Maltenglish, also known as Manglish, Minglish, Maltese English, ' or refers to the phenomenon of
code-switching
In linguistics, code-switching or language alternation occurs when a speaker alternates between two or more languages, or language varieties, in the context of a single conversation or situation. Code-switching is different from plurilingualis ...
between
Maltese, a
Semitic language derived from
late medieval Sicilian Arabic with
Romance
Romance (from Vulgar Latin , "in the Roman language", i.e., "Latin") may refer to:
Common meanings
* Romance (love), emotional attraction towards another person and the courtship behaviors undertaken to express the feelings
* Romance languages, ...
superstrata, and
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
, an
Indo-European
The Indo-European languages are a language family native to the overwhelming majority of Europe, the Iranian plateau, and the northern Indian subcontinent. Some European languages of this family, English, French, Portuguese, Russian, Dutc ...
Germanic language.
Both Maltese and English are official languages in
Malta
Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
, and about 88% of the Maltese people can speak English as a second language. Various Maltese social groups switch back and forth between the two languages, or
macaronically mix lexical aspects of
Maltese and
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
while engaging in informal conversation or writing.
The term ''Maltenglish'' is first recorded in 2007. Other colloquial
portmanteau word
A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of words[loanword
A loanword (also loan word or loan-word) is a word at least partly assimilated from one language (the donor language) into another language. This is in contrast to cognates, which are words in two or more languages that are similar because t ...](_blank)
s in the Maltese language.
Prevalence
Recent studies have shown that code-switching is practiced by a third of the population in everyday discourse.
The most common areas where code-switching occurs is in part of the
Northern Harbour District
Malta is for non-local government purposes divided into districts as opposed to the local government localities. The three main types of such districts – statistical, electoral at national level, and policing – have no mainstream admin ...
, mainly in the towns of
Sliema
Sliema ( mt, Tas-Sliema ) is a town located on the northeast coast of Malta in the Northern Harbour District. It is a major residential and commercial area and a centre for shopping, bars, dining, and café life. It is also the most densely po ...
,
St. Julian's,
Pembroke,
Swieqi
Swieqi ( mt, Is-Swieqi) is a town in the Northern Region of Malta. It is a residential area just 15 minutes by bus from Sliema and within walking distance of Malta's nightlife and entertainment centres, Paceville and St. Julian's. As the town ...
,
Madliena
Madliena ( mt, Il-Madliena), formerly spelt Madalena, is an area in Swieqi, Malta, formerly part of the adjacent town of Għargħur.
Etymology
It takes its name from a chapel dedicated to St. Mary Magdalene, which was built in the area in 1490 ...
,
San Ġwann and
Kappara. These areas are sometimes stereotyped as .
Examples
While code switching in English sentences is most predominant in the
Northern Harbour District
Malta is for non-local government purposes divided into districts as opposed to the local government localities. The three main types of such districts – statistical, electoral at national level, and policing – have no mainstream admin ...
, code switching in a Maltese sentence is much more common throughout the country. This is usually because the Maltese word is not so well known or used. Examples include:
*the Maltese word for a mushroom is , but most people still tend to call it a ''mushroom'' in Maltese.
*the proper Maltese word for television is (as derived from Italian), but most people still call it a ''television'', for example ("I saw a film on television yesterday").
See also
*
Languages of Malta
*
Llanito
''Llanito'' or ''Yanito'' () is a form of Andalusian Spanish heavily laced with words from English and other languages, such as Ligurian; it is spoken in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. It is commonly marked by a great deal o ...
*
Żejtun dialect
*
Qormi dialect
One of the dialects of the Maltese language is the Qormi dialect. In Standard Maltese it is known as and by its speakers , and is affectionately known as , or in standard Maltese . Literally translated, is the Maltese word for 'you know'. This ...
References
External links
Ignasi Badia i Capdevila, "A view of the linguistic situation in Malta", ''Noves SL: Revista de Sociolingüística'' (2004)YouTube video on ''tal-pepé'' Maltese people with examples of MaltenglishMaltinglish - A dictionary of literal and silly Maltese to English translations
Code-switching
Macaronic forms of English
Maltese language
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