Looking for expert Maltese translation services? Since 2003, Green Crescent has been delivering professional translation services between English and Maltese to clients globally. We specialize in various industries, including legal, business, tourism, and cultural sectors. Our team ensures accurate, high-quality translations tailored to your specific needs. Get a fast, free Maltese translation quote today!
Our Comprehensive Maltese Translation Services
Green Crescent’s skilled team of Maltese translators includes subject matter experts for industry-specific needs. Our translations adhere to the standard dialect of Maltese, known as "Standard Maltese," which is based on the variety spoken in the capital, Valletta.
We specialize in both English to Maltese and Maltese to English translations, offering the following services:
Simple Translation
Our simple translations in the English/Maltese language pair are designed for basic communication needs. These translations are completed by a single Maltese translator without the involvement of an editor or proofreader, and therefore should not be considered final or polished work for most professional or formal use cases. While they are typically of high quality, simple translations are essentially "rough drafts" that do not go through additional editing, proofreading, or other quality control processes. These translations are ideal for personal letters, informal communications, initial drafts that will later be revised, or for situations where you need to quickly understand the general meaning or "gist" of a Maltese text.
Standard Translation (TEP)
Our Standard Maltese Translation service is designed to provide high-quality translations for everyday use, including business correspondence, websites, reports, presentations, and similar content. This service includes translation, editing, and proofreading (TEP) to ensure the highest level of accuracy and clarity in your Maltese communications.
Organization Critical Translation (TEP+)
Our Organization Critical Maltese Translation service is designed for situations where perfection is essential. This option is recommended for texts intended for large-scale printing, technical documents, legal contracts and patents, medical documents, or any case where an error could be critical or costly. Each translated line is reviewed by a minimum of three linguists, with multiple rounds of proofreading. Subject matter experts (SMEs) may be involved as needed throughout the Maltese translation, editing, and proofreading (TEP) process.
Bilingual Editing
Bilingual Editing for Maltese Translation is the process of editing a translated text by comparing both the source and target texts in the English/Maltese language pair. The editor, fluent in the source language and a native speaker of Maltese, ensures that the translation is accurate, consistent, and faithful to the source text while also maintaining clarity and fluency in Maltese. This step occurs after the initial translation in our TEP (Translation, Editing, Proofreading) Organization Critical and Standard Translation services. We also offer this service as a standalone option for translations completed by individuals or organizations not affiliated with Green Crescent.
Proofreading
With each additional round of editing and proofreading, the error rate of a document approaches the perfection horizon. Our proofreading service for English to Maltese and Maltese to English translations involves reviewing a single-language text to identify and correct surface-level errors, such as spelling mistakes, grammar issues, punctuation errors, and formatting inconsistencies. This step is the final phase in our TEP (Translation, Editing, Proofreading) Organization Critical and Standard translation services. We also offer proofreading as a standalone service for translations completed by individuals or organizations not affiliated with Green Crescent.
Legal Translation
Green Crescent's elite team of linguists, each with subject matter expertise in specialized legal fields, is ready to assist you with the translation of a wide range of judicial, administrative, and private legal documents between Maltese and English. Nearly all countries recognize that submitting documents for translation does not compromise attorney-client privilege. Furthermore, we can implement enhanced security measures to ensure strict confidentiality upon request.
Technical Translation
Technical translations involve any text that features specialized vocabulary or language registers, necessitating additional research and terminology verification. Common technical subject matter includes legal, medical, scientific, engineering, and IT topics, but any text that utilizes industry-specific terminology or neologisms may be considered technical in nature. These translations cannot be executed by generalists alone; they require the expertise of linguists with in-depth knowledge of the relevant technical field in both Maltese and English.
Medical Translation
Green Crescent has established protocols to ensure compliance with HIPAA and HITECH regulations, which you can learn more about here. Our Maltese medical translations are treated as "organization critical," unless otherwise specified, and we are committed to implementing the necessary digital security measures and legal safeguards for every project subject to HIPAA and HITECH requirements. Our team of skilled linguists, specialized in medical terminology, ensures that your translations are both accurate and secure.
Localization
Our translation services are tailored for specific target markets that require non-standard varieties or dialects of the Maltese language. Green Crescent is equipped to accommodate requests for localized Maltese translation, ensuring that your content resonates with the intended audience. Our experienced linguists are well-versed in the nuances of Maltese, allowing us to provide translations that are not only accurate but also culturally relevant and engaging. By focusing on the unique linguistic characteristics of Maltese, we help you effectively connect with your audience and enhance the impact of your message.
Website, App, and Software Localization for Maltese
At Green Crescent, we leverage our extensive experience in software development to provide specialized Maltese localization services. We excel in adapting your website, app, or software’s content, design, and functionality for Maltese-speaking audiences. Whether you need a fully multilingual solution or specific adaptations for Maltese, our services encompass translating text, adjusting images, and modifying layouts. We also adapt and program code for both mobile and desktop applications, ensuring that your app functions seamlessly across Maltese-speaking regions while adhering to platform-specific guidelines. Let us help you create an engaging and culturally relevant experience for your Maltese-speaking users.
Back-translation
Back-translation is often a crucial component of the quality control process, particularly when translating highly technical documents or for critical translations in the Maltese/English language pair where an error could have significant consequences. This process involves an independent linguist translating a previously translated text back into its original source language—either Maltese or English—without reference to the original document. The resulting text is then compared to the original translation to verify its intelligibility, accuracy, and suitability for its intended use. Back-translation is also relevant in situations such as the translation of legal documents, medical texts, and marketing materials, where precise wording is essential. It can be particularly beneficial when adapting content for different cultural contexts, ensuring that the intended message is preserved and resonates appropriately with the target audience in both Maltese and English.
Peer Review
Green Crescent offers professional focus group services that include a comprehensive "read-through" conducted by one or more linguists who were not involved in the original translation process. This approach allows for an unbiased assessment of the translation's quality, style, and overall fitness for its intended purpose. The focus group can evaluate various aspects of the text, including linguistic accuracy, cultural relevance, and the effectiveness of the messaging in reaching the target audience. Feedback is provided on how well the translation conveys the original intent and nuances of the source material, ensuring that it resonates with readers in both Maltese and English contexts.
SME Review
Subject Matter Expert (SME) review is a specialized form of peer review conducted by non-linguist professionals with deep expertise in specific fields. This process is particularly important for Maltese to English or English to Maltese translations of highly technical texts, ensuring that the content is both linguistically accurate and technically precise. In fields such as legal, medical, scientific, and engineering, SMEs help verify the correct use of industry-specific terminology, adherence to regulatory or technical standards, and the contextual relevance of the translated material. By incorporating SME review into the translation process, we ensure that your final product is not only fluent and culturally appropriate but also technically sound and ready for professional use in both Maltese- and English-speaking markets.
Transcreation
Our Maltese Transcreation Service goes beyond simple translation by creatively adapting your content to resonate with Maltese-speaking audiences. At Green Crescent, we ensure that your brand’s messages, campaigns, and communications maintain their original intent, emotional impact, and tone, while aligning with the cultural and linguistic nuances of the target market. Whether it’s marketing, branding, or advertising, we reimagine your content to feel authentic and compelling in Maltese, helping your brand connect meaningfully and effectively with Maltese-speaking audiences.
MTPE-Full (Machine Translation Post-Editing - Full)
MTPE-Full (Machine Translation Post-Editing - Full) refers to the comprehensive post-editing of a machine-translated text between Maltese and English, ensuring the final product meets the highest standards of linguistic quality. In this process, once the machine generates the translation, a skilled human editor thoroughly reviews the entire content, ensuring that it is not only accurate in meaning but also flows naturally and fluently in the target language. This detailed editing process includes correcting grammar, syntax, and terminology, adapting the text for the intended audience, and ensuring it adheres to any stylistic preferences or regulatory requirements. MTPE-Full is suitable for business-critical texts where precision and quality are paramount.
MTPE-Light (Machine Translation Post-Editing - Light)
MTPE-Light (Machine Translation Post-Editing - Light) is a more streamlined version of post-editing, designed for situations where speed and cost-efficiency are prioritized over linguistic perfection. In this process, the human editor focuses primarily on fixing major errors and ensuring that the overall meaning of the machine-translated text is clear and understandable in the target language (Maltese or English). While MTPE-Light may not deliver a translation that is fully polished or ready for publication, it provides an efficient and cost-effective solution for internal documents, reports, and communications where basic comprehension is sufficient.
Additional Language Services and Options for Maltese
Certified Translation
Green Crescent provides certified translations of a wide range of legal documents, including birth, marriage, and death certificates, diplomas, school transcripts, passports, and much more, in both Maltese and English. Our certified translations are recognized for their accuracy and compliance with legal standards, making them suitable for official use. You can receive hard copies of our standard certificate of translation mailed directly to your home or business.
Rush Service
If you require expedited service, Green Crescent can usually accommodate such requests. However, please note that rushing translations often comes with trade-offs, which may affect both price and consistency. Please consult with a project manager for more details.
Discounts
Volume discounts are available for large projects, long-term clients, and for non-profits, charities, NGOs, and government organizations.
Minimum Fee
There is a minimum project fee of $75.00 USD per language, which can be reduced or waived for regular clients.
Additional Language Services
In addition to translation, Green Crescent offers a range of other Maltese language services, including interpretation, transcription, website design and development, and desktop publishing.
About the Maltese Language
Maltese, known locally as "Malti," is the national language of Malta and one of the country’s official languages, alongside English. With approximately 500,000 speakers, Maltese is unique as the only Semitic language that uses the Latin script. It is closely related to Arabic, particularly the Maghrebi dialects of North Africa, but has been heavily influenced by Italian, particularly Sicilian, as well as English, making it a hybrid language with a distinctive identity.
The Cultural Context, History, and Linguistic Features of Maltese
Maltese has a fascinating linguistic history that reflects Malta’s position as a crossroads of civilizations. The language evolved from Siculo-Arabic, a dialect of Arabic that was spoken in Sicily and Malta between the 9th and 13th centuries. Over the centuries, as Malta came under various influences from European powers, Maltese absorbed elements from Italian, especially during the period when Malta was under the rule of the Kingdom of Sicily, and later from English during British rule.
Today, Maltese remains a living testimony to Malta’s multicultural heritage. It retains its Semitic roots in its grammar and core vocabulary, but many words related to culture, law, technology, and administration come from Italian or English. This mixture makes Maltese a unique linguistic case in the European context, and one of the most interesting languages for translation and linguistic study.
The Writing System: Latin Script
Maltese is written using the Latin alphabet, consisting of 30 letters. It is the only Semitic language that uses the Latin script as its standard writing system. Maltese has several letters and digraphs that represent sounds not found in most European languages, giving it a distinctive appearance when written.
Vowels and Consonants: Maltese has five vowel sounds (a, e, i, o, u) and several consonants that reflect its Semitic roots, such as "għ" and "ħ," which represent sounds that don’t exist in most Romance or Germanic languages. The pronunciation of these letters plays a key role in maintaining the proper sound and rhythm of the language.
Maltese Alphabet
The Maltese alphabet includes the following letters:
- Vowels: A, a, E, e, I, i, O, o, U, u
- Consonants: B, b, Ċ, ċ, D, d, F, f, Ġ, ġ, G, g, Għ, għ, H, h, Ħ, ħ, J, j, K, k, L, l, M, m, N, n, P, p, Q, q, R, r, S, s, T, t, V, v, W, w, X, x, Z, z, Ż, ż
Key Linguistic Differences Between Maltese and English for Translation
Several important linguistic differences must be considered when translating between Maltese and English:
Semitic Grammar Structure: Maltese follows a Semitic root-based grammatical structure, which is very different from English’s Indo-European system. In Maltese, many words are built from three-consonant roots, which are altered through various patterns to form different meanings. This root-based system can make translating nuanced concepts between Maltese and English more complex, as English does not have a comparable system.
Italian and English Loanwords: While Maltese grammar is Semitic, a significant portion of its vocabulary comes from Italian and English. Legal, scientific, and technical terms often have direct cognates in Italian or English, which can simplify translation in some areas but complicate it in others, especially when distinguishing between similar-sounding words with different meanings.
Word Order and Verb Placement: Maltese typically follows a Verb-Subject-Object (VSO) structure, while English uses Subject-Verb-Object (SVO). This difference in sentence structure requires careful adjustment during translation to ensure sentences are both accurate and natural in the target language.
Definite Articles and Pronouns: Maltese uses definite articles that change based on the first letter of the following word, and personal pronouns can be attached to verbs, prepositions, and nouns. Translating these elements requires a deep understanding of the rules of usage in both languages to maintain grammatical accuracy.
By addressing these linguistic differences, Green Crescent ensures that translations between Maltese and English are both precise and culturally sensitive, reflecting the complex nature of this hybrid language.
An Insight into Maltese Expression
This passage is from L-Istorja ta' Malta by Manwel Dimech, first published in the early 20th century. This iconic work is a cornerstone of Maltese literature, offering a profound reflection on the challenges of life, national identity, and the resilience of the Maltese people.
- Maltese: "F’nofs id-dlam u l-maltemp, il-bniedem irid iġorr it-torċa tad-determinazzjoni biex isib id-dawl veru."
- English Translation: "In the midst of darkness and storms, one must carry the torch of determination to find the true light."