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Although everyone speaks perfect English, Maltese is the national language of the country. Look closely at placards and signage, and you’ll notice the language’s origins. It’s Siculo-Arabic (Sicilian Arabic), which evolved between the 9th through the 14th century. About half the words are derived from Sicilian/Italian, and a third are Arabic, spelled with Latin letters. The remaining bits are a mix of French and English.

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