Maltese is a Central Semitic language derived from late medieval Sicilian Arabic.
Facts
ISO 639-3 Code Speaker Count2012 estimate, native speakers. Partially Attested
Attested From (Year)1436 is the first written reference to the Maltese language, not a text in it; the oldest known document in Maltese, Il-Kantilena by Pietru Caxaro, dates only to the 15th century. Classification
Official Status Maltese
Filter Results1 entry
Connections
In Family
Source Wikipedia: Maltese Language
Written In
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Maltese Language
Wikimedia FoundationLead section
Maltese (Maltese: Malti, also L-Ilsien Malti or Lingwa Maltija) is a Central Semitic language derived from late medieval Sicilian Arabic.
Infobox, ISO 639-3
mlt
Infobox, Speakers (Total)
570,000 (2012)
Lead section, third sentence
It is spoken by the Maltese people and is a national language of Malta, and is the only official Semitic and Afroasiatic language of the European Union.
Infobox, States
Malta
History, earliest references
The first written reference to the Maltese language is in a will of 1436, where it is called lingua maltensi.
Official status, Maltese entity page
It is spoken by the Maltese people and is a national language of Malta, and is the only official Semitic and Afroasiatic language of the European Union.
In Family: Afro-Asiatic, Infobox, Language family
Top family: Afro-Asiatic; immediate branch: Semitic.
View the Source Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.