I think it's fascinating that the Maltese language is not an Indo-European language like the vast majority of European languages, but is a Semitic language more akin to Hebrew and Arabic. Despite this difference, it seems that Malta has mostly been inside the European cultural sphere. Did mainland Europeans take much notice of this difference, or comment on their strange tongue, or did they just think of them as another European island? Did opinions change after linguistic knowledge about Maltese grew?
To add on to this, are the Arabic influences entirely caused by the time the island spent under Muslim control, or was their language divergent from what was spoken in Sicily even before the Arab conquests?
Just worth noting that the language is perhaps around 60% Semitic and the rest romance or loan words from Italian, English and French. Core grammar and number system being Semitic. Each time borrowing words from their colonial masters. Malta as an island was strategically important when sailing was the best mode of long distance transport having many deep water harbours and roughly centred in the Mediterranean. Having been ruled under various European kingdoms this has perhaps given the inhabitants and many visitors the feeling that Malta is well integrated into European culture. In fact, many indigenous Maltese have had Italian first names and are Roman Catholics since at least the 12th century when it was owned/ruled by the Kingdom of Sicily. Even having been an English colony until relatively recently the official language was Italian until the 1930s. Today, most Maltese can speak English and many also speak Italian as fluent second languages. Cuisine has a very Italian feel to if with some North African influences. Another interesting island nearby is Lampedusa.