MALTESE LANGUAGE
Understanding The Maltese Language & Providing Professional Maltese Interpreters, Translators and Transcriptionists
American Language Services (AML-Global) understands the importance of working in the Maltese language. For over a Quarter of a Century, American Language Services has worked with the Maltese language as well as hundreds of others from around the world. We offer comprehensive language services 24 hours, 7 days a week worldwide by providing Maltese interpreting, translation and transcriptions services along with hundreds of other languages and dialects. Our linguists are native speakers and writers who are screened, credentialed, certified, field tested and experienced in a number of specific industry settings. The Maltese language is unique and has very specific origins and characteristics.
Malta and Its Religion
Maltese is the national language of Malta, a densely populated developed European microstate in the European Union. The island nation comprises an archipelago of seven islands situated in the Southern European areas of the Mediterranean Sea. The culture of Malta reflects the various cultures that have come into contact with the Maltese Islands throughout the centuries, including neighboring Mediterranean cultures, and the cultures of the nations that ruled Malta for long periods of time prior to its independence in 1964. The Constitution of Malta provides for freedom of religion but establishes Roman Catholicism as the state religion. Freedom House and the World Fact book report that 98 percent of the population is Roman Catholic, making the nation one of the most Catholic countries in the world.
The History of the Maltese Language
Maltese became an official language of Malta in 1934, alongside English, when Italian was dropped from official use. The oldest reference to Maltese comes from the Benedictine Monks of Catania, who were unable to open a monastery in Malta, in 1364, because they could not understand the native language. In 1436, in the will of a certain Pawlu Peregrino, Maltese is first identified as lingua maltensi. The oldest known document in Maltese is “Il Cantilena” (Maltese:Xidew il-Qada) a poem from the 15th century, written by Pietro Caxaro[6] and the first known Maltese dictionary was written by the French Knight Francois de Vion Thezan Court in 1640. It includes notes about Maltese grammar and a concluding section detailing, in Italian and Maltese, phrases to be used when giving orders to soldiers. Facsimiles of the work are currently published.
Written Maltese
Maltese evolved after the Normans ended the Arab rule of the islands, a standard, written form of the language was not developed for a long time after the Arabs’ expulsion in the eleventh century. Throughout the centuries the use of the Maltese language was discouraged with varying degrees of success. Under the rule of the Order of the Knights of Malta both French and Italian were used for official documents and correspondence. During the British colonial period the use of English was encouraged through education, with Italian regarded as the next most important language. It was not until 1934 that Maltese was recognized as an official language. In the nineteenth century, philologists and academics such as Michael Anton Vassals made a concerted effort to transcribe spoken Maltese in a comprehensive written form. Many examples of written Maltese exist from before this period, always in the Latin alphabet.
Who are You Going to Trust with Your Vital Maltese Language Needs?
The Maltese language is an important language worldwide. It is vital to understand the general nature and specific idiosyncrasies of Maltese. Since 1985, AML-Global has provided outstanding Maltese interpreters, translators and transcriptionsts worldwide.
