Judeo-Roman
Giudeo-Romanesco (Italian) ג'ודיו רומן (Hebrew)
Native toItaly, Israel
EthnicityItalian Jews
Native speakers
200 in Italy 250 in total (2022)
Language codes
ISO 639-3–

Judeo-Roman (Italian: Giudaico-Romanesco) 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] But an effort to save the language exists.[2]

History

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

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

Judeo-Italian has several letter shifts that differentiate it from standard Italian these include:[1]

E to I (ex. Detto to Ditto)

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

Plays

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

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

Several Youtube videos have been posted in Judeo-Roman.[1]

Sample text

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

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Judeo-Italian". Jewish Languages. Retrieved 2023-12-14.
  2. 1 2 3 4 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.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "OVERVIEW OF GIUDAICO-ROMANESCO A. GIUDAICO-ROMANESCO AS LANGUAGE OR DIALECT" (PDF). images.shulcloud.com. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
  4. ↑ "Judeo-Italian: Italian Dialect or Jewish Language?". www.jochnowitz.net. Retrieved 2023-12-16.
  5. ↑ 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.
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