I am a Maltese citizen and I am curious to see what is your opinion about the Maltese language? For example: Would you like to learn the language? What do you think about the grammar?, or its history?
I just joined italki, and your input in this discussion is very important :)
K
Maltese is a semitic language derived from Siculo-Arabic, the Arabic dialect which was spoken in Sicily during the middle ages. In the 12th century Sicilian farmers started settling on the Maltese islands. Later, Malta was under the rule of the Normans, the Spanish and the Knights of St. John and this is when the language started borrowing a considerable amount of words from romance languages, especially Italian.
52% of the Maltese vocabulary is of Siculo-Italian origin, whereas 40% is from Arabic. Maltese is written in the Latin alphabet. Today Maltese is the National and official language of Malta, and an official language of the European Union (EU).
I didn't even know there was such a language.
This is a very interesting info, I'm honestly surprised because I had no idea that Maltese is derived from Siculo-Arabic, thank you very much Karl :) Malta as a country attarcts me so much; since I watched a documentary about it once, I had a feeling that it's a very peaceful place.
Hi Karl!
Thank you so much for your questions. I think it is very beautiful language. I like the language history, but I did not start studying grammar yet. For me, it very similar to Arabic and I feel it is very easy to learn it.
Cool, I never knew. Thanks for the info.
