Musing on Ta' Xbiex's origin and past...

Abstract

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Ta’ Xbiex as a parish, it is interesting to look at the locality’s origins and history. First and foremost the locality’s name, etymology and the relationship between the two, or its ‘borgata’, remains an enigma. Various suggestions have been made but none, so far, have been fully accepted or convincing. They include “ta’ xbiek” (netting), “tbexbix” (dawning), “xawbas” (a thorny shrub) and “Saba” (a Byzantine name that probably used to be pronounced “shabash”).