Rashi

Transliteration, Transcription and Adaptation of Ladino Texts written in Hebrew Letter

Abstract

An Aljamiado text, written in Rashi, can be transformed into Latin script in various ways. A transliteration could cling to the manner in which the original text was actually written. For example, ifa gimelwith rafe stands for either tch or dzh, a transliteration could respect this unique form and Latinize the text by use of a g, with something like a rafe. A transcription, on the other hand, has to show how the text is pronounced and should choose two different signs for tch and dzh. Also, certain aspects ofthe Aljamiado text require adaptation, as for example, the way sentence signs are used (virgula, point, two points etc.). An orthography is the normalized form ofwriting a text and often obeys historical conservatism like the French beau for [bo]. The Rashi text to be transformed into Latin script presents itself as an orthography, so [j] is normally given by lamed+yod+yod <ljj>, but sometimes by <jj>. A usual transcription would present a normalized notation ofphonetic values and could itselfbe a phonetic/phonologic symbolization, but could also be a conventional orthography, like that ofAki Yerushalayim. The choice of adequate symbols evidently depends on the adressees ofthe Latinized text and their customs ofreading. The system presented by I. Hassan in order to Latinize Rashi texts adopts a Hispanization ofthe basic form ofthe words, indicating the special Sephardic aspects of pronounciation by means of diacritica. The writing of words unknown to Spanish can only be conventional. An anthology of Latinized Rashi texts planned by Michael (Studemund) Halevy -should be made in a way that allows the different graphic devices in the original text to be reconstructed, see above the case of[j], so that it would be possible to reconstruct a history ofwriting aljamiado texts in Rashi.