Il-Lingwa Maltija
The second question I usually get about Malta (after “where is that?”) is “what do they speak there?” And this is one of the more fascinating aspects of the country.
There are two official languages, English and Maltese. The former due to nearly two centuries of British colonization, which only ended in 1964, and the latter being the indigenous language. Maltese is quite unique. It is a Semitic language, having its roots in old Arabic left by the Arabs nearly a millenium ago, and further back in the Phoenician and Punic tongues of these islands’ ancient inhabitants. As the language got completely cut off from the Semitic world, it began to develop on its own, and had to borrow new vocabulary from elsewhere. While the main structure and grammar of the language is still Semitic/Old Arabic, about 40% of the vocabulary is Italian/Sicilian. More recently, new words were incorporated during the British rule, leading to about 10% of the vocabulary.
So what does this leave? A uniquely blended language spoken by 400,000 people in Malta and about the same number by its diaspora and their children overseas. I often get asked what it sounds like, and that really depends what the topic is. Listen in on a daily family conversation and you might confuse it for Arabic. (Unless you speak Arabic, in which case I am told it sounds funny and archaic. Incidentally, Maltese speakers cannot understand Arabic). Listen to the news or a parliamentary debate using more complicated language and you might mistake it for an Italian dialect. Walk along the streets and hear people pepper their sentences with random “all rrrrright?” “sorry, mister” “good morning” and then it just gets puzzling. To complicate matters, many Maltese will switch back and forth between English and Maltese as they see fit.
Since Maltese is still classified as a Semitic language, many Europeans find it difficult to learn. This is because it does not follow the Indo-European structure of most European languages. Luckily, as a speaker of both Hebrew and Italian, I am having a relatively easy time. The sentences structure and conjugations are quite similar to Hebrew, which has helped me make great strides.
Bilingualism in Malta is different from that in other places I have seen. There are no laws saying something must be displayed in one language or the other or both like in Canada. There is no nationalist sentiment to speak only the native language as in Catalonia or the Basque Country in Spain. There is not even consistency in street signs and advertisements. Sometimes things are in one, sometimes in the other, sometimes both. No one seems too bothered by this or extends any energy on the matter. There is a strong sense that Maltese is not spoken anywhere else, and in their friendly manner towards tourists any local will switch to English in the presence of a foreigner.
This last point has brought me some praise, and some difficulties. The praise has come from the fact that I have spent several months preparing for my arrival by studying the language. The Maltese are completely baffled at the fact that a foreigner would learn their language, and are usually very touched by it. The difficulties lie in the fact that as soon as they realize I am a foreigner, English takes over. At this rate, I am getting good at listening but it will be hard to learn to express myself in Maltese. I cannot imagine anyone having the patience to wait as I slowly put together my sentences. They might find it cute, and reply in English. Still, I am determined to at least have a basic grasp of the language and I will keep trying.
Many foreigners live here for many years and do not even bother with Maltese. I find this appaling. I understand that not everyone has an easy time learning a foreign language, particularly adults. And I understand that visitors will find it easier to speak English, as they would in most European capitals. But if you are going to be living here, I feel you should at least make an effort . Learn a few phrases. Say good morning, please, thank you, and the like in Maltese. It is just common courtesy. But the Maltese just make it too easy for you. Sometimes people can be too nice.
