Maltese

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A language of Malta

ISO 639-3
mlt
Alternate Names
Malti
Population

300,000 in Malta (Katzner 1975). Population total all countries: 429,000.

Location

Also in Australia, Canada, Italy, Libya, Tunisia, United Kingdom, United States.

Language Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1964, Constitution, Article 5(2)).

Classification
Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic
Dialects

Gozo, Port Maltese, Rural Central Maltese, Rural East Maltese, Rural West Maltese, Standard Maltese, Zurrieq. Descended from Moroccan Spoken Arabic [ary] with heavy borrowings from Italian [ita]; separately developed with different syntax and phonology.

Language Use

Vigorous. No diglossia with Standard Arabic [arb].

Language Development
Grammar. Bible: 1932–1984.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Maltese
Writing
Arabic script, no longer in use, attempts at using Arabic script have failed. Braille script. Latin script, primary usage.