Today I would like to teach you a few common words that are constantly used in Malta and that might be of use if you visit the Island with us at Meet The Rock!

 The numerous nationalities ruling Malta influenced the Maltese Language which is a Semitic language! Old words such as the numbers and the days of the week are from Arabic origin whereas new words like the months and technological terms come from different Latin languages.

Malta is a bilingual country with Maltese and English being the official languages. Here are some common words and phrases used in Malta, reflecting the influence of both languages:

Our favorite words are Mela and Ta!

Mela is used for different expressions. We use it at the beginning of a sentence to emphasize the start of what we are about to say.

We also use it as an answer to someone to say we agree with them and it can also mean “so.” For example if you see someone you know who doesn’t speak to you, you would ask…”Mela ma tridx Kliem?” …. Which means: So you do not want to talk?

The word Ta is also a word with many meanings. It is used at the end of a sentence to emphasis what you are saying.

It can also be used as the word “of." For instance when you want to say this is of Cheryl, you would say Din hi ta’ Cheryl. Note that when used as the word “of” you will put the apostrophe to make an extra emphasis on the a at the end- Ta'.

Keep in mind that Maltese pronunciation can be a bit different from English, and the spelling might vary. Additionally, the widespread use of English means that many Maltese people are comfortable communicating in English, especially in tourist areas and business settings.