Maltese language
From the Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia that anyone can change
Maltese is the language of Malta, and a language of the European Union. Maltese sounds very similar to the type of Punic, an ancient mediterranean and middle-eastern spread language. It is written in the Latin alphabet like English. In history, the language has borrowed many words from Sicilian, Italian, and English.
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[change] History
The oldest known document in Maltese is "Il Cantilena," a poem from the 15th century written by Pietro Caxaro. For centuries, Maltese was mainly a spoken language.
Maltese became an official language of Malta in 1936, alongside English. Before that year, the only official language of Malta was Italian. Italian, however, is still used a lot in the media.
[change] Number of Speakers
Today, there are around 371,900 Maltese speakers, mostly living in Malta.
[change] Today
Italian and English words are taken in by the language more and more. This sometimes words to form that are not found in Maltese, Italian, or English, but instead is a mix of the three. At schools, English is also taught as a second language. Maltese is usually used in the standardized jobs, and when people talk to each other. Most of the television, radio, and literature the Maltese people have are also in Maltese.
