After exploring why Maltese is one of the world’s most unique languages, Oliver Oxford is back with another video featuring Maltese linguist Kurt Rumbajsa, this time taking a closer look at how the language has been shaped by centuries of foreign influence. In the latest video, Kurt explains how Maltese, while fundamentally a Semitic language, has absorbed vocabulary from Sicilian, Italian and English over hundreds of years. Using everyday examples, he breaks down how historical events, from Arab rule to the Knights of St John and the British period, left a lasting mark on the words Maltese people use today.