Wirt Ghawdex is organising a public talk on The Making of the Maltese Language today at 6.30pm, in the hall of the Gozo Ministry, Pjazza San Frangisk, Victoria Gozo.

The speaker for this occasion is Dr Joe Zammit-Ciantar, lecturer of Maltese with the University of Malta Junior College. In his talk, Dr Zammit-Ciantar gives a short history of Maltese, today the national language of Malta, and one of the working languages of the European Union. Maltese is a living national heritage. It is a mixed language – a reflection of the colourful history, and the result of the vicissitudes the inhabitants and the language they used experienced through time.

The geographical size and position of the Maltese archipelago itself, far away from the European mainland in the north, but particularly from the Arabic speaking countries of North Africa in the south, have helped in the eventual emergence, or perhaps more appropriately, the transformation and making, of the Maltese language from an Arabic dialect into a language by itself. This talk gives a general idea of the political, historical, and linguistic background which helped this process, especially along the last millennium.

The lecture will be given in English, and is open to members of Wirt Ghawdex, as well as to students who are preparing to sit for exams at Intermediate and Advanced levels with the University of Malta, and to the general public.

For further information please contact Giovanni on 7956 1947 or [email protected]