Haketia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Haketia (also written as Hakitia or Haquitía) is a largely extinct Jewish-Moroccan language, also known as Djudeo Spañol or Ladino Occidental (western Ladino), that was spoken on the Northeast coast of Morocco and the Spanish town of Melilla where it has achieved partial official recognition. During the Spanish protectorate of northern Morocco in the early twentieth century, the Jews of this region largely abandoned Haketia in favour of standard Spanish.
[edit] Description
The well-known form of Ladino, as formerly spoken by Jews living in the Balkans, Greece, Turkey and Jerusalem, is "Ladino Oriental" (eastern Ladino). Haketia may be described by contrast as "Ladino Occidental". The language is a mix of old Spanish, Hebrew, and Arabic words. It was originally written using Hebrew letters. There is some cultural resemblance between the two Judaeo-Spanish dialect communities, including a rich shared stock of Romanzas (songs) from medieval Spain, though both words and music often differ in detail (as indeed they do between one Oriental-Sephardic community and another).
The name "Haketia" derived from the Arabic ħaka حكى, "tell", and is therefore pronounced with aspirated "H", reflecting the Arabic guttural "ħa". In some places it is written "Jaquetía" with the same pronunciation.
Haketia is considered to have influenced Llanito, the creole language spoken in the British dependent territory of Gibraltar.
[edit] Small vocabulary
- Ada — Tradition.
- Adafina — Jewish-Moroccan dish with cold cuts.
- Ainará — Evil eye (from the Hebrew עין הרע.)
- Alboronia or almoronia — Jewish-Moroccan dish made with eggplant, onions and shredded chicken.
- Bienmesabe — Lit. "Tastes good to me"; a kind of sponge cake.
- Boril — A bore.
- Caído de mazal, demudado del mazal, enfollinado del mazal, kefreado del mazal — All meaning bad luck.
- Chamor, Chamorice — Dumb, dumbness! (From Hebrew Chamor (חמור)- Donkey)
- Chará, Charear — Shit, and to shit (taboo).
- Chadrear — To speak.
- De las castas se traen las reinas — From father to son.
- Dichoso, desdichado — Lucky, unlucky.
- El Dio te jadee de malos caminos — God protect you on your wandering.
- Esso no hamlea a nadie — This guy doesn't like anybody.
- Estar em Alef Beit — I'm beginning.
- Jajmear - To think.
- Fecnear — Pay attention.
- Guezerá — Calamity.
- Guezerá negra — Big calamity.
- Hacer kabot — To honor. (From the Hebrew Kavod כבוד )
- Josmin — With a poor appearance, kitsch.
- Maklear - To eat.
- Mano de refuá — Healing gift.
- Matena yado — Anything you may give.
- Me telfié el camino — I made a mistake.
- Mejorado cien años — May you live to 100.
- Meshquin, Meshquina — Poor soul. Form the Hebrew Misken מיסכן )
- Negro mazal — Bad luck. (Spanish black (negro), hebrew Mazal מזל= luck )
- No sepamos del mal ! - about a very bad thing, means "May we be protected from such evil!"
- Pescado cocho — Cooked fish, the Jewish-Moroccan way.
- Quebrar o cortar el taanit — Break the fast.
- Rabi Schimon! — Equivalent to “Oh my God!”
- Sachen, sachená — Man, woman. From the Hebrew Sachen (neighbor) שכן
- Sachor, sachorá — Black man, black woman.
- Safon safonear — Fart, to fart (taboo).
- Shufear — To pay attention.
- Su boca en la rogerá — Don't say evil things!
- Xaxo — Vagina (taboo).
- Wo por ti se haga — Damn you!
- Ya que estás ai, kadmei y merki — As you are here, help yourself.
