Despite the several wars for independence, Malta, as a perfect lady, left all the gifts that were given to her; for instance - Maltese language.
It is this unusual blend of Arabic (approx. 65%), Italian, Sicilian, French, and English, that makes the Maltese language so enriching and revealing the intriguing history that lies behind it. For example, words expressing basic concepts and ideas are of Arabic origin while words that have to do with government, law, education, art, and literature are derived from Sicilian and Italian.
Maltese grammar is an excellent exercise to train your brain - or to forget about everything in the world. Can you imagine the words compounds from different language groups? If you learned some verb, would you try to guess is it conjugated according to with Italian, English or Arabic grammar rules? Do you have any idea how to understand the sex, for example, of the door (is this particular door "bieb" or "bieba"?) Welcome to Malta!
The Maltese written language was entirely created on the basis of the Latin alphabet, but still there is no common orthographic system. The graphic appearance of the Maltese language is borrowed from Italian and amplified with some special characters.
It is remarkable that Maltese is not only remaining on a level with other powerful languages. It enriches with incoming words and phrases that gradually become Maltese. That is how many European and English words gained pronunciation and written form in Maltese manner.
The official languages of the Archipelago are Maltese and English, so most of the inhabitants of Malta are bilingual and learn it at schools with British educational standard. In old French novels you can read about some "Mediterranean dialect"; most probably, the Maltese are an offspring of this old time the universal language of the entire Mediterranean area. Sometimes sharp as Arabic, it becomes very melodious like Italian in Maltese songs and kind greetings.
