Podcasts · The Story of Malta: The Fortress Island of the Mediterranean — Fexingo History

The Maltese Language: A Semitic Romance

18 Oct 2026 · 5:22 · S6 E261

While Malta is often remembered for its fortifications and the Knights of St. John, its most enduring legacy is its language. In this episode, we explore how Siculo-Arabic evolved into a distinct tongue under heavy Italian and French influence, creating a unique linguistic hybrid that defies easy classification. We examine the role of Giuseppe Mifsud Bonnici in standardizing Maltese orthography, the tension between Latinization and Arabization, and how the script shifted from Arabic to Roman letters. From the medieval period through British colonial rule to modern EU membership, we trace how Malta’s identity was preserved not through stone walls, but through the spoken word, revealing a community that turned linguistic pressure into cultural resilience.

#MalteseLanguage #SiculoArabian #LinguisticHybrid #GiuseppeMifsudBonnici #RomanScript #MaltaHistory #MediterraneanCulture #SemiteLanguages #ItalianInfluence #FrenchLoanwords #KnightsofStJohn #BritishColonialism #MalteseIdentity #LanguageEvolution #FexingoHistory #HistoryPodcast #CulturalResilience #EuropeanUnion

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