In modern standard Italian spelling, only Latin words, proper nouns (such as Jesi, Letojanni, Juventus etc.) or those borrowed from foreign languages have . Until the 19th century, was used instead of in diphthongs, as a replacement for final "-ii", and in vowel groups (as in "Savoja"); this rule was quite strict in official writing. is also used to render in dialectal spelling, "e.g." Romanesco dialect (garlic; cf. Italian "aglio" ). The Italian novelist Luigi Pirandello used in vowel groups in his works written in Italian; he also wrote in his native Sicilian language, which still uses the letter to represent (and sometimes also or [gj, depending on its environment). The Maltese language is a Semitic language, not a Romance language; but has been deeply influenced by them (especially Sicilian) and it uses for the sound /j/ (cognate of the Semitic "yod").