Int lil min thobb?

Prudence Hone wrote this Malta commentary for the Guardian in August:

Int lil min thobb? asks the Maltese health service poster, showing a crying baby next to an overflowing ashtray. Malti, a Semitic language that sounds like a gentler, less guttural Turkish, apparently only began to be used for literary purposes in the 17th century, which might explain why it is convoluted and impenetrable to foreigners: it grew wildly, without primers or grammar to confine it.

The assimilated ad-ons from Mediterranean neighbours are easy to spot - bonswa for "good evening", grazzi for "thank you", merhaba for "welcome"; but where does jekk joghgbok (please) come from? Not that this matters to the visitor; most Maltese speak perfect English and often Italian too. But while there isn't a long literary tradition, the culture and civilisation stretch back into prehistory. The Maltese were carving rock chambers and gigantic mother-earth figures when the ancient Britons were probably daubing themselves with woad. The Hypogeum, a World Heritage site, is thought to be about 5,000 years old

The village of Marsaxlokk on the southern coast is still filled with blue and yellow fishing boats, each with a painted "eye of Osiris" on the prow to ward off evil spirits. Even in a devoutly Catholic society, there's no harm in a little extra insurance. Men still sit under awnings, mending their nets. The free port and container terminal, tucked out of sight of the old harbour, has provided a boost to local employment and the economy. Public transport is vital to the island. The yellow buses that circle the Triton fountain terminus in Floriana, below Valetta's honey-coloured stone bastions of St James and St John, range from the moderately comfortable to the cardboard-panelled bizarre. However, they work and they're cheap. They also boast names, painted on to the ceiling above the driver's head. The 27 to Tarxien was called "Norbert".

A short Malta Guide from the Guardian

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