Productivity, influence, and evolution: The complex language shift of Modern Ladino

Abstract

This dissertation uses data from interviews with Seattle Ladino speakers, an online forum in Ladino, and documents from the University of Washington Sephardic Studies Collection to investigate the language shift that Modern Ladino has undergone. Ladino is the language that developed when the Jews who were exiled from Spain in 1492 fled to the Ottoman Empire and mixed Ottoman Turkish and other languages into their Spanish. Chapter 1 of this dissertation provides a short language shift literature review, a brief history of the Ladino speech community, and information about each of the aforementioned Ladino data sources. Chapter 2 explores the variation of the vowel raising pattern found in the Rhodesli dialect of Seattle Ladino and shows that this variation existed before Rhodesli speakers came into contact with non-raising speakers in Seattle. Chapter 3 explores the combinatory potential of the Turkish-origin suffix -dji and finds that, while the majority of the roots being combined with this suffix today are of Turkish origin, there appears to still be some productivity with respect to this suffix. Chapter 4 challenges the traditional three-generation language shift model, showing that this model is insufficient for Modern Ladino, as it fails to account for the multilingualism and constant language contact inherent to the Ladino speech community in the 20th century, but also throughout its history. Ultimately, this dissertation provides a snapshot of Modern Ladino in the 20th century, and highlights what are likely some of the last recordings of Seattle Ladino speech that will be made.