Some Problems of Ladino/Judezmo Romanization

While ALA/LC standards have been developed for the Romanization of Hebrew and Yiddish for bibliographic purposes, the lack of such a standard for the Romanization of Ladino/Judezmo impedes access to materials in that language. The distinctiveness of Ladino/Judezmo argues that it be treated on its own terms, and not as merely derivative of its principal components, Spanish and Hebrew. This article establishes the rationale for an ALA/LC standard for the Romanization of Ladino/Judezmo and suggests sources that could serve as its basis. "There is no separate romanization table for Ladino; instead, the Hebrew table is used for consonants and Spanish usage for the vowels" ( Cataloging Service, no. 53, Summer 1991, p. 46).