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Judeo-Italian

Teacher: Dr Marilena Colasuonno, University of Naples

Class Level: Beginners (basic knowledge of Biblical Hebrew required)

Class Schedule 2023-24: Mondays from 12:00-13:00 UK Time (you can check time-zone comparisons on sites such as this one)

Class Length: 3-term class (Michaelmas Term 2023-Trinity Term 2024) (Oxford dates of term are available on the University website)

Class Description: This course deals with Early or Literary Judeo-Italian (henceforth, EJI). Classes will introduce students to the study of orthography, phonology and the basic morphological and syntactic features for reading, analysing and translating (into English) simple EJI excerpts. The students will be encouraged to do a variety of language exercises based on the grammatical-translation approach, and to train in reading simple excerpts. In the last part of the course, special emphasis is put on the reading of the manuscripts in Hebrew script and comparing them with the Biblical Hebrew sources; therefore, a basic knowledge of Biblical Hebrew is recommended.

Reference Materials:
History of documentation:
-Rubin, Aaron D. 2015. ‘Judeo-Italian’. In Handbook of Jewish Languages, edited by Lily Kahn and Aaron D. Rubin, 298–363. Leiden, Boston: Brill.
Grammar and dictionary:
-Cuomo, Luisa. 1988. Una Traduzione Giudeo-Romanesca Del Libro Di Giona. Max Niemeyer. Tübingen.
-Freedman, Alan. 1972. Italian Texts in Hebrew Characters: Problems of Interpretation. Mainzer Romanistische Arbeiten—Band VIII—Italian Texts in Hebrew Characters: Problems of Interpretation. Wiesbaden: Franz Steiner Verlag GMBH.
-Lambdin, Th. 2009. Introduction to Biblical Hebrew. Darton: Longman and Todd Ltd. (Suggested as a Biblical Hebrew reference grammar.)
Further material will be provided during the course.

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