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Re: Merhaba (was: Re: Icelandic)

From:John Cowan <cowan@...>
Date:Sunday, January 11, 2004, 5:37
Trebor Jung scripsit:

> Maltese is _not_ a dialect of Arabic - it's a separate language! That's > like saying Estonian and Finnish are dialects... > > I just can't believe this... Maltese a dialect of Arabic (or anything > else)? Just totally unbelievable...
Maltese is well within the range of variation for Arabic colloquials. Nigerian and Chadic Arabic, for example, are much more remote from modern standard Arabic than Maltese is, especially if you neglect the large number of English and Italian loan words. The main reason Maltese is treated as a separate language is sociolinguistic: it doesn't use modern standard Arabic as its acrolect (for writing, formal speeches, etc.) -- John Cowan jcowan@reutershealth.com www.ccil.org/~cowan www.reutershealth.com "In the sciences, we are now uniquely privileged to sit side by side with the giants on whose shoulders we stand." --Gerald Holton