Hi Wendy,

I would like to make one thing very clear; language is language, culture is another thing and ethnicity is yet another. So whatever our Maltese language is, or wherever it comes from, that is not necessarily who we are, as much as Americans, Canadians and Australians are not English simply because they speak a form of the English language.

Our language originated long ago; some still adamantly claim from Phoenician origins but we know today that it was re-born following the Arab conquest of Malta. Eventually, the European warlords conquered the Arabs who then inhabited Malta and Italian overlaid Arabic, and eventually English had its say also so that, over the centuries our modern Maltese language was born!

For more, have a look at our pages on the Maltese language: http://www.my-malta.com//interesting/MalteseLanguage.html

As far as who we are, my best description is in our page entitled: A Background on The Maltese People, found at http://www.my-malta.com//malteseislands/background.html

Good Luck convincing your x-sis-in-law that we are a unique brand of Mediterranean-Europeans!

Steve

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Replying to:

my x sister in law said maltese is arab and italian mix. she has her kids thinking that is what they are.cause her 1 husband is maltese. just wanted to know if true. thank you

click link to check out: What's New ? http://www.my-malta.com//interesting/rubenzahra.html