Maltese is an official language of Malta alongside English and is descended from Siculo-Arabic.
Siculo-Arabic developed in Sicily and Malta after the Muslim conquest of Sicily began in 827. Although Arabic later disappeared from Sicily, the language continued evolving in Malta. Maltese is therefore the only Semitic language that is an official language of the European Union.
Maltese vocabulary reflects centuries of contact with other languages. Much of its core vocabulary has Arabic roots, while substantial numbers of words entered from Sicilian and Italian. English has also influenced modern Maltese, especially in technology, administration, and everyday life.
Maltese is written with a Latin-based alphabet. Its orthography includes letters such as ġ, għ, ħ, and ż, which help represent sounds specific to the language. It should not be confused with Standard Arabic, Sicilian, or Italian, even though Maltese has historical connections with all three.