I have a simple script, that places a camera and I want to change the FOV, horizontally and vertically.
I am using the example provided from Max-Script Documentation, and my script looks like the following:
rgb_cam = freecamera name: "foo"  position:[0,0,0]
rgb_cam.fov Float default: 45.0

The second command gives me the error:
-- Type error: Call needs function or class, got: 45.0
-- MAXScript callstack:
--  thread data: threadID:8848
--  ------------------------------------------------------
--  [stack level: 0]
--  In top-level

So I guess, that the way the function is called is wrong, however the documentation said so.
Lastly, this will only change the horizontal fov, not the vertical one - how can I change it via MaxScript?
I am using Autodesk 3ds Max 2018 - Student Version

A: You just have to assign the value to the fov parameter, you do this like this:
rgb_cam = freecamera name: "foo"  position:[0,0,0]
rgb_cam.fov = 33.0

What the documentation is telling you is that the fov defaults to 45 and is a float value, that line is not a valid piece of code.

A: I was able to find the solution by myself. The documentation is not how to execute the files, but merely showing how the default parameters are. Furthermore, one has to change the flag determining the actual chosen field of view settings, like this:
rgb_cam = freecamera name: "rgb"  position:[0.0,0.0,25.0] rotation: (eulertoquat (eulerAngles 0 0 0))
--Horizontal FOV
rgb_cam.fovType = 1
rgb_cam.fov = 84.1
--Vertical FOV
rgb_cam.fovType = 2
rgb_cam.fov = 48.1

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Mahjong Classic is developed and published by Playloft. It was released in 11 Mar, 2018.
Do you have this feeling that your life is becoming more and more boring?
All you need to stave off the boredom is to level up your brain.
Resolve the puzzles, take part in daily competitions, win the prizes and collection cards.
Blitz: a daily competition with special layouts. You have to speed up to come first and win the prize.If you face some problems, use the hints to get closer to the victory.
Gather the whole card collection to open the locked sets of tiles.


text:
19 Resources to Improve Your Photo and Video Skills
By Lauren Drell 2012-08-11 16:16:49 UTC
Everyone's a photographer these days. Technology is leveling the playing field; no longer does one need to lug around a point-and-shoot or a DSLR camera to take great photos. In fact, most of us have a solid photo-taking and photo-editing tool right in our pockets.
But as you take more photos and shoot more videos, you might want to know how to do more with the tools you have. If that's the case, you've come to the right place. Below, we've rounded up some of our recent coverage about photography apps, editing apps, video apps, camera accessories and photo blogs. These apps, tools and gadgets can help you document your life better than ever and refine your skills. Let us know your top photo and video tips in the comments.
Photo Taking
Which DSLR Camera Is Right for You?
if you're serious about photography, all paths lead toward a digital SLR (single-lens reflex) model. With their large image sensors, interchangeable lenses and a seemingly endless supply of tweakable features, DSLRs maximize both flexibility and mobility. Since the debut of the Nikon D1 in 1999 — the world's first modern DSLR — the technology has advanced considerably. Once for still pictures only, almost all DSLRs manufactured today record video, too. Camera makers have enhanced autofocus mechanisms with swarms of extra focus points and added high-tech features, such as face detection. Some even have swiveling LCDs for hard-to-get shots. Here's a guide to help you figure out the right model for you.
How to Choose the Best Instagram Filter for Your Photo
Hefe. Lo-Fi. Rise. Hudson. Where do you even begin? We've gone through the photo-sharing app's 17 filters and broken them down by how they alter a photo, the effect of the filter and situations where they work best.
The Beginner's Guide to Instagram
If you read the article above and realized you need a primer on Instagram, check out this guide. It's a must-read for noobs.
7 Photo Editing Apps to Use With Instagram
Calling all Instagram addicts: Cease living your life in X-Pro II. These versatile apps will let you customize, color-correct, crop and add beautiful effects to your photos before you upload them to Instagram. These tools will help make some necessary adjustments to your photos before you start adding effects to enhance them.
5 iPhone Apps for Better Photos and Videos
If you're still using the basic camera app on your iPhone, you're doing it wrong. The tool gives you one option in video mode: focus. Want to zoom? Forget it. You only have access to zoom when you take a picture. Here are five apps that will make you abandon that rusty camera app that came pre-installed on your iPhone. Some apps in this list are perfect for the novice who just wants a bit more flexibility, while others were made for the professional photographer or videographer who just happens to have left the DSLR or HD video equipment at home.
iPhone-Controlled Camera Light Does Entirely New Lighting Tricks [VIDEO]
The Kick is a pocket-sized lighting studio for photos or video. It's a handheld, wireless device that emits bright light on demand and lets photographers modify light for clearer images. Built-in effects such as rainbow lights, strobes or lighting effects can give photos or video a special touch.
iPhone Add-On Will Let You Shoot 3D Pics, Videos
3DCone, a cone-shaped add-on for the iPhone 4 and 4S, will let you shoot 3D pictures and video from an easy-to-use app. It's the brainchild of Saturn3Designs, and converts your iPhone into a a stereoscopic camera. The Kickstarter project has a ways to go before it reaches its target, and it's a tool we're excited about.
How to Get Started With Viddy
Haven't you heard? Photos are so 2011. Video is where it's at. More specifically, take a look at Viddy, a social video editing and sharing app that has just surpassed 26 million users.
The Beginner's Guide to Socialcam
Like Viddy, Socialcam has specifically worked to streamline mobile video sharing. Spun off from Justin.tv in March 2011, the quick and easy platform allows you to upload and customize videos that you capture with your smartphone (iPhone and Android). Socialcam doesn't have a time limit like Viddy's 15-second cap, and you can add filters, themes and music. Plus, it's simple to integrate your multiple social media accounts, so you can snap and share in a jiffy.
Instagram-Style Lenses for Your DSLR Camera
The Lensbaby optical effects system is a set of lenses, optical swaps and accessories that allows a huge range of effects and distortions for the SLR or DSLR photographer. Initially designed in 2008 for the creator's own experimentation, Lensbaby products now include five lens bodies that mount directly on your camera and eight optics that you can swap in and out of the lenses.
This Device Lets You Shoot Video of Yourself by Yourself
Three Texas-based engineers have developed a device to shoot and follow subjects from a distance without the need for a camera operator. The SOLOSHOT is the ultimate tool for selfies.
6 Killer Apps for Mobile Photo Editing
Most smartphones today have built-in digital cameras, which allow you to take photos that rival what you might have taken with a high-dollar stand alone digital camera just a few years ago. But in addition to taking good pics, you can also edit your smartphone photos directly on the phone, dramatically improving the quality of the shots without ever having to involve your computer. Whether you're looking to remove a little redeye or add a speech bubble, there are plenty of great photo apps to help you get the job done right.
9 Apps For Editing Video On Your Smartphone
Just a few years ago, creating your own movie would have required an expensive camcorder to shoot, and your own –- often expensive -– video editing equipment to polish your video into something you'd want to share with others. Now we have smartphones. But in addition to replacing the camcorder, your smartphone can also be used as a video editor. A slew of apps — for iPhone and Android — let you trim out pieces of your video you don't want, change the frame rate or filter your video to make it look like an old-school 8mm film.
8 Essential Photoshop Tutorials on YouTube
Are you looking to really make your family and vacation photos stand out, but haven't been able to figure out the ropes of Adobe Photoshop? It's a difficult program to master, but by learning the tricks of the trade, you can do just about anything to your photos. It has the ability to do simple tasks, like lightening and color-correction, in addition to the ability to rewrite history by adding someone to a photo — or deleting him from one! To cure your Photoshop-phobia, we've rounded up eight stellar Photoshop tutorials on YouTube.
5 Excellent iOS Apps for Capturing and Editing Video
The iPhone is capable of recording high-definition video suitable for the giant plasma screen in your living room, and there are a number of video editing apps to help you polish your video and add opening credits, sound effects and even a soundtrack into the mix — without ever leaving your device.
Photo Management: Which Tool Is Right for You?
In the age of affordable DSLRs, Instagram and ubiquitous photo-sharing on Facebook and other social networks, we're taking more photos than ever. How can you keep all your pics in order? There are lots of powerful photo management apps for Mac and PC that make the process of organizing, sharing and processing your digital images a snap. We've rounded up some of our favorites — from Picasa to iPhoto '11 to Adobe Lightroom to Aperture — and categorized them for specific types of users.
A photo by Tommy Ton of Jak & Jil
9 Inspiring Photo Blogs You'll Love
There's a lot of compelling content on the web, especially when it comes to travel blogs, fashion blogs and curated, crowdsourced photo collections. We dug up nine photo blogs with images that surely will inspire you to do something, whether it's travel, think outside the box or try a pair of harem pants with a dropcrotch.
15 Photo Blogging Tips From the Pros
The web is teeming with beautiful photo blogs — it's not uncommon to find yourself scrolling for hours on Tumblr. But for photo bloggers, it can be hard to get your work to stand out or to build an audience. Whether it's a DIY, fashion, bucket list or travel blog, excellent photos and a sharp interface are crucial if you want your blog to become a bookmarked destination. We've ask a few bloggers and photogs to sound off on tricks of the trade, what aspiring photo bloggers should know, and what makes a good photo.
9 Excellent Tools for Design Mockups
While it feels natural to just post media quickly to your Facebook Page, sometimes great photos or video need their own home in the form of a personal website. To optimize the interface of your blog or website, you'll want to create a mockup. Here are nine great tools — some of which are free — to help you figure out the layout of your web presence.
Image courtesy of iStockphoto, AleksandarNakic
Topics: Android, apps-and-software, Apps and Software, Documenting Your Life Series, instagram, iPhone, Lifestyle, Photography, Travel, Travel & Leisure, Video, Videos, Work & Play


Domestic violence covers a range of offenses, from willful intimidation to physical assault. It also includes battery, sexual assault, and other sorts of abusive behavior within a domestic relationship. The abuse manifested in domestic violence is an act that isn't limited to physical hurting — it broaches other venues wherein an individual can wield aggressive power and control over his or her partner, spouse, cohabitant, and/or family.
The convicted criminal may get a maximum of 180 days in jail.
In addition, he or she is on probation for three years.
The convicted criminal has to pay a $1,000 fine.
He or she receives a stay-away order from the victim and temporary protective orders.
In the State of Ohio, a mandatory arrest policy takes effect upon the establishment of probable cause. And this arrest happens even when both parties aren't interested in filing charges or prosecuting each other.
Residents of Ohio must consider how a police investigation works. It doesn't necessarily mean that, in an incident of domestic violence, the police chases after the instigator of the fight. Investigation relies on the determination of the primary aggressor. It is possible for cross complaints or dual arrests to happen.
Amy Rezos, a victim of domestic violence, is from Ohio. Her husband, Chris Rezos, had attempted to kill her thrice — he shot her twice in the head while being out on bail after beating her senseless a couple of weeks before.
The Ohio House and Senate passed HB29 and Bob Taft signed the bill into effect after Amy Rezos had pushed for harsher penalties for first-time domestic violence criminals. It orders a suspect of domestic violence to stand trial before the courts arrive at any decision on bail. It also includes providing the judge with the 20-question background information.
This is how the State of Ohio takes domestic violence — with as much aggression as an offender — you just have to stand up for yourself, especially when you know you've had enough.


In addition to providing before and after school care, Teddy's Lodge acts as a community space for families in the local area who are able to drop in for regular 'Stay and Play' sessions or join classes run by Creation Station. Anyone is welcome to attend these sessions and there is no requirement to have a prior connection with the School.
A list of current classes is detailed below.
Teddy's Lodge is a gorgeous, cosy and fun place to be and a great space to gather little ones and their families together.


If you have no preferences for specific technology, or if there are concerns with technology you're currently using, we will guide you through the decision-making process to find technology that best fits your needs. The Creminds R&D center is constantly monitoring, researching, and incorporating new tools and frameworks in the development process so you can leverage the newest and most effective technologies into your business model.
We've been designing, building and supporting web applications for almost a decade. As a reliable web application development company, Creminds has earned high reputation, so you can trust us with your largest and most ambitious projects.
After years of experience, we at Creminds have determined two important web-development application services to help you save time and money.
The technology competency at Creminds far exceeds typical offerings of web development companies. We have successfully completed the implementation of the most complicated and ambitious projects, guaranteeing software performance, scalability, high solution maintainability and system integration.
We believe that technology competency should always be balanced by business competency. We are experienced in providing software solutions with extremely complicated business logic that naturally maintains simplicity of high-level workflows for end-users. Plus, our high-end domain experience at Creminds allows us to offer many domain solutions spanning e-learning and e-commerce needs as well as Business Intelligence and Media Content Distribution.
Our dedication to building a long-term partnership with you is evident in the full-cycle services we offer which cover start-to-finish production and implementation. Our project management system regularly communicates its activities and deliverables to you with 100% transparency.
Every new engagement begins with a discussion about short and long-term desires for your project. To ensure we get off to a fresh and clean start, our engineers review any existing codebases and document all hidden requirements or other issues before we write the first line of code. Toward the end of this process, we begin to work together to establish benchmarks that match your goals, your timeframe, and your budget.
In the design phase, our primary focus is to create a flawless end user experience for your completed application. We use an iterative process of user feedback and wireframing to help us reduce the workflow to its most efficient and intuitive design.
Throughout development, your personal Creminds Scrum Master maintains a macroscopic perspective of the project and serves as your individual contact point, easing communication and ensuring all involved in your project adhere to the project timeline. We provide regular progress reports and arrange team meetings as needed to make sure feedback from all project participants is promptly noted, assigned and dealt with.
By matching the most appropriate development techniques and methodologies with the best domain expertise and project management tools, we can deliver quality web software solutions.
Our QA and testing processes are crafted according to internationally recognized QA standards and practices, and we combine this with advanced testing tools to safeguard the delivery of high quality software.
Our software engineers at Creminds Software deploy your application to a test environment regularly. When the time comes for production deployment, there w ill be no surprises as the software has been fully tested.
Based on your needs, we can commit code continuously to your code repository or deliver finished features by milestones. If unforeseen problems threaten to delay deadline goals, we will proactively decide together the most efficient way to get the project back on schedule. Before your software solution is complete, we perform final QA checks to make sure your product is bug-free and ready for action the moment it's delivered.
We want you to run your business with no interruptions so we provide maintenance and software enhancements services to allow your application to stand the test of time.


Professor Sterkenburg joined the faculty of Cedarville University in 2010 following a 25-year career in business. He worked for The Reynolds and Reynolds Company as a financial analyst, Finance Director, and eventually a Senior Director. In that role, he was responsible for the financial and administration team for Europe, and later Asia, as the company expanded. He has also been a CPA with Deloitte & Touche, a CFO, Vice President of Finance, and IT Manager in various small businesses. Prior to coming to Cedarville full time, he taught high school science and math for six years and was an adjunct professor at Cedarville for three years.
Why Cedarville: God has directed my steps – Proverbs 20:24.


Punahou is a member of the Interscholastic League of Honolulu (ILH) and the Hawaii High School Athletic Association (HHSAA). With over 120 teams competing in 21 different sports at intermediate, junior varsity and varsity levels, there is tremendous opportunity for participation. Sixty-two percent of the student body in grades 7 – 12 participate annually in athletics.
Punahou joined the ILH Crew program in 1957, competing with Iolani, McKinley and Kaimuki. By 1966, both public schools had dropped the program. Although Punahou and Iolani continued to row in dual meets for a few more years, crew was no longer considered an official ILH sport.
ILH 8-man flag football was started in the fall of 1969, in order to provide a football opportunity for boys in smaller ILH schools and for boys in larger schools who did not play tackle football. It was this experience in flag football that gave encouragement to the smaller ILH schools to combine in tackle football as the Pac-5 entity. Flag football was dropped by the ILH after the 1972 season.
Gymnastics started at Punahou in 1966. The girls competed under the Hawaii Gymnastic Association with public and private schools. In 1972, the first ILH championship was held. Besides the ILH competition, the girls continued until 1984 to compete as a club in the age group competition, sanctioned by the United States Gymnastics Federation.
Boys gymnastics competition started in 1973, but was dropped after the 1983 season. Boys competition suffered as only two schools. Kamehameha and Punahou remained in the program, and unlike the girls program, there was little or no competition elsewhere in the community.
From 1985 – 1990 the ILH had two girls varsity divisions, "AA" (for club-level girls) and "A" (non-club girls) to keep competition equal. In 1991, the ILH reverted to one varsity division and in 1993 added gymnastics at the intermediate level.


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+44 (0)208 687 6000opportunities@pingusenglish.comCONTACT
소유권 진행 과정
왜 영어교육 사업에 투자 하는가?
교수법
글로벌 파트너
핑구와 친구들
학부모님들께
부모님들을 위한 정보
+44 (0)208 687 6000opportunities@pingusenglish.com
Success Story: Pingu's English Palestine
On the road to success through early education. Palestine launches first unit license operation.
Exactly three months after Early Learning Centre Ltd became the Pingu's English Master Licensee for Palestine, Mrs. Wesam Dalba Salhi has announced that their first unit licensee children have already started to enjoy learning through Pingu's English engaging methodology and learning materials.
In addition to developing their English language skills, Pingu's English provides valuable lessons in socialization, numeracy and computer skills through a fun and engaging syllabus. Already a well-loved character with children all over the world, Pingu's English has proved just as popular with the kids in Palestine, interacting with his adventures through a range of resources that include online games, books and flashcards.
A Palestinian young learner having fun at Pingu's English in Ramallah.
Playing with Pingu's English Flashcards, children reinforce word recognition by presenting the key vocabulary learned in the DVD, while learning and socializing.
Mrs. Wesam Dalba Salhi, Pingu's English Master Franchisee for Palestine commented "We are delighted to welcome the esteemed Montessori School to Pingu's English Palestine, after an agreement with Early Learning Center to work as Sub Unit Franchise in Ramallah and Al Bireh cities. Parents are giving their children the opportunity to really enjoy being immersed in a foreign language and get motivated to learn."
Mrs Dalba Salhi is encouraging other Schools in Palestine to run Pingu's English classes and pointing to the success of the "Palestinian American School", located in Al Bireh city and well known for its high standards, which has already successfully included Pingu's English program. "This opens up new opportunities and possibilities to early child education in Palestine. Pingu's English makes English fun to teach and fun to learn. Learning a new language promotes the cognitive development of the children and boosts self-confidence, with lots of fun and motivation. Everyone has a better time here. "
Palestinians in general place great importance on education. Not only as a means to increase employability and standards of living but also as part of the Palestinian culture. Through the work of Early Learning Centre and Pingu's English, young Palestinians have access to learning opportunities that transform lives, building foundations for a brighter future.
According to Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, 3,220 Kindergartens were operating throughout the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza Strip in 2015, providing enterprising educators with huge scope for investment in the education and development in Palestine.
For all queries, please contact:
Mrs. Wesam Dalbah / SalhiEmail: wissams@pingusenglish.ps
Website: www.pingusenglish.ps Mobile: +00 970 599 198 533
Address: Pingu's English Palestine, B.O.Box (2219), Ramallah, Palestine
Early Learning Center Co. Ltd (ELC) is located in the center of Ramallah, one of the most wonderful cities of Palestine and a pivotal academic and economic hub. As the Master Franchisee of Pingu's English for Palestine ELC are looking forward to leading the early learning sector in Palestine especially in the area of English language learning with Pingu's English.
http://www.pingusenglish.com/ko/success-story/success-story-pingus-english-palestine/
Pingu's English, Thailand – Dr. Nipat Ungpakornkaew Master Franchisee
Brief Timeline Jun 2009: 1st Corporate-Owned Pingu's English School May 2011: 10th Pingu's English Unit Franchise Jun 2011: 1st Pingu's English School Licensing…
Pingu's English Italy – Daniele Arboit, Master Licensee
Brief Timeline 2012 – Signed contract in June and opened corporately owned centre in Bologna 2013 – Opened 6 Unit Franchises 2014…
Pingu's English Myanmar - Bryan Yen, CEO
Success story | Pingu's English Myanmar Pingu's English Myanmar joined our global network of partners in June 2016 and launched their first…
We at the British Chamber of Commerce worked with Linguaphone Group to find them a new in-market partner for the Korean market. Throughout the engagement we had with Linguaphone Group, we found them to be passionate about education, supremely professional in their approach to business and both responsive and personable in their interactions with ourselves and Korean partners. Korean investors were attracted to the best-in-class program which Linguaphone Group offers, the strong reputation of the company and the heritage with which it is associated. These are qualities that resonate globally.
British Chamber Korea
Sean Blakeley, BCCK CEO
Our Experience with Pingu's English has been profitable and positive from the first year. We relied on their professionalism and heritage, their staff is always prompt to assist with the latest trends and ideas on the market. We were looking for a brand who can guarantee us quality and a solid method but at the same time would leave us the freedom and flexibility in order to succeed in our challenging and competitive market like the Italian one. We built Pingu's English project in Italy by mixing their huge international experience in the English training with our knowledge of the Italian market. All this enabled us to do the right decision for our winning investment. Today we have over 40 Pingu's English centres and thousands of happy children learning English.
Daniele Arboit
Pingu's English Master Franchisee Italy
From our first training session in London 2009- from the academic side to customer service -we felt confident and well equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to be successful Pingu's English Master Licensees" At the moment, our services to all 23 networked schools across the country are effectively and efficiently backed by Pingu's English. No doubt that we see no limit to expand our business to cover 30,000+ schools in the near future!
Nipat Ungpakornkaew
Pingu's English Master Licensee Thailand
I knew about Pingu's English School through a friend. After research about the school, I decided to enroll my daughter and it was one of the best things I could do to her. She loves studying at Pingu's English and she cannot wait to the day of the class. I also love Pingu's English School, because there she learns by playing and I can see her progress day by day.
Léia Rodrigues
Pingu's English Student's mother / Brazil
Now she is studying at Pingu's English School, my daughter only wants to talk to me in English and she is always singing the songs.
Cristiane Doimo
Pingu's English Student's mother /Brazil
Regarding the teaching method they use a figurative storytelling way of starting the lesson, trying hard to involve the child and make the them curious about the situation. Tom is very happy to go to Pingu's English because he perceives the School as a playful moment and not just as a learning moment while at the same time he is learning a new language
Pingu's English Student's Mother /Italy
We love Pingu's English School because the school gives my son the opportunity to learn and develop different skills, especially English skills. He is excited every time to go to school and is always happy when he comes home.
Sapavoot Preedawipart
Pingu's English Student's Mother/ Thailand
Pingu's English School is not just a school; it is as a second home for my kid. I like it when I see my kid growing and learning in a friendly and safe atmosphere. Most of all, I can see a lot of improvement in his English listening and speaking skills
Piyatida Tudteam
Pingu's English Student's Mother/Thailand
I have being running my own school for 15 years. When I met Pingu's English, it was love at first sight. Now I am offering the best English Course available to my students and they are loving it as well as their parents. Thank you Pingu's English!
Giedre Paula
Pingu's English Unit Franchisee in State of Mato Grosso do Sul
Brazil is a huge Market and the preschool english education industry is growing very fast. All our franchisees are happy with the Pingu's English methodology as well as the operational manuals Liguaphone offers to Unit Licensees. They feel very well assisted.
Ronaldo Vieira
Pingu's English Master Franchisee in State of Sao Paulo
Abbas always tells me that Pingu's English is the most fun he has all day. I am very glad that this place makes him feel that way and noticeably develop his language skills too
Pingu's English Student's Father/Bahrain
Our students are very enthusiastic in studying at Pingu's English. They always tell us how much fun and how much they learn here. Parents also keep saying how proud they are with the knowledge and improvements their children are making.
Willian Veloso Rocha
Pingu's English Unit Franchisee in State of São Paulo
info@pingusenglish.com
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American Center - Tržiště 13, Prague 1
Lectures/Discussions
DVD Collection
About the USA
Home » Program » Přednášky/Diskuse
Interested in Studying in the USA? | College Fair
When: 16.05.2017 - 18:00 - 19:30
Where: Americké centrum, Tržiště 13, Praha 1 – Malá Strana
Free, please click above for signing up
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Interested in Studying in the USA?
Representatives of several top U.S. universities will be at the American Center to familiarize students about the application process to their schools, answer questions about life on campus, and provide insights on the admission process to selective universities in U.S.
The following universities will participate: Princeton University (#1), Columbia University (#5), Dartmouth College (#11), Northwestern University (#12), and Vanderbilt University (#15).
According to U.S. News Rankings, all participating universities are typically ranked among the top 20 schools in the U.S. every year.
The program will be in English.
23. January 2020 - 17:00 - 18:00
Czech English Out | Conversation Club for Teenagers
International Holocaust Remembrance Day | Discussion and Film Screening
Tornadoes and the Development of a New Warning System | Lecture and Discussion
Taking Care of Health of Others and My Business | Business Seminar
Month Ahead Newsletter
Would you like to know what events are coming up at the American Center? Sign up for the monthly newsletter
And be informed about our events!
American Embassy in Prague | Visas to the USA | Events | PR and Cultural Department | Small Grants


We just *love* this pretty embroidered mesh A-line dress and hope you will too! The I Heart You Embroidered Mesh A-Line Dress is fully lined except at the neckline, which is semi-sheer. The top part is made of mesh fabric with embroidered designs throughout. Miniature rhinestones decorate the bust of this dress, adding a touch of sparkle. The attached skirt is made of mesh and has an A-line cut. The lining underneath is trimmed in embroidered lace and peeks out from underneath. An exposed back zipper completes this dress. The I Heart You Embroidered Mesh A-Line Dress would look nice paired with pumps or heels for any upcoming party or dance. This is the perfect dress to wear for the holidays or to any Valentine's Day event.
Details: Fully lined except at neckline. Exposed back zipper. 100% cotton. Contrast: 100% polyester. Lining: 100% polyester. Dry clean only. Small measurements: Length from top of shoulder to hemline: 36". Bust: 32".
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Each adhesive magnet sheet is 3.5" x 5" and 12 mil in thickness. You can cut these peel and stick magnets with a sharp pair of scissors, a box knife or a table-top paper cutter.
Remove the paper liner to reveal a strong indoor adhesive perfect for attaching photos, graphics or crafts.


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Q: python function globalizing input variables? I have a python function that solves matrix equations using Gaussian elimination with partial pivoting. I've been using it as part of a matrix solving module. When I use the Gaussian elimination function by passing it the matrix, called 'A' (a 2D numpy array), and vector of constants called 'b' (1D numpy array), the function seems to operate globally on the variables passed to it instead of using local variables. I am using the same name for the variables being passed to the function and the variables inside the function, but shouldn't the function be using copies of the variables passed to it?
I think the issue might be with the "tuple exchanges." I know they do funky things with variable referencing but I'm not knowledgable enough to say exactly what is wrong here.
The function:
def Gaussian_eliminiation(A,b):
    #Gaussian elimination with scaled partial pivoting
    n = len(b)
    #make sure the arrays are storing float variables and not integers
    if not A.dtype == float or b.dtype == float:
        print "Variables may be integers and not floats"
    #find scaling factors
    s = np.zeros((n,))
    for i in range(n):
    s[i] = max(abs(A[i,:]))
    #eliminate, moving through each pivot row with i
    for i in range(n-1):
        #put the correct pivot row in place
        (_, idx) = max_idx(abs(A[i:n,i])/s[i:n])
        idx += i
        if(idx != i):
            #swap values with tuple exchanges
            for j in range(i,n):
                (A[i,j],A[idx,j]) = (A[idx,j],A[i,j])
            (b[i],b[idx]) = (b[idx],b[i])
            (s[i],s[idx]) = (s[idx],s[i])
        #use the pivot in row i to work on row j
        for j in range(i+1,n):
            m = A[j,i]/float(A[i,i])
            #operate on the elements of row j and the b vector
            A[j,i:] -= m*A[i,i:]
            b[j] -= m*b[i]
    if(A[n-1,n-1] == 0):
        print "\nThere is no unique solution to the matrix.",
        print "The final row is empty:\n",A,'<--\n'
    return (A,b)


Blog de Toxifier: "Beautiful" by Enrique Iglesias ft. Kylie Minogue and "Tired of Being Sorry" by Enrique Iglesias - Musical Monday!
"Beautiful" by Enrique Iglesias ft. Kylie Minogue and "Tired of Being Sorry" by Enrique Iglesias - Musical Monday!
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Syrian family in California feels post-Paris chill
November 30, 2015 · 3:15 PM EST
By Monica Campbell
Gasem Al Hamad and his son, Mohamad, at their new home in Turlock, California. The Al Hamad family fled war in Syria and, after a three-year journey, arrived to the US as refugees.
Monica Campbell
When I first visited the family, Gasem Al Hamad, the dad, was about to take his driver's test. Good news. He passed. When we pull up to their apartment complex, so does Al Hamad, driving his minivan.
Was the test easy?
"Yes, easy, easy!" he says, with a laugh. (Al Hamad is still most comfortable in Arabic, and took the written test in that language and the driver's test in Arabic, too, with an interpreter in tow. He had to prove that he could read all road signs in English though.)
It was an accomplishment, and a baby step toward a new life in the US. Al Hamad, his wife, Wajed Al Khlifa, and their children only arrived here in February, after fleeing war in Syria. It was a nearly three-year journey, from when they left their house [since bombed] in the city of Homs and touched ground in Turlock, California, a rural city two hours east of San Francisco. They were picked up and resettled by the International Rescue Committee, which has an office in Turlock.
Now, after that long wait, life is full steam ahead. Two-year-old Mohamad is learning his first words in English and his three siblings, all girls, are in school, learning fast. Eight-year-old Arwa, the eldest daughter, is in fourth grade and boasted of passing a test the other day. "It was about multiplication. Easy, easy!" she says.
Arwa, left, Marwa, center, and Rawan, right, tackle their homework on a recent afternoon. The sisters arrive to Turlock, California, in February, after fleeing war in Syria.
The parents also take English classes every morning. Their progress is slower. But learning the language is a priority, so much so that Al Hamad, 35, no longer works at a nearby halal slaughterhouse — a job he picked up within weeks of arrival — and is focusing on English. With no income for now, the family receives food stamps and other California state-funded public assistance. Al Hamad's ultimate career goal? "I'd like to have a farm," he says. "I dream to have a farm."Cows, goats, chickens. Like he did back in Syria.
Meantime, the family's friendships here deepen. The parents' met most of their new friends at the local mosque. There's Kiefa Aziz, a Palestinian American, who says she and Al Khlifa have become "best friends." On a recent afternoon, Aziz helped Al Khlifa with shopping for the family's first Thanksgiving Day meal. "I'll show her the recipes," Aziz says, who also helps care for Mohamad.
The childrens' drawings in the bedroom of their new home in California. Arwa, 8, drew Syria's flag to "not forget where I'm from."
At the same time, Al Khlifa and Al Hamad are also learning about the harsh realities of America and its politics. They've kept up with the governors — now representing more than half of the US states — who oppose taking in Iraqi and Syrian refugees following the terrorist attacks in France based on worries that the refugees are not vetted enough.
The couple worries the pushback will slow their other relatives, including a brother and nephew, hoping to come to the United States next. "It's going to be difficult," says Al Khlifa. She now tells her family that, after Paris, it might take much longer to get here.
They also don't understand the questioning now over security and refugees. The family's refugee application process in Jordan was long. There were many interviews and background checks.
"They asked me questions for a year and half," says Al Hamad. "Do you have tattoos, wounds on your body? When did your dad die? And your mom? Were you in the army? When did you serve? Where?" Al Hamad remembers arriving for one in-person interview with a US official in Jordan at 8 a.m. and leaving at 9 p.m. "There were long breaks, and then more questions," says Al Hamad.
And since Paris, they feel a shift. Al Khlifa, who wears a hijab, says people stare at her when they wouldn't before. "Since Paris, what happened in Paris, things changed," she says.
"I hope this time will pass," her husband says. "I hope for peace soon, in Syria, and all over the world."
syriawarrefugeesCaliforniaUnited StatesimmigrationParis