JudaeoSpanish

JudaeoSpanish, also known as Ladino or Judezmo, is a Romance language that developed from Old Spanish spoken by Sephardic Jews who were expelled from Spain in 1492. These communities settled in various parts of the Ottoman Empire, North Africa, and later in Western Europe and the Americas. The language retained many archaic features of Castilian Spanish while also incorporating vocabulary and linguistic influences from the languages of their new homelands, such as Turkish, Greek, Arabic, and French.

Ladino was primarily a spoken language, used in homes, marketplaces, and religious contexts. It also developed a written tradition, often employing Hebrew script for its orthography, though Latin script was also used. A rich body of literature, including religious texts, poetry, proverbs, and popular tales, exists in Ladino. The language played a crucial role in maintaining Sephardic cultural identity and transmitting traditions across generations.

Due to historical events such as the Holocaust and assimilation, the number of native Ladino speakers has declined significantly. However, there are ongoing efforts to preserve and revitalize the language through cultural initiatives, academic research, and digital resources. These efforts aim to ensure that the unique linguistic and cultural heritage of the Ladino-speaking Sephardic communities is not lost.