Contatti linguistici e sociolinguistici rispecchiati nel maltese di oggi

Abstract

This contribution provides a description of Maltese from a perspective of language contact: this language, in fact, reflects the history of the Maltese islands and the various permutations that have characterised it. Language contact is described and investigated through the lens of the lexicon and morphology, and focuses mainly on the Italo-Romance strata of Maltese. In the second part of the contribution, some sociolinguistic considerations are outlined, especially in relation to Italian in Malta today, where the increasing number of Italian migrants has led to new milieus in which this language is used.