The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #24992   Message #700323
Posted By: Wilfried Schaum
29-Apr-02 - 08:23 AM
Thread Name: Lyr Req: Ladino Songs
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ladino Songs
In discussing the structures of both Jewish language families the term "macaronic" should be avoided.
We have the Eastern Jewish language, Ashkenazi (= Yidddish), and Western Jewish, Sephardi (= Ladino).
The basic grammatical structures of both languages are Spanish and German; instead of a part of the nouns and verbs Hebrew expressions are used, but transformed in their pronounciation to the average Spanish or German usage. This may sound funny to stranger's ears, but nevertheless it is the way of the recipient language.
Note that the invariables of the respective languages, i. e. prepositions, adverbs and paricles remain Spanish or German and are not substituted by their Hebrew correspondents.
Both languages preserve the state of late medieval Spanish and Middle High German.
In Germany the term "macaronic" is used for a certain kind of academic funny poetry only, where nouns of a foreign language are imported and transformed to the needs of the receiving language.
Fine German example: Nachtwaechteri veniunt cum spiessibus atque laternis, which could sound in English: Nightwatcheri veniunt cum spearibus atque lanternis (Night watchers are coming with spears and lanterns)
In both European Jewish languages a macaronic effect is not intended, but it is the way the languages are working.

Wilfried