Learning About the Maltese Language and Culture - Language Lens Ep. 15

A short plane ride south of Sicily takes us down to sunny Malta. Outside of the walls of Valletta, a bus stop-barista, Carmen, teaches us how to say a few words and phrases in the Maltese language.
Later we enter the ancient city and interview a bookshop owner. He discusses the languages, identity, and culture of the Mediterranean, archipelagic country.
Unusual for the series, this is the only video I have done that is in English.
*in 2015 SIL Ethnologue reported that there were 522,000 Maltese speakers worldwide, 371,000 of which live in Malta.

[@NS_10]

0:54 Tlift not klift 1:53 erbgħin ċenteżmu 3:30 not all schools teach using only English and also not all of the subjects. It really depends on the school you go to and the syllabus of the class. Everyone starts learning English when they're 6 years old. English is the second national language after Maltese. 4:23 A lot of people know Italian from cable television. Italian was nearly considered our second language before WWII, but back then we were under the British rule so English won. It is also one of the several choices of third languages in the Maltese curriculum. (when students turn 11, they have to choose a third language to study, some choose a fourth later on.) 5:19 ċentru, bonġu (good morning not good day like French), ċaw (only bye not hello too like Italian) Sorry I had too... Have a good day, I really enjoyed your video :)

[@antelbow5270]

I’ve never known I could speak maltese!! I’m a native arabian and I understood 70% of what the woman was saying. I’m shocked!!

[@Akei51]

@Ladies and Gentlemen we are floating in sp[]ce probably egyptian as it’s the easiest and the most understood dialect among other arabs, but you will not understand much of the other dialects like the khaleeji (gulf) dialects and the magharebi (north african) dialects

[@makkah3558]

I am native Egyptian and suidi araibia accent and i would say to u that Arabic is so easy but start with letter then verbes and live in arab county and u will be legand .

[@makkah3558]

Ok my bro in first there's an important thing u have to know Arab countries 22 county , and u can say two types 1.khaleeg countries and those people are soo religious , but in the last year thay made alot of things u can visit and thay be sooooooo happy (specialty : suidi araibia ) . 2. North Africa countries and those people not religious at all and some places good and some poor and that's because president's u know what i mean but girls here can hang out with out specific clothes . so i don't know why i written all of that but u had to know

[@makkah3558]

Socend You are very welcome in all our countris To learn Arabic u can do some thing Different live in Egypt and learn first letter and then words and try to enjoy your time while u learn and practice i will do a search for u but u know i am like u i learn German and thay speak tooooooooooo fast 😂

[@elaceaceak2357]

@@makkah3558 where will Lebanon be ? 😂

[@shaikhashaikha3457]

It's more like the language of an Arabic person that spend his childhood in Itali!!Much more Arabic than Italian influence!!

[@fadiaali1595]

Correct

[@xxheisenburnintell9244]

Am algerian and i understood every word she said.. i never ever have heard maltese before. I speak arabic algerian arabic.

[@mini_jkooki_minkookieeeee]

It's the Tunisian dialect honey with some sicilian Italian

[@Yasmine-dj8ks]

@@mini_jkooki_minkookieeeee rien à voir c’est du dialecte algérien

[@mini_jkooki_minkookieeeee]

@@Yasmine-dj8ks hhhhhh billehi?? hhhhhhh dialect algerien?? Les algériens men wa9tech y9oulou kif enta?? A3tini café?? Ftita?? 9allou rien a voir hhhhh Sa77a lik ma3andich l5ol9 bch ne7ki ha essba7 donc get lost

[@natashaday5423]

I'm half English and half Maltese, and when I speak with my moroccoan friend he understand the Maltese words. The Maltese Language is 80% to 90% Arabic Language. It is written in Latin alphabet. The Maltese Language sounds very Arabic with a few Italian words. It's a sermetic Language. Malta is the only European country that speak Arabic dialect influence by a it of Italian mainly Arabic language speaking though. Love Natasha. Xxxxxx.

[@stevenalanjacobs]

Thanks for sharing, Natasha!

[@pipbread5637]

I am also half English and half Maltese! I wasn't raised with the language, but I was raised with elements of the culture and grew up proud of being Maltese. I'm trying to learn the language now that I'm a language student at university!

[@Penguins1999]

I’m part Maltese, part English and part Welsh. Don’t know any Maltese cause I was adopted into an English speaking family, but trying to find good free apps to be able to learn

[@user-ui7zf3uz5d]

kidayr labas aalik kolchi bikhir

[@user-nj8iv5yw1d]

Native North Africans are not Arabs and Arabs can’t understand North Africans language!!! Plz plz educate yourself and stop saying Arabic while you don’t know Arabs actually speaking Bedouin language and Arabic that written in Quran its words actually Syriac and Hebrew and Persian but not Arabic

[@Legion_Thunder]

Aħna bħalla Maltin ma tanx nidru bħalla pajjiż kbir imma xorta għana qalb (We as Maltese people may not have a big country but we still have heart)

[@NadaMajdy]

I've been watching some vlogs from Malta and I'm an Egyptian and I can comfortably understand alot of the Maltese language.

[@GoldenBanglarural-saddam]

hi

[@Yassbjl]

Historically speaking Malta were under Tunisian (arabic ) rule during almost 200 years also from the 19th and 20th centuries a large Maltese and Sicilian communities used to live in Tunisia especially Tunis almost 30000 Maltese in 1930 so there is strong connection between both cultures ! nevertheless Maltese language derive from the Sicilian Arabic (a dead dialect) .

[@tunistick8044]

ey bethabt 5atr zzouze la7jet twenaa

[@natashaday5423]

The Maltese Language sounds very much like Algerian, morrocan and Tunisia and Sudan. Sermetic Language influences by the Arabic language French language abit Italian and English. Love Natasha. Xxxxxx.

[@saddamammari9347]

arabic 95%

[@saddamammari9347]

arabic 95%

[@chawquee]

Sudan!? Haha

[@realitywins9020]

I don't know why you mentioned Sudan. The other three yes, but not Sudan. And Maltese has a lot of Italian, not just a bit. Far more Italian than French

[@magnuscorbin5040]

Sounds nothing like it at all.

[@michaelhalsall5684]

We have a lot Maltese migrants here in Australia. I've found a Maltese / English channel on a community television here in Melbourne, Australia. Talking to Maltese people here they tell me that all the young people in Mallta learn to speak Italian by listening to Italian TV from Sicily etc.

[@mradzymrad615]

They guy in the book shop said that tunisien never visit well I guess I’m going to visit Malta soon coz this intrigued me of how similar our language to Maltese and people are as polite as tunisiens too

[@slowflow1321]

god !!!this is very similar to Arabic language we say (kifik enti) which means how r u and (kam) to say (how much) and so many similar words , that's amazing

[@supportersofcheguevaraandc5551]

I'm Tunisian and I understood 99℅ what the woman has said at the beginning

[@lorsobruno7883]

No shit...

[@supportersofcheguevaraandc5551]

@@lorsobruno7883 no one asked u to respond me u know ...

[@magnuscorbin5040]

Try understanding without subtitles 🤣🤣🤣

[@fy3219]

I’m from Saudi Arabia and I understand everything she says 100%

[@magnuscorbin5040]

No you don't. 🤣🤣🤣

[@zelmanito]

You comment that a lot don't you. Don't need to be insecure. ​@@magnuscorbin5040

[@magnuscorbin5040]

@@zelmanito You sure I'm the one who's insecure? 😂

[@hasanmchattan1374]

This is so amazing and quite surprising! I'm from the Arabic gulf region and I understood almost everything!

[@sidbrett5114]

Greetings from Algeria ,we understand u very well guys ❤️🙏🏼

[@hubaishi]

Maltese can be easily classified as an arabic dialect considering that Moroccan is :) I understood her as much as I would understand a Moroccan lady talking (keep in mind that Moroccan dialect is also influenced highly by Amazigh and French)

[@andrewzsoler]

I am Maltese cool video, it's very good you know English is also our language by law .. Even the University of Malta my bachelor's degree was done in English . I speak Maltese and English native and Also Italian as we studied in school

[@OtisDeLarge]

Hey, Valletta! That's where my dad's from :) I was born in Mosta. I've lived in Australia since I was a toddler though and haven't gone back to Malta yet. This was really interesting to watch. Thanks for posting!

[@stevenalanjacobs]

Thanks for sharing your story, Jim! I hope you get back to Malta one day!

[@Octopussyist]

OMG - you should go there - it is so nice.

[@Callammurray]

My Wife is Maltese. She came to live with me in England so we don't speak it as much these days but, this was a beautiful watch. Thank you. Tini means "you give me" so, when you say tini kafé you're actually saying "You give me a coffeé", which as a Britishmen comes off incredibly rude to me but, is very normal for Maltese people as a tid bit for you. :) Tt at the beginning generally equals you. Ii at the end generally equals me.

[@saddamammari9347]

Tini aatini اعطيني arabic ( give me)

[@insanepathology]

Actually in sicilian dialect "tini" it means "do you have?" Not Give me. I'm pretty much sure the essence of that phrase is taken from sicilian dialect but i don't know how much it may differ from an arabic language.

[@stevenalanjacobs]

@@insanepathology this is likely just a coincidence. “Tiniri” in Sicilian, like “tenere” in Italian, is of Latin origin and means “to have”. While “Tini” is of Arabic origin, meaning “give,” and has no etymological relationship to the Sicilian “tiniri.”

[@shumtabrez]

2023 I'm learning Malties from Bangladesh.

[@stevenalanjacobs]

Keep it up!

[@gusterbo]

0:50 Hmm, in Bulgarian we have "karoutza" (probably from Latin) which sounds almost the same as "karozza" here, and means "cart" that is pulled by donkey or horse... Interesting that in English the word "coach" could be a bus, as well as a carriage, so it's essentially the same thing - a means of transportation...

[@mdbasir6097]

So nice

[@observemalta6598]

Saluti da Malta! Most people in Malta can speak Italian and of course English and Maltese

[@skyhighlihi]

Thats it im going to malta after the pandemic

[@coldfusionmusical]

Wow, this is beautiful! If I have the brain power, I would love to learn this language. Learning Hebrew, I managed to catch some similar words like "Kemm" - "kama" and "halib" - "halav".

[@ma8723]

The Maltese language has nothing to do with Hebrew 

[@aliabassi8045]

@@ma8723 it does, as both are semitic languages

[@morceen]

@@aliabassi8045 There is no such thing as "semitic" languages. The group is called Mesopotamian-Peninsular, the term "semitic" is unhistoric and unscientific, and had long been removed from the academic circles. Maltese is a daughter language of Arabic, Arabic is a sister language of Canaanite, old Hebrew is a dialect of Canaanite, Neo (modern) Hebrew is an admixture of Syriac, old Hebrew, German, Yiddish and Arabic, with English influence.

[@aliabassi8045]

@@morceen please elaborate. I haven't heard of that claim, so could you reference me some materials or websites to research up on?

[@jalilmarcko2165]

Daaaamn i speak arabic algerian & french & english & new one maltese 😂😂😂 ida wahad malti fahem wach nahder ...

[@stevenalanjacobs]

Jalil Marcko if only it were that easy to learn every language 😂

[@magnuscorbin5040]

Yeah I'm sure you understand 🤣🤣🤣

[@Karla_1987]

Im from United Arab Emirates.. when I listen to Maltese, I realize that its a distorted Arabic with Italian influence.

[@Tech_Sher]

Name the best book for maltise language learning from Mumbai.

[@somshresthashrestha2870]

Nice

[@evabeauty7769]

Bonju..jen naaf nitkelm ftit bil Malti perché Mio amico e Malti

[@wiemzitouni3642]

well because Malta used a part of Tunisia before and they speak much like Tunisian

[@benavraham4397]

A lot of words look like Hebrew. It's interesting to watch language transition is real life here and now. I've read all of Sicily spoke Arabic the same Malta, but Sicily switched to Italian dialect.

[@mehdil7283]

The moderne hebrew is a revived language the person who revived it and which I forgot his name btw.get inspired by the arabic language to create the new hebrew so the it's not like hebew but Maltese is more like arabic

[@abdelelman197]

I am a Moroccan and I can understand what she is saying 😂

[@Klugger]

Who asked?

[@itzmekyra6490]

HER MALTESE ON FLEAK-

[@anassbarim9826]

Now i realize that i speak this language 💯

[@andy80186]

Why?

[@magnuscorbin5040]

You don't. 😂

[@crazygamersps1524]

Mix of tunisian and italian language

[@lobnaassalh1067]

كثير كثير كثير حلو

[@Ash_tommo]

I’m Arab and I understood 75/100

[@maliekjcksn]

I'm guessing that Maltese is the result of children who learned the language of their Arab fathers and a few words from their Italian mothers many years ago.

[@magnuscorbin5040]

No it's a descendant of Phoenician. Has nothing to do with Arabic.

[@sanfran224]

This is Arabic, as an arabic speaker i understand almost every word

[@mdbasir6097]

Hi frinds

[@CloseShaveTV]

This is 90% Arabic! Wow

[@juanvidal3999]

Maltes is Arabic !! I'm from morocco and I can unterstad all !!

[@magnuscorbin5040]

No it's not and no you don't. 😂

[@jacknicholson1169]

Daaaaam, I'm moroccan i understand almost everything hhhhhhh crazy stuff

[@icosium1icosium957]

Grazzi Hofna,,,

[@iworkforme]

Gets her to perform for the camera the coffee's only 40 cents he gives her like a dollar coin or something and keeps the change

[@mdbasir6097]

I kamig malta u help

[@Elyakout81]

It’s like the moroccan language 😮😮

[@leotv8303]

Ergbin and harubaini means 40 in swahili

[@mustafabrida2073]

In moroccp we say erbain like the lady said in the video to 40

[@morceen]

Swahili is the product of East African and Souther Arab merchants mixing their languages to form a common trade language for economic reasons. It shares a large vocabulary with Arabic.

[@madridismouniversal4833]

The guy with you sounds like Lichtenstein 🤔

[@Sarah.T5Med]

I am Algerian and I feel like they speak like us I understood 95% of what they say

[@Mohamadnu]

صراحة غيرانة ما ابغى احد يتكلم عربي مثلنا

[@eylam9690]

Che bello! Parli Italiano!!

[@stevenalanjacobs]

Ora mi tocca il maltese!!

[@user-pr3cr4zf8e]

I writ naw in arabic haw any malte understand me or not ok ana bent min elsaudia arabia w atklmu elarabia w elinglezia omri 23 sana

[@atteindresiempredad]

girl from saudi arabia speak arabic english Im 23 years old

[@user-nd1fb8vw9e]

@@atteindresiempredad omg thats rightt😳 Are you maltian?

[@aliserghini107]

is like arabic morrocan this is crasy

[@alexdebono4087]

Closer to Tunisian arabic you'll find

[@smartman123]

it's more like Tunisian arabic mix with Hebrew and italian

[@shihabal-dulaimi]

As an Arab, I don't think I have to speak English or learn a new language if I go to Malta 👽

[@Lamloosheh1]

It's like Arabic!

[@lorsobruno7883]

No shit

[@user-hq3vt2zo8u]

@@lorsobruno7883 This language is similar to Arabic because I understand all of its speech

[@louiseh6054]

My boyfriends mothers language ❤

[@itsmedali]

I am a Tunisian Arab and I understood everything the Maltese woman said, Malta is an Arab country, this cannot be denied

[@Maria-kp4ws]

Its not an arab country tho? Maltese is a semitic language. about 50-60% of words come from arab words. The rest is italian english and a bit of french. In general its very different from arab countries

[@mini_jkooki_minkookieeeee]

No dear Malta is not an arab country neither Tunisia Speaking a language doesn't make ethnically one of the natives We are Tunisian as they are Maltease full stop

[@realitywins9020]

It can easily be denied because its not true. Jamaica speaks English, does that make them an Anglo-Saxon country? Of course not!

[@lip884]

Im ftom morocco ,livvr in austria,i met today 3 women from malta near the bus station i understand all what they were saying,i thought they are from lebanon,then i ask them if they speak arabic and they say no,haha its arabic they just call it maltese

[@magnuscorbin5040]

No you didn't because it's a separate language. You guys are so full of shit. 🤣🤣🤣

[@lFalconzZl]

i'm an Arab and i almost understood everything, honestly it sounds like a North African Arabian dialect

[@aymenomar09]

malta was belong tu tunisia in the past and this is history

[@sahlisaif9681]

Am a tunisian and I can say that in Tunisia we speak the same language almost

[@LE-kf4ql]

I'm Maltese, from Valletta. Jien Malti, mill-Belt (Valletta). If you have Facebook, I could speak to you. Jekk ghandek Facebook, nista' nkellmek.

[@art.achqir]

hello I'm Moroccan i can understand little bit

[@samdelacruz8289]

Hello! I'm Brazilian, and I love your language.

[@LE-kf4ql]

@@samdelacruz8289 Hello! From Malta, how are you?

[@LE-kf4ql]

@@art.achqir Hello

[@samdelacruz8289]

Nice! I'm doing great, thanks! I'm learning Maltese 'cos it's a very interesting language. 🇲🇹👍

[@nimal8721]

Maltese is regarded as one of the dialects of Arabic language.....

[@Pedro60037]

and how do you say hello in maltese?

[@stevenalanjacobs]

Bongu- like bonjour in French

[@Pedro60037]

​@@stevenalanjacobs thanks I"m going to Malta in june.

[@stevenalanjacobs]

@@Pedro60037 I’m jealous! Have fun and try and speak some Maltese 😊airmalta.com/en/blog/travel/speak-like-a-local-some-handy-maltese-phrases

[@Pedro60037]

@dan ko in potuguese we just say "Olá"

[@magnuscorbin5040]

@@stevenalanjacobs Bongu is good morning not hello.

[@natashakershaw4222]

Why is Maltese the only Arab based language of Europe, if ones like Hebrew, Turkish and Armenian are also similar?

[@DZRESPECT]

that moment when Algeria speak a closer dialect and you don't mention it

[@skshapon7429]

My dreem malta take me yur shop for wark

[@user-kk1by4pu5u]

هذه لغة عربيه

[@carrieannchetcuti4061]

What ever we r Maltese not Arabic , and all speak English, hi 👋 Mary from 🇦🇺

[@wazd4661]

I can't understand arabic Moroccan but I can understand the Malta language very weird

[@fredirik3631]

Mix italy arab

[@aalaax-x4792]

تشبه العربية😭

[@salehelomami7525]

Maltese is basically one of north african arabic accents

[@MadJuventus10]

They are speaking Arabic with different slang

[@rebmedina2835]

Milk is the same as Arabic

[@MIDNIGHTSHIN94]

It is literally arabic (especially north african) 😮

[@cbalducc]

Do they also speak Italian?

[@stevenalanjacobs]

Around 2/3 of the population of Malta are estimated to speak Italian

[@user-qi6we7jr9w]

She speak like marrocain

[@igreque8996]

This is literally arabic !

[@abdulnasir5753]

This is similar to Arabic language

[@rangvi1956]

So close to arabic

[@SaidSaid-ei4jm]

Sounds like algerian

[@ahmadtaufiqurrahman8917]

like arabic language

[@zxvbaalrazxv3994]

algerian language

[@hannibalhannibal7026]

Tunesiche sprache

[@abdullabdullah5852]

Loool not language it is acsient

[@Ooooiops]

Arabic language

[@wisam.bashar]

I've just found out that i understand maltese and i have two language in spite of i am an arab 😂😂

[@stevenalanjacobs]

just human That’s awesome!! Which dialect do you speak?

[@wisam.bashar]

@@stevenalanjacobs I am iraqi , so it's iraqi

[@magnuscorbin5040]

@@wisam.bashar Hahaha you're beyond delusional if you think you understand Maltese. 😂

[@ahmadbelal6990]

It's like Arabic language

[@abdelmjidkamal1106]

Come arabo

[@nourchaind1553]

Malta returns to Tunisia and the Bey gave it to Italy in exchange for a maid

[@magnuscorbin5040]

Are you crazy? Malta was conquered by the Normans from the Arabs nearly 1000 years ago. They didn't hand over anything.

[@altairya40]

This is purely an arabic dialect Like Dutch and german

[@modyiraqi7074]

The woman is speaking arabic with a dialect

[@nurelkyil]

Its just like Moroccan dialect 🇲🇦🇲🇦🇲🇦

[@DZRESPECT]

Car: Maltese = Karozza, Algerian = Karrossa

[@maxababundance4741]

so close to arabic all words are arabic

[@babukuriakose5279]

Haha... Arabic 😁

[@user-qi6we7jr9w]

تتكلم عربية هه

[@mohagogo4704]

Hhhhh this north Africa Arabic

[@user-qw2kp8pn6m]

بلا كذب

[@user-fj3gr8pb1n]

Arabic