Siculo-Arabic
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Siculo-Arabic | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spoken in | Emirate of Sicily and the island of Malta | |
| Total speakers | Substantially extinct in 14th century. Is the genetic ancestor of the Maltese language |
|
| Language family | Afro-Asiatic
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|
| Writing system | Arabic alphabet | |
| Official status | ||
| Official language in | none | |
| Regulated by | none | |
| Language codes | ||
| ISO 639-1 | None | |
| ISO 639-2 | – | |
| ISO 639-3 | sqr | |
| Note: This page may contain IPA phonetic symbols in Unicode. | ||
Siculo Arabic (or Sicilian Arabic) was a variety of Arabic spoken in Sicily and Malta between the ninth and the fourteenth centuries. It is extinct in Sicily, but developed into what is now the Maltese language on the islands of Malta.
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[edit] Arab conquest of Sicily
While there was an unsuccessful invasion of Sicily by Arabs in 652 AD, the successful Arabic conquest started in 827 at Mazara. By 878, all Sicily was conquered and Arabic was the language of the island's Muslim rulers until the mid-11th century when the Christian Normans began conquering the island. The Norman rulers tolerated and even encouraged Arabic, but after only a century the dynasty died out and its successor expelled the remaining Muslims in the 13th century.
Arabic influence is noticeable in hundreds of Sicilian words, most of which relate to agriculture and related activities, the practice of which survives today.
[edit] Maltese language
Although Siculo-Arabic died out in Sicily, it survived on Malta, with additional influences from Sicilian, Standard Italian, French, and more recently English.[1] Examples of surviving Siculo-Arabic vocabulary within the Maltese language include:
| Maltese | Siculo-Arabic | English |
|---|---|---|
| Bebbuxu | Babbaluciu | Snail |
| Kapunata | Caponata | Caponata |
| Qassata | Cassata | Sicilian cake |
| Ġiebja | Gebbia | Cistern |
| Ġunġlien | Giuggiulena | Sesame seed |
| Saqqajja | Saia | Canal |
| Kenur | Tanura | Oven |
| Żaffran | Zaffarana | Saffron |
| Zahar | Zagara | Blossom |
| Żbib | Zibbibbu | Raisins |
| Zokk | Zuccu | Tree trunk |
[edit] Notes
- ^ Brincat, Joseph M.: Maltese – an unusual formula MED Magazine; [2005-02]; retrieved on [2008-02-22]
[edit] References
- D.A. Agius. 1996. Siculo Arabic. Kegan Paul International. London.
- M. Amari. 1988. Biblioteka arabo-sicula, I-II. Accademia Nazionale di Scienze Lettere e Arti. Palermo.
- D.A. Agius, "Who Spoke Siculo Arabic?"
[edit] See also
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