Languages of Malta

Malta has three official languages: Maltese, Maltese Sign Language and English. Maltese is the main language, and most people speak it well. Long ago, Italian was also an official language.

Today, nearly everyone in Malta can speak more than one language. About 90 percent of people know Maltese, and 96 percent know English. Many also understand Italian and some can understand Darija, a type of Arabic spoken in North Africa.

Over time, more people in Malta have learned English and Italian. In 1995, only 76 percent could speak English, but now it is 96 percent. Italian has become more common, partly because Italian TV shows are popular in Malta. Schools also teach other languages like French, Russian, Spanish, and German.

Background

Greek became an official language of Malta in 553 AD when it was part of Sicily under Emperor Justinian. Siculo-Arabic was used officially, but Greek was still spoken by important families until the Norman rule ended in 1194. Around 1130, Greek began to be replaced by Latin.

For many years, Malta was ruled by the Knights of Malta who came from many parts of Europe. During this time, Tuscan Italian and Latin were used for important work, like at the Castellania. Many knights were from France, and French was used in daily life, but Italian stayed the main language for official matters. Even maps and documents often used Italian. French was the official language during the short time Malta was ruled by France, from 1798 to 1800, known as the French occupation of Malta.

Maltese

Main article: Maltese language

Maltese is the national language of Malta and one of the official languages of Malta and the European Union. It comes from an old Arab language but uses many words from Sicilian and Italian. Many of its words have Latin roots because of Italy's influence, especially from Sicily.

Malta is special because it is the only country in Europe where a language from ancient Arab roots is spoken. Maltese is written using a version of the regular Latin alphabet with some extra letters like ż, ċ, ġ, ħ, and għ. People in Malta also use Maltese Sign Language to communicate without speaking.

English

Malta was once a British possession. Because of this, English is one of Malta’s official languages. The government uses both English and Maltese. Most students learn English in school, and lessons at universities are in English.

Today, many people in Malta can speak English, but most speak Maltese instead. The English in Malta is based on British English but has some influences from Maltese and Italian. This creates a mix called Maltenglish, where words sound a little like Italian. Many people in Malta also use a more standard form of English.

Italian

See also: Maltese Italian

For many years until 1934, Italian was the official language of Malta. It was seen as the language of culture since the Italian Renaissance.

In the early 1900s, Malta had big discussions about which languages to use. This happened before World War II.

Today, many people in Malta can speak Italian. Some use it in daily talks. This is because many Italian people have moved to Malta. Even though Italian is not an official language anymore, it is still used, especially in some jobs. Many Maltese people learn Italian by watching Italian TV.

Foreign languages

Many people in Malta can speak French. Some also understand or speak Spanish or German. Schools teach other languages.

For students around age 11, schools can teach Arabic, French, German, Italian, or Spanish for five years. For students around age 13, schools can teach Arabic, French, German, Italian, Russian, or Spanish for the last three years of secondary school.

Media

Publications

There are the same number of newspapers in English and Maltese, but none in Italian.

Most people like to read in English. Many people choose English for books, and they like English for magazines. Fewer people like to read books in Maltese, and even fewer prefer Maltese for magazines.

Radio

For radio, Italian is more common than English. Most radio stations are in Maltese and Italian, with a few in English too.

Television

Local television shows are mostly in Maltese and sometimes in English. Many people also watch television from Italy, the UK, or other European countries, and from the United States. They can watch these shows using cable, digital terrestrial services, or satellite.

Online usage of Maltese language

In 2005, Maltese was not often used on the internet. Most websites in Malta were in other languages. Later, many people thought that every website in Malta should have a Maltese version.

Future

People are not sure what will happen to the Maltese language in the future. Some think it might change a lot because many people mix Maltese with English and Italian when they speak. Even with these changes, most people in Malta still speak Maltese.