Ladino Alef- Bet
Here is the Ladino
from some notes from a class on Ladino literature I took at Lehrhaus Judaica
in Berkeley, Spring 1997.
Remember that Ladino is read from right to left (!), like Hebrew.
Reading Judezmo: The Jewish Characters and the Sounds They Represent
| Letter | Transcription | Called | Sound (English) | Use (Ladino) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| a | alef | a |
amar love
|
| al | al | al |
balta ax
|
|
| b | bed | b |
buskar to look for
|
| v | ved | v |
axarvar beat
|
| g | gimal | g |
xaragan lazy
|
|
| j | gimal | zh |
ajustar add
|
|
| ch | gimal | ch |
chikes youth
|
| d | daled | d |
din religious law
|
|
| dh | daled | dh |
sudhor sweat
|
|
| h | e | a |
xaftona beating
|
|
| u | vav | u |
karpus watermelon
|
|
| o | vav | o |
dos two
|
| z | zayn | z |
kazal village
|
|
| j | zayn | zh |
mujer woman, wife
|
|
| kh | xed | ch |
xaber news
|
|
| t | ted | t |
atabafar suffocate
|
|
| i | yod | i |
purimlik Purim present
|
|
| e | yod | e |
bel waist
|
| k | kaf | k |
kavo(d) honor
|
| kh | xaf | ch |
beraxa blessing
|
| kh | xaf | ch |
korex bookbinder
|
|
| l | lamed | l |
lamber lick
|
|
| m | mem | m |
myel honey
|
| m | mem | m |
xamam bath-house
|
|
| n | nun | n |
na here! behold
|
|
| n | nun | n |
baragan courageous
|
|
| ny | nun | ny |
sinyal sign
|
|
| s | samex | s |
sutlach rice pudding
|
| silent | ayn |
meara cave
| |
|
| p | pe | p |
paras money
|
|
| f | fe | f |
fin end
|
| f | fe | f |
saraf money changer
|
| s | sadik | s |
sedaka charity
|
| s | sadik | s |
_
amares ignoramus (lit., peasant)
|
|
| k | kof | k |
kavzar to cause
|
|
| r | resh | Guttural r |
raki arak
|
| sh | shin | sh |
shavon soap
|
|
| s | sin | s |
maase story
|
| t | taf | t |
tora Torah
|
| t | taf | tor d |
meshared servant
|
Now I will present some vowel and diphtongs in Ladino:
Writing Judezmo Words in Jewish Characters
| Letter | Position in Word | Called | Sound (English) | Use (Ladino) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| begining and middle | alef | a |
atar tie
|
|
| end | ai | ai |
ai there
|
|
| middle and end | au | au |
baul trunk
|
|
| y | yod | y |
yamar call
|
|
| y | yod | y |
yo I
|
|
| y | yod | y |
ayudar help
|
|
| ye | yod | ye |
yevar carry
|
|
| ey | yod | ey |
rey king
|
|
| ay | alef | ay |
tramvay streetcar
|
|
| end | au | au |
chay tea
|
|
| beginning | e | e |
es is
|
|
| middle and end | yod | e |
ves time
|
|
| middle and end | ea | ea |
meatad half
|
|
| middle and end | ee | ee |
kreer believe
|
|
| middle and end | ei | ei |
krei I believed
|
|
| middle and end | eo | eo |
shasheo dizziness
|
|
| beginning | i | i |
i and
|
|
| middle and end | yod | i |
chini plate
|
|
| beginning | au | u |
uzar use
|
|
| middle and end | shurek | u |
asur prohibited (by religious law)
|
|
| middle and end | uy | uy |
muy very
|
|
| middle and end | ua | ua |
(g)uay woe
|
|
| middle and end | ue | ue |
jues judge
|
|
| middle and end | ui | ui |
siguir continue
|
