2237: Maltese Jan 29, 2021

The Maltese language is a perhaps more exceptional at first glance than it looks. There are a few things about it that shine through even on the surface, such as how it is the only Semitic language with Latin alphabet (though with extra letters like Ħ ħ), the only Semitic language of the EU, and that it has considerable Italian and English influence, despite being descended from Sicilian Arabic. Indeed, not only does a sizable portion of the vocabulary take from Italian, but also certain aspects of its grammar, partly because of its lack of connection to Arabic through Islam. It is also more closely recognizable to a speaker of Tunisian Arabic than would be the case the other way around, but this sort of asymmetry is not really so rare around the world.