I am from Lebanon and the language spoken there is strikingly similar to Maltese. I guess they both are bsaed on the same Phoenician language spoken for some 4,000 - 5,000 years.
The Maltese language is thought of as having Arabic roots, but this is not accurate.
Maltese is a mix of Phoenician and old Sicilian.
Lebanese is a mix of Phoenician and Arabic.
If you are interested in this subject or would like to assist in this research of the Phoenician roots, please visit http://malta.lebaneseclub.org

Thanks,

Raymond Dib
New York City

Maltse does no have Phoenician roots. Maltese is a language best decribed as basically semitic and superstructurally romance. The semitic element is Arabic, mostly of the Maghrebin variety. It has been demionstrated repeatedly that, in spite of he fact that Malta was colonized by the POhoenicians and then was under Carthaginian rule for centuries, there is no Phoenician/Punic element in modern Maltese at all. This myth has been debunked for over a century now. Modern Maltese newspaper vacabulary 9i.e current Maltese) is around 60-65 % non-Arabic, mostly Italian mixed with some English and other languages.

Dr Costa:

I beg to disagree. I know there are lots of controversies about the linkage of the Maltese language to the language spoken in Lebanon, but, alll acedmics aside, if you went to Lebanon, you would fee at home. You would understand a good portion of the conversation.

On the other hand, if you went to any place in Maghreb, with the exception of Tunisia, may be, you will not understand any of their spoken language.

I know, it happened to me when I went to Malta.
Maybe, it helps that I also speak Italian (and some Sicilian). That made me understand more of the Maltese dialtect.

You, on the other hand, unless you speak classical Arabic, you will not understand the "arabic" half of the Lebanese dialect.

So, it becomes clear that Lebanese and Maltase have sam roots, and I say these are Phoenician roots.

I base my deduction on purely the "phonetics" of the common root. Not on the "linguistic" part. Meaning the same "linguitic" word can be phonetically pronounced differently in Arabic vs Lebanese.

We can take this conversation offline, if you wish. You can email me directly!

Respectfully,

Raymond Dib

Hi Raymond. I live in California, 'though I am Maltese, and have lived in many countries. I also have a close friend from Lebanon living here , and you are at least right in the sense that I do understand a fair amount of his language. WE have fun comparing words and most of the time they sound and mean the same .
Great subject to be intertested in.

I am glad to hear confirmation of the similarity of the two spoken languages in Malta and Lebanon.

I would say to all these people in Malta who do not believe that the common language is Phoenician, and rather Arabic or just plain Semetic, to just go and talk to some Lebanese people, and hear for yourself.

I bet you a person from Malta would have not understand most of what a Maghrebi or a Saudi Arabian would speak, but would understand over 75% of what a Lebanese would say!

And it is not just the similarity of single words, but also of parts of speech and idioms.

It is sad to hear that are some reputable linguistic research that try to distance Maltese from spoken Lebanese, when a simple conversation between a Lebanese and Maltese would prove who in fact close they are.

It is probably time to separate political and ethnic pride from the plain facts.

Ray

I agree 100% with Raymond here. I am Maltese, and do have a friend here in California from Beirut, who it turns out, understands a great deal of my language.
On the other hand, I have listened to many Arabs from many parts of that world and can hardly make out a few words spoken.
Sahha,

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Replying to:

Dr Costa:

I beg to disagree. I know there are lots of controversies about the linkage of the Maltese language to the language spoken in Lebanon, but, alll acedmics aside, if you went to Lebanon, you would fee at home. You would understand a good portion of the conversation.

On the other hand, if you went to any place in Maghreb, with the exception of Tunisia, may be, you will not understand any of their spoken language.

I know, it happened to me when I went to Malta.
Maybe, it helps that I also speak Italian (and some Sicilian). That made me understand more of the Maltese dialtect.

You, on the other hand, unless you speak classical Arabic, you will not understand the "arabic" half of the Lebanese dialect.

So, it becomes clear that Lebanese and Maltase have sam roots, and I say these are Phoenician roots.

I base my deduction on purely the "phonetics" of the common root. Not on the "linguistic" part. Meaning the same "linguitic" word can be phonetically pronounced differently in Arabic vs Lebanese.

We can take this conversation offline, if you wish. You can email me directly!

Respectfully,

Raymond Dib

Well I disagree. How can you even distinguish what is Arabic and what is Phoenician in the Lebanese language anyway? What does Phoenician even sound like?

Very easy to distinguish what is Arabic and what is Lebanese. As a Lebanese, if I say something that means nothing to another Arab, say from Saudi Arabia, then I know what I am speaking is not Arabic.

It may not be Phoenician, as we do not have a recorded Phoenician sounds. It can also be a mix of some old language (Phoenician, Aramaic,etc.), but definitely not Arabic.

Since Phoenicians inhabited Lebanon, we can assume that that non-arabic word may be Phoenician.

Case in point the word bagħbas. This has absolutely no meaning in Arabic, but in Lebanese dialect, it means "to finger".

I plan to have a section on the site that shows these words (or some of them) that hae absolutely no meaning in Arabic.

Ray

check out this website: http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0410/feature2/online_extra.html

it speaks of a phoenician/maltese genetic link.

All modern serious linguists agree that Semitic Maltese belongs to the Maghrebin variety of Arabic. To give an example: the prefix for our verbs is n-, t-, j-, t, n-, t-, j-. Thus, we say "nikteb" (I write). In the mashrek dialects, they say 'aktub. This is fundamental. Dr. Portelli mentions a genetic study which purports to prove that the Maltese have a great genetic affinity with Lebanese according to a National Geographic documentary. It seems that the geneticist who carried out the study departed from a preconceived idea that the Maltese are descendants of Phoenicians and then sought to prove his contention. More recent genetic studies by the University of malta on the Y-chromosome have demonstrated the same genetic distribution of Maltese men as men in Sicily and Calabria.

Much controversy has been raised because of the work of Al Himyari and his account of Malta.

Biographical information about the Al Himyari ( author of Kitāb ar-Rawḍ al-mi‘tār) is extremely limited

The Encyclopaedia of Islam refers to Himyari as a fakīh born in Magreb.

We do not know for certain the exact period in which Al Himyari lived - for instance
T. Lewicki, states that al-Ḥimyarī died in 1494 while others claim Al Himyari died in 1326

Al-Himyari's Account

Al Himyari - who was practically unheard of in the west until 1975 - claims that the Arabs who invaded Malta in 870 – 1090 wiped out the 'entire' Maltese population, thereby annihilating any traces of a Punic inheritance in Malta .

Al Himyari also claims that Malta was rehabitated around the year 1050 AD by "Arabic-speaking" people - only 40 years before the Arabs themselves were defeated by Count Roger of Normandy.

Since Al Himyari was writing his account 3 or 4 centuries after the events had occurred - clearly he himself had no primary or direct information of these events and he must have relied on various sources - some of these sources may not only have been unreliable - they would also have been biased since the account is written by the conquerors.

Historical accounts written by many middle east historians often do not record negative events - not even major defeats in battle !

Ofcourse History is always recorded by the conquerors and to make matters worse neither the Phoenicians ( Carthaginians) nor the Maltese were known for their history writing !

To compound matters further the general Arab view is to deny all things Phoencian in their history probably for religious reasons - so that even Lebanon the cradle of the Phoenicians belittles its Phoenician past.

be that as it may Scientific evidence collect in 2004 shows that nearly 60% of the maltese population carries the Y gene from the FNIEK = Phoenicians
vide:-
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0410/feature2/online_extra.html

I think we should now give Al Himyari's account the final burial it deserves.


Dr Frank Portelli MD FRCS(Ed)FRSM
Malta

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Replying to:

Dr Costa:

I beg to disagree. I know there are lots of controversies about the linkage of the Maltese language to the language spoken in Lebanon, but, alll acedmics aside, if you went to Lebanon, you would fee at home. You would understand a good portion of the conversation.

On the other hand, if you went to any place in Maghreb, with the exception of Tunisia, may be, you will not understand any of their spoken language.

I know, it happened to me when I went to Malta.
Maybe, it helps that I also speak Italian (and some Sicilian). That made me understand more of the Maltese dialtect.

You, on the other hand, unless you speak classical Arabic, you will not understand the "arabic" half of the Lebanese dialect.

So, it becomes clear that Lebanese and Maltase have sam roots, and I say these are Phoenician roots.

I base my deduction on purely the "phonetics" of the common root. Not on the "linguistic" part. Meaning the same "linguitic" word can be phonetically pronounced differently in Arabic vs Lebanese.

We can take this conversation offline, if you wish. You can email me directly!

Respectfully,

Raymond Dib

PHOENICIAN LAND OF CEDARS
Phoenicia has existed since 12th century B.C, originating from the east coast of the Mediterranean sea.
Phoenicia was the name of the country and people living and trading off the coast of Lebanon.
Their active trading dominated the Mediterranean, thus causing them to settle and develop coastal communities
throughout the region. One of the city-state formed by burgeon Phoenician population was Byblos.
Byblos was the hub of trade, a strong religious center, and flourishing culture as a capital.


THE UNITED PHOENICIAN PARTY
The United Phoenician Party offers a cure for the political disease and new step in the right direction to the
multiple religious, ethnical, sectarian, social factions that are currently fighting in Lebanon.
The DNA and History of the modern Lebanese is a strong link to their ancestors, the Phoenicians.
The United Phoenician Party beliefs centered on bringing back and developing the Phoenician nationality of
modern Lebanon. Lebanon is ethnically (religiously,politically) divided, the idea of the Phoenician nation is a
unique move that rises above the sectarian civil society and unifies those people with a common ancestry.
Rallying a large number of people around the Phoenician concept, transcending nationalities, religions, and
bringing peace to the troubled country and region.
www.unitedphoenicianparty.org
http://unitedphoenicianparty.org/unitedphoenicianpartyforum/index.php

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Replying to:

I am from Lebanon and the language spoken there is strikingly similar to Maltese. I guess they both are bsaed on the same Phoenician language spoken for some 4,000 - 5,000 years.
The Maltese language is thought of as having Arabic roots, but this is not accurate.
Maltese is a mix of Phoenician and old Sicilian.
Lebanese is a mix of Phoenician and Arabic.
If you are interested in this subject or would like to assist in this research of the Phoenician roots, please visit http://malta.lebaneseclub.org

Thanks,

Raymond Dib
New York City

Al-Himyari's Account -- 1991

I refer to al himyaris accoubt and the unfounded statement about the origins of the Maltese Language to-date

The Arabic conquest of the Maltese Islands (circa 870 AD) is claimed to have wiped out their 'entire' population, thereby annihilating any traces of a Punic vernacular.
Habitation of the Islands is said to have been restored around the year 1050 AD by "Arabic-speaking" people.

We now have scientifc evidence that nearly 60% of the maltese male lineage is in fact Phoenician in origing

See Spencer Wells study ( National Geographic)on the Y chromosome which showed Y chromosomea in 60% of males directly linked to Y chromosomes obtained from the Jaw of a 4000 year old phoenician in the mountains of lebanon


Dr Frank Portelli

Support for Lebanese Army and for cleaner political environment

Dear Friends,

Being a United Phoenician Party member is about more than politics. We’re a group of
Lebanese-Phoenicians dedicated to improving our country, both through the choices we make at
the ballot box and those we make at home.
That’s why we’re dedicating this year UPP reunion to a challenge we can all tackle together: the
fight for a cleaner political environment in Lebanon.
This year reunion won’t be your normal house party. We’re going to be planting ideas, securing
our boarders, kicking off local groups programs.
Will you host an event in your neighborhood?
We’re also planting the seeds of something a lot bigger, the field organization we need to take
back the presidency, Parliament and secure the boarders in 2007-2008.

President Lahood, Michel Aoun, Nabih Berri , Nasrallah Hezbollah and all the terrorist
organizations stood in the way of progress on the Lebanese people desire for clean
independence from regional conflicts and ignored the Lebanese dream for peace.
They spent years supporting the evil regime’s of Syrian, Iranian and Alqaeda influence in the
Lebanese life by opposing every change in bringing stability to the region including the tribunal
against their war crimes in Lebanon.
This influence against the Cedar Revolution is only benefit the enemies of Lebanon and
Lebanese.
The United Phoenician Party believes we have a moral obligation to lead our country in a new
direction, for a safer, cleaner democracy and stronger national army.
Now it is up to each of us to do his part, despite overwhelming public revolution, president
Lahood, Parliament speaker Berri, Aoun(patriot movement) and Nassralah(Hezbollah) who
convicted of conspiracy and blind support for evil regimes’.
As yet another example of the sick attitude that defines them in Baabda, they shamelessly put
Syrian interest before the Lebanese value.
Lahood doesn’t care that Hezbollah was convicted by the Globe as terrorist and sentenced by
an experienced world judgement, and he doesn’t care that Hezbollah sentence was well within
the sentencing guidelines.
He once again ignored more than 70% of Lebanese public and disregarded the legal process–
this time to help someone who has friends or relatives in the right places.
We can’t stand for this, and that’s why we’re doing something to change it. We may not be able
to change the president’s decision, but we are fighting back – we’re working day and night to
take back Baabda Palace in 2007-2008 so that we can put an end to just thing type of nonsense.
Last summer, Lebanon suffered because of Hezbollah and Aoun miscalculation and their work
plan for the destruction of Lebanon.
This summer, they kept the pressure with the support of their allies who were in the streets.
Demonstration and planting assassinations bombs to destroy our political freedom, now they
are fighting Lebanese army and killing our soldiers.
Roll up your sleeves for cleaner Lebanon from terrorism and support government and
Lebanese Army.

Thank you for fighting back.

The United Phoenician Party
www.unitedphoenicianparty.org