Phonological development of Maltese-speaking children

Abstract

Maltese is the vernacular of most people living on the Maltese Islands, situated in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. Maltese is a derivative of Arabic introduced to the Maltese Islands sometime between AD 870 and 1090. Maltese has developed independently ever since the end of the Arab occupation of the Maltese Islands in 1090 AD. It is spoken by one third of a million people living on the islands. However, it is claimed that there are more Maltese emigrants, living mainly in Australia and the United States of America, than there are Maltese living in Malta and Gozo (unavailable data, National Statistics Office, 2003a). Some of these emigrants (especially the first generation members of families, who are now senior citizens) still speak Maltese with their families outside their home countries. Before the Maltese Islands became a Republic in 1978, they were controlled by various colonies including the Phoenicians, Romans, Normans, Knights of St John and finally the British. All these left an impact on the spoken language of the Maltese. The Maltese grammar is Semitic amalgamated with influences from other languages. The vocabulary contains English, French and Italian influence. This progressive meshing of other languages on to the original Arabic dialect has made it a unique, independent and a separate language.