This thesis identifies, compiles, transcribes, translates and analyses a previously unidentified corpus of literature: the Judeo-Spanish testimonies in the responsa of the sixteenth century. The main body of the thesis, the third chapter, presents a copy of each original text covering eighty-four responsa, a transcription into Latin characters, a translation into English and relevant notes mainly on the language. An evaluation of the relevant secondary literature is incorporated in Chapters I and 4. The first chapter discusses the aims of the thesis and also presents an overview of the responsa literature in the context of the sixteenth-century Ottoman Empire. The value of the Judeo-Spanish testimonies in terms of the insight they offer into the society, economy and religion of sixteenth-century Ottoman Jewry is described. The second chapter explains my research techniques, including problems encountered and decisions taken. It also lists the respondents, with brief bibliographic details, and the responsa in which Judeo-Spanish has been found. The chapter contains a guide to the transcription system used in the thesis that indicates the corresponding phonemes as well as the Spanish letters that represent each Hebrew graph. The last section in this chapter analyses the problems of textual transmission through the different editions. A discussion of the variations between the original and subsequent editions is presented through the examination of one sample text. The fourth chapter studies the Judeo-Spanish language employed in the responsa. The distinctive linguistic features of the language presented in the texts are described with reference to phonology, morphology and syntax. Borrowings by Judeo-Spanish from other languages are examined herewith and special attention is given to borrowings from Hebrew. The study of these texts from a linguistic perspective constitutes the main aim of the thesis.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:440495 |
| Date | January 2006 |
| Creators | Benaim, Annette |
| Publisher | SOAS, University of London |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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