Is Maltese closer to Arabic or Sicilian?

[kitten]

O GOD, I COVERED THIS SUBJECT LIKE A MILLION TIMES.

YES OKAY MALTESE IS ARABIC, MALTESE PEOPLE ARE ARABS, MALTESE CULTURE IS ARABIC, WE SHOVE KEBABS UP OUR ASSES LIKE GOOD MUSLIMS.









over reacted much?

So I come back....and this is the first thing I see......

[kitten]

Some Maltese members here are probably ashamed of speaking a Semitic language or having linguistic similarities with those "terrible" Arabs...

There are two(?) Maltese members here....

Personally I am not ashamed of the native language, it reflects our history. I find it amusing when I go to places like Tunis and people there actually speak to me in Maltese... had a Serbian friend who could speak it very very well too.

Also, I am actually Gozitan, which means I speak an older version / dialect of Maltese which is much much more similar to Arabic.

[Maximum Speed]

I think maltese people are like sicilians/south italians.
Language is semitic

[kitten]

If you are really interested in knowing I would suggest reading these:

http://http://www.thinksite.eu/userf...e_Language.pdf

http://www.aboutmalta.com/grazio/study2.html

http://www.maltesering.com/maltese_language.asp

[Anthropologique]

Maltese has elements of both. I voted "Arabic" because Maltese seems to have more affinities in that direction.

[Anthropologique]

Some Maltese members here are probably ashamed of speaking a Semitic language or having linguistic similarities with those "terrible" Arabs...

Yes, Arabs are terrible ... aliens from another universe.