Maltese language facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Maltese |
|
|---|---|
| Malti | |
| Native to | Malta |
| Native speakers | (400,000 cited 1975) |
| Language family |
Afro-Asiatic
|
| Writing system | Latin (Maltese alphabet) Maltese Braille |
| Official status | |
| Official language in |  Malta European Union |
| Regulated by | National Council for the Maltese Language Il-Kunsill Nazzjonali tal-Ilsien Malti |
| Linguasphere | 12-AAC-c |
Maltese is the official language of the island nation of Malta. It's also one of the official languages of the European Union. Maltese sounds a bit like the ancient Phoenician language, which was spoken around the Mediterranean Sea long ago. Just like English, Maltese is written using the Latin alphabet. This language has taken many words from Sicilian, Italian, and English. About 393,000 people speak Maltese, and most of them live in Malta.
Contents
The Story of Maltese
How Maltese Began
Long ago, after the year 870 AD, many people from Sicily moved to Malta. They spoke a language that was a mix of Sicilian and Arabic, from a region called the Maghreb. Over many years, this language slowly changed and became what we now know as Maltese.
First Writings
The oldest known writing in Maltese is a poem called "Il Cantilena." It was written in the 15th century by a person named Pietro Caxaro. For hundreds of years, Maltese was mostly a spoken language, meaning people used it to talk but didn't write it down very often.
Official Language Status
In 1934, Maltese became an official language of Malta, along with English. Before that year, the only official language was Italian. Even today, Italian is still used quite a lot in the media in Malta.
Maltese Today
A Mixing Language
Today, Maltese is always changing. It often takes in new words from Italian and English. Sometimes, this creates new words that are a blend of Maltese, Italian, and English all at once!
Where Maltese is Used
In schools, English is taught as a second language. However, Maltese is usually the language people use for everyday conversations and in many jobs. Most of the television shows, radio programs, and books in Malta are also in Maltese.
Images for kids
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Oldest Maltese text: Il-Kantilena by Pietru Caxaro, 15th century
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Vassalli's Storja tas-Sultân Ċiru (1831), is an example of Maltese orthography in the 19th century, before the later standardisation introduced in 1924. Note the similarities with the various varieties of romanized Arabic.
See also
In Spanish: Idioma maltés para niños
