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Copyright

Michael Cooperson;

Published On

2025-01-31

Page Range

pp. 75–108

Language

  • English

Print Length

34 pages

Al-Shidyāq’s Account of the Maltese Language: An Annotated Translation

  • Michael Cooperson (author)
This annotated translation presents Faris al-Shidyaq’s nineteenth-century account of the Maltese language. AL-Shidyaq, a Lebanese man of letters, describes Maltese as an Arabic dialect, dismissing the then-current claim that it is descended from Punic. He points out cases where the language preserves words and structures that have disappeared, or taken different forms, in other Arabic dialectsDespite borrowing extensively from Italian and other European languages, Maltese retains significant Arabic elements, including classical usages and dialectal parallels.

The account initially dismisses Maltese as a "corrupt" version of Arabic, but gradually acknowledges its resilience and linguistic intricacies. It highlights the adaptability of Maltese speakers, who integrate foreign words seamlessly into their native linguistic patterns, demonstrating the dynamic nature of language evolution. The narrative critiques the lack of scholarly or literary works in Maltese and explores the cultural reasons for the reluctance of its speakers to embrace classical Arabic, despite the shared linguistic heritage.

The discussion sheds light on broader themes of linguistic identity, the impact of colonization, and the evolution of vernacular languages in response to historical and social pressures. It emphasizes the power of language to endure and adapt despite external influences, noting how Maltese has survived successive attempts to suppress it. This study provides valuable insights into the historical interplay between Maltese and Arabic, offering a nuanced perspective on linguistic resilience, cultural identity, and the intersection of language and modernization in the Mediterranean region.

Contributors

Michael Cooperson

(author)
Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures at University of California, Los Angeles

Michael Cooperson (Ph.D. Harvard 1994) has been teaching in the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures at UCLA since 1995. His research addresses the literary and cultural history of Southwest Asia in the pre-modern period, primarily through Arabic sources. His first two monographs focus on the early Abbasid period. He is the translator of Ibn al-Jawzi's hagiographic Life of Ibn Hanbal (winner of the Sheikh Hamad Award, 2016) and of al-Hariri's comical Impostures (winner of the Sheikh Zayed Award, 2021). His other interests include Maltese language and literature. In 2016 he received the Malta Historical Society Publication Award for Established Authors for a study of al-Himyari's account of the island's early history.