Editing Maltese language (section)

===Arabic===
At that time Malta was thoroughly Arabized. The conquerors brought to the island the vulgar (colloquial) variant of Arabic, not the classical one (Classical Arabic); therefore, the Maltese language differs from Classical Arabic in the same way as the Arabic dialects differ from Classical Arabic. The Maltese language also comprises a considerable number of [[Maghrebi Arabic|Maghrebi]] features,<ref>[https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/bitstream/123456789/28326/1/THE%20MALTESE%20AND%20THE%20ARABIC%20DIALECTS.pdf The Maltese And The Arabic Dialects: Introduction An Approach From Linguistic Geography, by Reinhold Kontzi]</ref> but in other ways, it can be closer to other Arabic dialects, or closer to Classical Arabic than to the other dialects as in the word {{lang|mt|ra}} ('to see'). Arabic supplies between 32%{{sfnp|Brincat|2005}} and 40%<ref name="autogenerated2" /> of the language's vocabulary.

{{harvtxt|Żammit|2000}} found that 40% of a sample of 1,821 [[Classical Arabic|Quranic Arabic]] roots were found in Maltese, considerably lower than that found in the [[Moroccan Arabic|Moroccan]] (58%) and [[Lebanese Arabic|Lebanese]] (72%) varieties of Arabic.{{sfnp|Żammit|2000|pp=241–245}} An analysis of the etymology of the 41,000 words in Aquilina's ''Maltese–English Dictionary'' shows that 32% of the Maltese vocabulary is of Arabic origin,{{sfnp|Brincat|2005}} although another source claims 40%.<ref name="autogenerated2" /><ref>Compare with approx. 25–33% of Old English or Germanic words in Modern English.</ref> Usually, words expressing basic concepts and ideas, such as {{lang|mt|raġel}} (man), {{lang|mt|mara}} (woman), {{lang|mt|tifel}} (boy), {{lang|mt|dar}} (house), {{lang|mt|xemx}} (sun), and {{lang|mt|sajf}} (summer), are of Arabic origin. Moreover, {{lang|fr|[[belles-lettres]]}} in Maltese aim to maximise their use of vocabulary belonging to this group.<ref name="isser" />
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Maltese
! Moroccan
!Egyptian
!Hejazi
! Standard Arabic
! English
|-
| {{wikt-lang|mt|iva}} (ijwa, ija, iwa)
| {{lang|ary|iyeh}}
| {{lang|arz|aywa}} 
| {{lang|acw|īwa}}
| {{lang|ar|نعم}} ({{transliteration|ar|naʕam}}) 
| yes
|-
| {{wikt-lang|mt|fejn}}
| {{lang|ary|fīn}}, {{lang|ary|wīn}}
| {{lang|arz|fēn}}
| {{lang|acw|fēn}}
|{{lang|ar|أين}} ({{transliteration|ar|'ayn}}) 
|where
|-
| {{wikt-lang|mt|xiex}}
| {{lang|ary|šnu}}, {{lang|ary|'āš}}
|{{lang|arz|'ēh}}
| {{lang|acw|'ēš}}
|{{lang|ar|ماذا}} ({{transliteration|ar|māḏā}}) 
|what
|-
| {{wikt-lang|mt|għaliex}}
| {{lang|ary|ʕlāš}}, {{lang|ary|ʕlayāš}}
|{{lang|arz|lēh}}
|{{lang|acw|lēš}}
|{{lang|ar|لماذا}} ({{transliteration|ar|limāḏā}}) 
|why
|-
|{{wikt-lang|mt|ġewwa}}
|{{lang|ary|el-dāḵil}}
|{{lang|arz|gowwa}}
|{{lang|acw|juwwa}}
|{{lang|ar|داخل}} ({{transliteration|ar|dāḵil}})
|inside
|-
|{{wikt-lang|mt|barra}}
|{{lang|ary|barra}}
|{{lang|arz|barra}}
|{{lang|acw|barra}}
|{{lang|ar|خارج}} ({{transliteration|ar|ḵārij}})
|outside
|-
| {{wikt-lang|mt|ġab}}
| {{lang|ary|jāb}}
| {{lang|arz|gāb}}
| {{lang|acw|jāb}}
| {{lang|ar|أحضر}} ({{transliteration|ar|'aḥḍara}}), {{lang|ar|جاء بـ}} ({{transliteration|ar|jā'a bi-}})
| to bring
|-
| {{wikt-lang|mt|saqsa}}, {{wikt-lang|mt|staqsa}}*
|  {{lang|ary|saqṣa}}, {{lang|ary|sāl}}
|{{lang|arz|sa'al}}
|{{lang|acw|sa'al}}
| {{lang|ar|سأل}} ({{transliteration|ar|sa'ala}}) 
| to ask
|-
|{{wikt-lang|mt|raqad}}
|{{lang|ary|nʕas}}, {{lang|ary|rqad}}
|{{lang|arz|nām}}
|{{lang|acw|nām}}, {{lang|acw|ragad}}
|{{lang|ar|نام}} ({{transliteration|ar|nāma}}), {{lang|ar|رقد}} ({{transliteration|ar|raqada}})
|to sleep
|-
|{{wikt-lang|mt|ra}}
|{{lang|ary|šāf}}
|{{lang|arz|šāf}}
|{{lang|acw|šāf}}
|{{lang|ar|رأى}} ({{transliteration|ar|ra'ā}})
|to see
|-
|{{wikt-lang|mt|ried}}, {{wikt-lang|mt|xtaq}}**
|{{lang|ary|ḥabb}}, {{lang|ary|bḡa}}
|{{lang|arz|ʕāyez}}
|{{lang|acw|biḡi}}
|{{lang|ar|أراد}} ({{transliteration|ar|'arāda}})
|to want
|-
|{{wikt-lang|mt|ħdax}}
|{{lang|ary|ḥdāš}}
|{{lang|acw|ḥidāšar}}
|{{lang|acw|iḥdaʕaš}}
|{{lang|ar|أَحَدَ عَشَرَ}} ({{transliteration|ar|'aḥada ʕašara}})
|eleven
|-
|{{wikt-lang|mt|tnax}}
|{{lang|ary|tnāš}}
|{{lang|acw|itnašar}}
|{{lang|acw|iṭnaʕaš}}
|{{lang|ar|اِثْنَا عَشَرَ}} ({{transliteration|ar|iṯnā ʕašara}})
|twelve 
|}
Notes: * from Arabic {{lang|ar|استقصى}} ({{transliteration|ar|istaqṣā}}) "to investigate", ** from Arabic {{lang|ar|اشتاق}} ({{transliteration|ar|ištāqa}}) "to yearn for ".

The following table compares additional cognates in Maltese and some other varieties of Arabic (all forms are written phonetically, as in the source):<ref>{{cite book |last1=Kaye |first1=Alan S. |title=The Semitic Languages |last2=Rosenhouse |first2=Judith |publisher=Routledge |year=1997 |editor-last=Hetzron |editor-first=Robert |pages=263–311 |chapter=Arabic Dialects and Maltese}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Maltese
! [[Egyptian Arabic|Cairene]]
! [[Levantine Arabic|Damascene]]
! [[Mesopotamian Arabic|Iraqi]]
! Negev<br />(bedouin)
! Yemenite<br />(Sanaani)
! Moroccan
! Standard Arabic
! English
|-
| {{lang|mt|qalb}} {{IPA|/ʔalp/}}
| {{lang|arz|'alb}} 
| {{lang|apc|'aleb}} 
| {{lang|acm|galeb}}
| {{lang|avl|galb}}
| {{lang|ayn|galb}}
| {{lang|ary|qalb}}
| {{lang|ar|قلب}} ({{transliteration|ar|qalb}}) {{IPA|/qalb/}}
| heart
|-
| {{lang|mt|waqt}} {{IPA|/waʔt/}}
| {{lang|arz|wa't}} 
| {{lang|apc|wa'et}} 
| {{lang|acm|waket}}
| {{lang|avl|wagt}}
| {{lang|ayn|wagt}}
| {{lang|ary|waqt}}
| {{lang|ar|وقت}} ({{transliteration|ar|waqt}}) {{IPA|/waqt/}}
| time
|-
| {{lang|mt|qamar}} {{IPA|/ʔamar/}}
| {{lang|arz|'amar}} 
| {{lang|apc|'amar}}
| {{lang|acm|qamar}}
| {{lang|avl|gumar}}
| {{lang|ayn|gamar}}
| {{lang|ary|qmar}}
| {{lang|ar|قمر}} ({{transliteration|ar|qamar}}) {{IPA|/qamar/}}
| moon
|-
| {{lang|mt|kelb}} {{IPA|/kelp/}}
| {{lang|arz|kalb}} 
| {{lang|apc|kaleb}} 
| {{lang|acm|čaleb}}
| {{lang|avl|čalb}} 
| {{lang|ayn|kalb}}
| {{lang|ary|kalb}}
| {{lang|ar|كلب}} ({{transliteration|ar|kalb}}) {{IPA|/kalb/}}
| dog
|}
Siculo-Arabic dialect which was spoken in Sicily and Malta is the [[genetic relationship (linguistics)|ancestor]] of the Maltese language,{{sfnp|Brincat|2005}} some Siculo-Arabic words are still used in modern [[Sicilian language|Sicilian]] (a Romance language spoken in Sicily):

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Maltese
! [[Siculo-Arabic]]<br />(in [[Sicilian language|Sicilian]])
! Arabic text
! English
|-
|{{wikt-lang|mt|bebbuxu}}
|{{wikt-lang|scn|babbaluci}}
|{{lang|ary|ببوش|rtl=yes}} ({{transliteration|ary|babbūš}}) 
(a Berber word)
|snail
|-
| {{wikt-lang|mt|ġiebja}}
| {{wikt-lang|scn|gebbia}}
| {{lang|ar|جابية|rtl=yes}} ({{transliteration|ar|jābiya}})
| cistern
|-
| {{wikt-lang|mt|ġunġlien}}
| {{wikt-lang|scn|giuggiulena}}
| {{lang|ar|جلجلان|rtl=yes}} ({{transliteration|ar|juljulān}})
| sesame seed
|-
| {{wikt-lang|mt|sieqja}}
| {{wikt-lang|scn|saia}}
| {{lang|ar|ساقية|rtl=yes}} ({{transliteration|ar|sāqiya}})
| canal
|-
| {{wikt-lang|mt|kenur}}
| {{wikt-lang|scn|tannura}}
| {{lang|ar|تنور|rtl=yes}} ({{transliteration|ar|tannūr}})
| oven
|-
| {{wikt-lang|mt|żagħfran}}
| {{wikt-lang|scn|zaffarana}}
| {{lang|ar|زعفران|rtl=yes}} ({{transliteration|ar|zaʿfarān}})
| [[saffron]]
|-
| {{wikt-lang|mt|żahra}} (less common than {{wikt-lang|mt|fjura}}, borrowed from Sicilian)
| {{wikt-lang|scn|zagara}}
| {{lang|ar|زهرة|rtl=yes}} ({{transliteration|ar|zahra}})
| blossom
|-
| {{wikt-lang|mt|żbib}}
| {{wikt-lang|scn|zibbibbu}}
| {{lang|ar|زبيب|rtl=yes}} ({{transliteration|ar|zabīb}})
| raisins
|-
| {{wikt-lang|mt|zokk}} (borrowed through Sicilian)
| {{wikt-lang|scn|zuccu}}
| {{lang|ar|ساق|rtl=yes}} ({{transliteration|ar|sāq}})
| tree trunk
|-
| {{wikt-lang|mt|tebut}}
| {{wikt-lang|scn|tabbutu}}
| {{lang|ar|تابوت|rtl=yes}} ({{transliteration|ar|tābūt}})
| coffin
|}

The Maltese language has merged many of the original Arabic consonants (in particular the [[emphatic consonant]]s) with others common to European languages. Thus, original [[Arabic language|Arabic]] {{IPA|/d/}}, {{IPA|/ð/}}, and {{IPA|/dˤ/}} all merged into Maltese {{IPA|/d/}}. The vowels, meanwhile, separated from the three in Classical Arabic ({{IPA|/a i u/}}) into five, as is more typical of many European languages ({{IPA|/a ɛ i o u/}}). Some unstressed short vowels have been elided. The common Arabic greeting {{transliteration|ar|as salāmu 'alaykum}} is cognate with {{lang|mt|is-sliem għalikom}} in Maltese (lit. "the peace for you", peace be with you), as are similar greetings in other Semitic languages (e.g. {{lang|he-Latn|shalom ʿalekhem}} in [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]]).