In the mould of a new environment : the Maltese language in Australia

Abstract

Today it is claimed that Australia harbours some 400,000 persons of Maltese origin. About half this number, a very arbitrary figure, were born in Australia, the greater majority of whom understand and speak the Maltese language. A smaller percentage of those born in Australia or who came here at a very tender age, can also write the language. This figure is slowly on the increase after the introduction of Maltese classes in a number of Australian States. The major Australian regions in which the greater number of Maltese are clustered today are Melbourne, Sydney, Port Kembla/Wollongong District, Mackay, Innisfail, Brisbane, Adelaide, Moe/Morwell Region and Perth. As a consequence these regions are the areas where the greater part of the Maltese linguistic development has occurred. Other areas, where there are numerically smaller concentrations of Maltese are Queanbeyan/Canberra Area, Gosford/Wyong District, Bundaberg, Proserpine, Cairns, Townsville, Fremantle and Broken Hill. These regions of the second grouping have played a less significant role in the development of the Ozmaltese idiom. The term Ozmaltese is used to denote the peculiar Maltese language, both spoken and to a lesser extent written, as it has developed and as it is applied by the Maltese of Australia, with its own characteristics distinguishing it from Standard Maltese. This phenomenon appears to have developed very markedly in the first group of regions that the author has identified in this article while in the second group the linguistic contribution appears to be more of a transient and less prolific nature.