Maltenglish
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Maltenglish—also called Minglish[1], Maltese English, Mixed Maltese English, or Maltingliż—refers to the phenomenon of code-switching between Maltese and English.[2]
While English is an official language of the Maltese Islands (along with the Maltese language—the native tongue), it is a second language. As a result, many Maltese switch back and forth or mix lexical aspects of Maltese and English while engaging in informal conversation or writing. In some case English words must be used as there is no word for them in Maltese (ex. Switch, Helicopter, Truck and various modern words)
In the past, this phenomenon used to be associated with the upper class and with Maltese people who worked with the British colonists, today this is no longer the case. Of late, however, Maltenglish has gained popularity in the islands of Malta and Gozo and at least a third of the population practices it regularly. [3]
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[edit] Examples
- "Tiha kiss il-mummy" (Give mummy a kiss) - an example of Maltenglish baby talk
[edit] Controversy
Maltenglish remains controversial. The Maltese people, proud of their identity, argue that Maltenglish is incorrect as there are no official linguistic standards governing its use.
[edit] References
- ^ Noemi Zarb, St Edward's College
- ^ http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=XDodTJ1B5AEC&pg=PA189&lpg=PA189&dq=code+switching+in+maltese&source=web&ots=IEVvuPYvu3&sig=qBS6Rsn_fvQ_3MUZ--DkGN2Y8iE&hl=en&ei=QHyQScrwMYzgMJD7gIwL&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result
- ^ Med Magazine - Maltese - An unusual formula
[edit] See also
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[edit] External links
Ignasi Badia i Capdevila, "A view of the linguistic situation in Malta", Noves SL: Revista de Sociolingüística (2004). [1]
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