Judeo-Roman language
 | You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in Italian. (December 2023) Click [show] for important translation instructions.
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| Judeo-Roman | |
|---|---|
| Giudeo-Romanesco (Italian) ג'ודיו רומן (Hebrew) | |
| Native to | Italy, Israel |
| Ethnicity | Italian Jews |
Native speakers | 200 in Italy 250 in total (2022) |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | – |
Judeo-Roman (Italian: Giudaico-Romanesco) or Italkit is the only still living dialect of the Judeo-Italian languages, historically used by the Jews living in Rome.[1] It is spoken by 250 people, most of whom live in Italy. The language is on the decline and most of its remaining speakers are elderly.[1] There are efforts to preserve the language and keep it from extinction.[2]
History[edit]
Judeo-Roman, like other Jewish languages, emerged due to the Jews of Rome being isolated in the Rome Ghetto, on order of the Pope.[3] The language declined as Jews were emancipated and Roman Jews switched to the Roman dialect of Italian.
Younger Italian Jews are attempting to preserve the language.[2]
Vocabulary[edit]
Judeo-Roman has at least 360 Hebrew words and phrases in it. Many of these were used to conceal what the users were saying from Christians.[2] examples include:
| Judeo-Roman[3] | Root Hebrew Word[3] | English[3] |
|---|---|---|
| Kadosc Baruchù | Kadosh Baruch Hu | Holy blessed be he |
| Caròvve | Karov | Close relative |
| Mangkòdde | Ma’ot | Money |
| Ngesa’vve | ‘Esav | Christian/Christians |
Grammar[edit]
Judeo-Italian has several letter shifts that differentiate it from standard Italian these include:[1]
E to I (ex. Detto to Ditto)
 | This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. The specific problem is: "I to E (ex. Quelli to Quella)": It's E but Quella. (April 2024) |
I to E (ex. Quelli to Quella)
L to R (ex. Quarcuno to Qualcuno)
It also contains several vowel shifts and other changes:
Loss of initial volwels (opure to pure)
Loss of final consonant (con to co')
Contractions (ditte to dir ti)
Archaisms (di te to d'oo ti)
In media[edit]
Plays[edit]
A theater group called Chaimme 'a sore 'o sediaro e 'a moje (Chaim, the sister, the chairmaker and the wife) makes plays in Judeo-Roman.[4]
Writing[edit]
There is a collection of poems written by Crescenzo del Monte from 1908 and republished in 2007[1] in Judeo Roman.[5] These works include The sonnets of Crescenzo del Monte.
Internet[edit]
Several Youtube videos have been posted in Judeo-Roman.[1]
Sample text[edit]
| Judeo-Roman[1] | English[1] |
|---|---|
| Jorno | Day |
| Capeto | Understood |
| Ar | At the |
| Letigate | Fight |
| Gniente | Nothing |
| Quarcuno | Someone |
| Quarche | Some |
| Aremane | To remain |
| Kadosc Baruchù | Holy blessed be he |
| Judeo-Roman[2] | English |
|---|---|
| Due donne sono sedute vicino alla pasticceria del Portico d’Ottavia, Settimia e Fiorella.
Come pretenni che fieto parli bene ancora un ajo capeto, tu e mariteto tutto o jorno, ‘o sento io, che letigate in giudaico Romanesco. te sbai Settì ce stamo attenti, da retta a me, me devi da crede ‘o stamo proprio a fa pe lui, un volemo che viè sù che i ngaciri dicheno che è uno de piazza. |
Two women are seated near the pastry shop at the Portico d’Ottavia, [their names are] Settimia and Fiorella
How you can pretend that your son speaks well, I still don't understand. You and your husband all day — I heard it myself, that you quarrel in Giudaico-Romanesco. You are mistaken Settì, we are careful. Listen to me, you have to believe me, we are specifically doing it for him. I don't want him to grow up so that the rich [people] say that he is one from the Piazza [the Ghetto]. |
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e f g "Judeo-Italian". Jewish Languages. Retrieved 2023-12-14.
- ^ a b c d L. De Benedetti, Jana (1997). DABBERA IN SCIONACCODESCE (SPEAK GIUDAICO-ROMANESCO): KEEPING THE JEWISH-ROMAN DIALECT ALIVE (Thesis). Albany, New York State: College of Arts and Sciences Linguistics and Philosophy.
- ^ a b c d "OVERVIEW OF GIUDAICO-ROMANESCO A. GIUDAICO-ROMANESCO AS LANGUAGE OR DIALECT" (PDF). images.shulcloud.com. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
- ^ "Judeo-Italian: Italian Dialect or Jewish Language?". www.jochnowitz.net. Retrieved 2023-12-16.
- ^ CoşKun, Altay; Engels, David, eds. (2019-04-02). Rome and the Seleukid East: Selected Papers from Seleukid Study Day V, Brussels, 21-23 August 2015. Vol. 360. Peeters Publishers. doi:10.2307/j.ctv1q26ncx.17. ISBN 978-90-429-3928-8. JSTOR j.ctv1q26ncx. S2CID 242733282.