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Maltese: Malta
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Maltese is the language of Malta, and a language of the European Union. Maltese sounds very similar to the type of Punic, an ancient mediterranean and middle-eastern spread language. It is written in the Latin alphabet like English. In history, the language has borrowed many words from Sicilian, Italian, and English.
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Maltese, an official language of the European Union, is a form of Arabic spoken on the island of Malta, but written in the Western Roman alphabet. In addition, it's grammar is different from Modern Standard Arabic.
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The Maltese language developed from the Arabic spoken by the Arabs who invaded and occupied Malta in 870 AD. Malta was occupied by French-speaking Normans in 1090. Between 1530 and 1798 Malta served as the base for the Knights Hospitaller of St John, who spoke Italian and Latin. Malta became a British colony in 1800 and the British tried to replace Italian with English as the local language.
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On July 6, 2005, the Maltese parliament unanimously ratified the European Union constitution. The opposition Labour Party... stated that its vote was conditioned to five reservations, one of which was meant to ensure Malta's neutrality. Meanwhile, the government announced its plan to entrench in the Maltese constitution the law prohibiting abortion.
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The French under Napoleon took hold of the Maltese islands in 1798, although with the aid of the British, the Maltese were able to oust French control two years later. The inhabitants subsequently desired Britain to accept the sovereignty of the islands, and as part of the Treaty of Paris (1814), Malta became a colony within the British Empire.
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After Malta become independent in 1964 both English and Maltese were given official status and Maltese became the national language of Malta. Today Maltese is used in most sectors of public life, including parliament, the church, the press and other media, and in general conversation. English is generally the preferred medium of instruction in schools, especially at the higher levels of the educational system.
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