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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 in Tetuan, Tangiers and the Spanish towns of Ceuta and Melilla, in the latter of which it has achieved partial official recognition^{[citation needed]}.

[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 dialect of Spanish which borrows heavily from Moroccan Arabic. It evidently also contains a number of words of Hebrew origin and 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 (ballads) 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 vernacular spoken in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar.

[edit] Small vocabulary

Ada – Tradition. From Arabic ʕāda: "custom, habit."
Adafina – Jewish-Moroccan dish with cold cuts.
Ainará – Evil eye (from Hebrew עין הרע.)
Aiwa - So. From Arabic Ai wa [Allah]: "Yes by [God]/ That's right!"
Ajshoma - Embarrassment. From Moroccan Arabic: Hshuma: "shame."
Alboronia or almoronia – Jewish-Moroccan dish made with eggplant, onions and shredded chicken, as in modern Spanish.
Bienmesabe – Lit. "Tastes good to me"; a kind of sponge cake, as in modern Spanish.
Caído de mazal, demudado del mazal, enfollinado del mazal, kefreado del mazal – All meaning bad luck (from Hebrew mazzal, luck, ultimately borrowed from Arabic manzil, constellation (lit. house)).
Chamor, Chamorice – Stupid, stupidity! (From Hebrew Chamor (חמור)- Donkey, cf. Arabic Hmar)
Chará, Charear – Shit, and to shit (taboo). From Arabic khra, same meaning.
Darbeado, Darbeada - Crazy
De las castas se traen las reinas – From father to son.
Dichoso, desdichado – Lucky, unlucky, as in modern Spanish.
Jalkeado - To be tired.
Jamear - to understand, to "get it", as in, Ese no jamea nada - That guy doesn't get anything.
Guezerá negra – Big calamity. (From Hebrew gezerah, decree, and Spanish negra, black.)
Hacer kabot – To honor. (From the Hebrew Kavod כבוד )
Hadrear – To speak.
Maklear - To eat. From Arabic Makla, food.
Paras - Money. Possibly from Turkish or Romani (a para was a small coin).
Sachen, sachená – Man, woman. From the Hebrew Sachen (neighbor) שכן
Sachor, sachorá – Black man, black woman. From the Hebrew שחור
Selkea - Let it be, don't pay attention.
Shikor - Drunk. From Hebrew, same meaning. (The related Arabic word is saqra, drunkenness).
Shuf, Shufear – To pay attention. From Moroccan Arabic shūf, to see.
Su boca en la rogerá – Don't say evil things!
Tarnón, Tarnona - Idiot
Xaxo, Totona – Vagina (taboo).
Wo - Death
Wo por ti se haga – Damn you!
Ya que estás ai, kadmei y merki – As you are here, help yourself.
Ouelo - Nothing. From Moroccan Arabic Wellu.
Zelif! - It's so cold!

[edit] References

Ladino and Haketia