5 
Chapter - 1 The Summer Island
6
In spite of the smallness of the
island, local accents persist invarious parts. Owing to previous isolation,
the Minorquin dialect has preserved many archaic Catalan words, and modified
others. It adopted some Latin inflections from priests, Arabic words from
the Moors, and French and English words from the times of the French and
British occupations.A survey made sixty years ago showed about a hundred
English words stilI in use, many concerned with drink, carpentry and games.
The last include marbols (marbles), the game introducedby British
children in the eighteenth century, and still played. Another is winderes
(windows), referring to the English type of sash window seen everywhere
in the town of Mahon today. The following are further examples: stirrup,
mug, punch, gin, boy, turns crew, saydbor (sideboard), pudding,
kettle, haversack, pork, jacket, 'even all', and beriks (barracks).
SUN AND STORM
Minorca has a 'mediterranean type'
climate, characterised by winter rainfall and summer drought, mild winters
and hot summers. It has the additional features of all island climates,
winds and passing showers. The monthly temperatures show a maximum average
of 24'5°0 (about 80°F) in August, and a minimum of 10'1°0 (50°F)
in January. Humidity can be high in August, but is frequently tempered
by a breeze. The mean annual rainfall is 508-762mm (20-30in). In the last
two weeks of January the weather can be mild enough to have breakfast on
one's patio; while summer, beginning at the end of May, can extend
right through the 'little summer of St Martin' to the end of November.
Climatic Table
AVERAGE MONTHLY TEMPERATURES (CENTIGRADE)
January 10.1°
February 10.3°
March 12.2°
April 14.3°
May 17.0°
June 21.4°
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July 24.2°
August 24.5°
September 22.6°
October 18.4°
November 14.4°
December 11.7°
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Mean annual rainfall 508-762mm
Average humidity 70 per cent
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