30+ Facts About The Maltese Language That You Need To Know
A quick fact guide to the Maltese language, covering official status, speakers, the alphabet, literature, Eurovision, Gibraltar, the Maltese diaspora, code-switching, newspapers, TVM and Semitic-Romance vocabulary.
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Browse the facts in order or use the search box to find a specific topic such as għ, Eurovision, Gibraltar, Wikipedia, Vassalli, code-switching, bonġu, bonswa, TVM or Maltese newspapers.
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Official status since 1934
Maltese only became the official language of Malta in 1934.
Mother tongue for 97% (2021)
According to the National Survey of 2021, 97% of people in Malta consider Maltese their mother tongue.
Maltese on the Eurovision stage
Only two songs exclusively in Maltese have participated on the Eurovision Song Contest stage: Marija l-Maltija by Joe Grech and L-imħabba by Helen Micallef and Joe Cutajar.
The story of għ
Għ used to represent two sounds which have disappeared from contemporary Maltese but still exist in Arabic: ‘ayn (ع) and ghayn (غ).
Oldest Maltese text
The oldest known piece of literature in Maltese is il-Kantilena, written by Pietro Kaxaro in the 15th century.
EU recognition (2004)
Maltese became an official language of the European Union in 2004 and is still the only official Semitic language of the Union.
Language regulator
The official language regulator for Maltese is il-Kunsill Nazzjonali tal-Ilsien Malti.
Semitic family links
Maltese belongs to the same linguistic family as Arabic and Hebrew.
Maltese in Gibraltar (1800s)
A significant minority of the population in Gibraltar during the late 1800s spoke Maltese.
Maltese Wikipedia size
The Maltese version of Wikipedia has over 5,500 articles.
Italian cover of a Maltese classic
One of Italy’s most famous singer-songwriters, Claudio Baglioni, released a cover of a well-known Maltese song, L-Aħħar Bidwi F’Wied L-Għasel in 2008.
Maltese studies in Germany
There is a Centre for the Maltese Language at the University of Bremen in Germany.
Knowledge of Maltese (2022)
According to the Malta Skills Survey of 2022, 99.2% of Maltese citizens know Maltese.
Maltese in the UK
According to the 2021 United Kingdom Census, 1,490 people consider Maltese their main language.
Maltese in Australia
According to the 2021 Australian Census, 26,555 people speak Maltese at home.
Alphabet with 30 letters
There are 30 letters in the Maltese alphabet.
Around half a million speakers
There are around 500,000 people who speak Maltese.
Meaning of Buttiġieġ
The Maltese surname Buttiġieġ means chicken owner.
Regional varieties
There are different varieties of Maltese in Malta with their own specific characteristics.
BBC Maltese Service (1940–1981)
The BBC World Service had a Maltese-language service from 1940 to 1981.
Heavy borrowing from neighbours
Although Maltese is a Semitic language, it has borrowed words from Romance languages (Sicilian, Italian & French) and from English.
First dictionary (1796)
Mikiel Anton Vassalli published the first Maltese dictionary in 1796.
First grammar (1750)
Giovanni Pietro Francesco Agius de Soldanis published the first grammar of the Maltese language in 1750. He also wrote the first dictionary in the mid-1700s, but it was not published.
Code-switching with English
The Maltese language is frequently code-switched with English.
Romance & Semitic synonyms
Due to the rich linguistic history of Maltese, the language has many Romance / Semitic synonyms.
Two ways to say “good morning”
One of the ways to say good morning in Maltese, bonġu, comes from French. The other is l-għodwa t-tajba, which derives from Arabic.
Two ways to say “good evening”
One of the ways to say good evening in Maltese, bonswa, comes from French. The other is il-lejla t-tajba, which derives from Arabic.
TVM mainly in Maltese
Malta’s public broadcaster, TVM, mainly broadcasts in Maltese.
Two daily newspapers
There are two daily newspapers in Maltese: L-Orizzont and In-Nazzjon.
Meaning of Micallef
The Maltese surname Micallef means judge.
Language to children (2021)
According to the National Survey of 2021, 75% of people in Malta speak only Maltese to their children.
Quick facts
Maltese language FAQ
When did Maltese become an official language of Malta?
Maltese only became the official language of Malta in 1934.
Is Maltese a Semitic language?
Yes. Maltese belongs to the same linguistic family as Arabic and Hebrew.
When did Maltese become an official EU language?
Maltese became an official language of the European Union in 2004.
How many letters are in the Maltese alphabet?
There are 30 letters in the Maltese alphabet.
What is the oldest known Maltese text?
The oldest known piece of literature in Maltese is il-Kantilena, written by Pietro Kaxaro in the 15th century.
What are two Maltese daily newspapers?
There are two daily newspapers in Maltese: L-Orizzont and In-Nazzjon.