Editing Malta (section)

==Name==
The [[English language|English]] name ''{{linktext|Malta}}'' derives from [[Italian language|Italian]] and [[Maltese language|Maltese]] {{lang|it|Malta}}, from medieval [[Arabic language|Arabic]] {{translit|ar|Māliṭā}} ({{lang|ar|[[:wikt:مالطا|مَالِطَا]]}}), from classical [[Latin language|Latin]] {{lang|la|{{linktext|Melita}}}},<ref>{{Cite journal|title=The Corps Disease: Brucellosis and Its Historical Association with the Royal Army Medical Corps |url=http://maltaramc.com/imggen/brucellosis.pdf |last=Vassallo |first=DJ |journal=Journal of the Royal Army Medical Corps |year=1992 |volume=138 |issue=3 |pages=140–150 |doi=10.1136/jramc-138-03-09 |pmid=1453384 |s2cid=41069698 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171223043726/http://maltaramc.com/imggen/brucellosis.pdf |archive-date=23 December 2017 |access-date=24 December 2017}}</ref> from [[latinization of names|latinised]] or [[Doric Greek language|Doric]] forms<ref>{{L&S|Melita|ref}}</ref> of the [[ancient Greek language|ancient Greek]] {{translit|grc|Melítē}} ({{lang|grc|{{linktext|Μελίτη}}}}) of uncertain origin. The name {{translit|grc|Melítē}}{{mdash}}shared by the [[Croatia]]n [[islands of Croatia|island]] [[Mljet]] in antiquity{{mdash}}literally means "place of honey" or "sweetness", derived from the combining form of {{translit|grc|méli}} ({{lang|grc|{{linktext|μέλι}}}}, "honey" or any similarly sweet thing)<ref>{{LSJ|me/li^|μέλι|ref}}.</ref> and the [[suffix]] {{translit|grc|-ē}} ({{lang|grc|{{linktext|-η}}}}). The ancient Greeks may have given the island this name after Malta's [[Maltese honey bee|endemic subspecies]] of [[bee]]s.<ref name="malticross">{{Cite book |last=Castillo |first=Dennis Angelo |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=i5ns5LNtoiUC&pg=PA25 |title=The Maltese Cross: A Strategic History of Malta |publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group |year=2006 |isbn=978-0-313-32329-4 }}</ref> Alternatively, other scholars argue for derivation of the Greek name from an original [[Phoenician language|Phoenician]] or [[Punic language|Punic]] {{translit|phn|Maleth}} ({{lang|phn|{{linktext|𐤌𐤋𐤈}}}}, {{smallcaps|mlṭ}}), meaning "haven"<ref>{{Cite book |last=Pickles |first=Tim |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0LuvbRQ78sIC&pg=PA11 |title=Malta 1565: Last Battle of the Crusades |publisher=Osprey Publishing |year=1998 |isbn=978-1-85532-603-3 }}</ref> or "port"<ref>{{Cite web |title=Renaming Malta the Republic of Phoenicia |url=http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20111001/letters/Renaming-Malta-the-Republic-of-Phoenicia.387184 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303235338/http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20111001/letters/Renaming-Malta-the-Republic-of-Phoenicia.387184 |archive-date=3 March 2016 |access-date=28 February 2016 |website=The Times of Malta |date=October 2011 }}</ref> in reference to the [[Grand Harbour]] and its primary settlement at [[Cospicua]] following the sea level rise that separated the [[Maltese islands]] and flooded its original coastal settlements in the 10th century{{nbsp}}BC.<ref name=vel>{{citation |last=Vella |first=John |contribution-url=https://www.athensjournals.gr/mediterranean/2023-9-1-2-Vella.pdf |contribution=Greek Words in Maltese Harbour Toponymy |title=Athens Journal of Mediterranean Studies |volume=9 |issue=1 |date=January 2023 |pages=25–52 |access-date=7 April 2024 |archive-date=18 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240418000713/https://www.athensjournals.gr/mediterranean/2023-9-1-2-Vella.pdf |url-status=live }}.</ref> The name was then applied to all of [[Malta Island|Malta]] by the Greeks and to [[Melite (ancient city)|its ancient capital]] at [[Mdina]] by the Romans.<ref name=vel/>

''Malta'' and its [[demonym]] ''{{linktext|Maltese}}'' are attested in English from the late 16th century.<ref>''Oxford English Dictionary'', s.v. "Malta, ''n.''", and "Maltese, ''n.'' & ''adj.''"</ref> [[List of English Bible translations|English Bible translations]] including the 1611 [[King James Version]] long used the [[Vulgate Latin]] form {{lang|la|Melita}}, although the 1525 [[Tyndale Bible]] used the transliteration {{translit|grc|Melite}} instead. ''Malta'' is widely used in more recent versions.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Smith, William |url=https://archive.org/details/adictionarygree13smitgoog |title=A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography |publisher=John Murray |year=1872 |editor-last=John Murray |volume=II |page=[https://archive.org/details/adictionarygree13smitgoog/page/n342 320] |author-link=William Smith (lexicographer)}}</ref>