The Maltese language is considered as a Semitic language because it has an Arabic base. Throughout the years, due to various factors many words of Italian and Sicilian origin were integrated into the language together with other Anglo-Saxon words during the last 200 years. This makes Maltese a very interesting language. Its development is linked closely to the rulers of the islands throughout the centuries and also to its geographic position in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea.

Although Maltese is predominantly Arabic, it is written in Latin letters which is very peculiar for a Semitic Language. This may be because it seems that Maltese was written many years after the Arab rulers were ousted from Malta. The oldest example of Maltese written language is a poem written by a Notary about 550 years ago (about 1400 AD), about 400 years after the end of Arab rule.

Why is Maltese a Semitic language?

Because it has the characteristics of Semitic Languages, namely

1. rich in consonants
2. poor in vowels
3. a set of consonants referred to as ‘the root’ is present in all the words related together i.e. that have a same ‘basic idea’
4. the adjective is found after the noun
5. the article may be found even before the adjective
6. the preposition ‘of’ is not used but instead another form is used called ‘construct state’

Maltese is mainly an Arabic language also because it has an Arabic base regarding the syntax of the sentences, the sounds of the words, the build up of words. Furthermore many of the words present in the language are of Arabic origin.

The Maltese Language has retained many of the above characteristics except for the last one which, although still present to some extent, the Maltese tend to use more and more the preposition ‘of’ and less the ‘construct state’.

History of Maltese

The origin of Maltese dates back to the Arab rulers who took over the island in the period 870 - 1091 AD. Prior to this, it is believed that the language used by the natives was a mixture between Latin, Greek and Punic languages, which originated from the commercial connections with the Phoenicians, many of whom settled here between 800 - 218 BC, and the Romans who ruled the island between 218 BC and 870 AD. Punic writings have been found and also some names of local villages have a Greek origin.

The Arab rulers threw out most of the natives and it seems that for many years the islands were almost uninhabited except for some Arab families who settled here. At the end of the Arab rule the population of the island was very small. The new natives’ language was a Northern African dialect of Arabic. Even some present day Maltese words of Arabic origin are similar to words presently used in Northern African dialects.

(c) Connie Bonnici 1998

Back to the index

This page hosted by Geocities