Encyclopedia of Jews in the Islamic World

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Judeo-Spanish
(4,694 words)

1. History and Linguistic Description

Judeo-Spanish, also known as Judezmo in the former Ottoman Empire and as Ḥaketía in the Maghreb, is a Jewish language that arose in medieval Spain through the contact between Jews, Ibero-Romance-speaking Spaniards, and Arabic-speaking Moors. It grew increasingly distinct after the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492, primarily as a result of borrowing from local languages in new areas of settlement. The earliest e…

Cite this page
Yaakov Bentolila and David Bunis, “Judeo-Spanish”, in: Encyclopedia of Jews in the Islamic World, Executive Editor Norman A. Stillman. Consulted online on 19 March 2024 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/1878-9781_ejiw_COM_0012390>
First published online: 2010
First print edition: ISBN: 978900417678, 3154



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