Language(s) and (National) Identity: The Case of Sephardic Jews in the Ottoman Empire

Malešević, Novak (2026) Language(s) and (National) Identity: The Case of Sephardic Jews in the Ottoman Empire. Folia linguistica et litteraria (54). pp. 131-153. ISSN 2337-0955

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Abstract

Following the exodus from the Iberian Peninsula, a large number of Jews found refuge in – the Ottoman Empire. In the new surroundings, the Jews had the autonomy guaranteeing the preservation of both faith and the language they spoke. Shortly their Spanish origin became an important (distinguishable) quality in the Ottoman Empire. Judeo-Spanish came to be valued in the domains of commercial activities. Historical circumstances, however, also implied the struggle to preserve Judeo-Spanish as the language of the Ottoman Jews. Due to the influence of French culture, and then the impact of the languages of newly-formed national states in the Balkans, the Jewish experienced several language shifts which threatened to extinguish the Judeo-Spanish. By forming the state of Israel, there is another (final) language shift whereby it is transferred to – Hebrew. In the text, we deal with the question of what (actually) the final identity of a Jewish national being is, whether that identity can be fully outlined, and how it is defined according to ideological (signifying) pressures. We will begin by delineating the theoretical framework that underpins this study; the focus will be on Althusser’s concepts of interpellation, along with Močnik’s and Renan’s reflection on the notion of nation. Through this relatively modern analytical lens, we will attempt to explain the position of Jewish settlers in the Ottoman Empire and their subsequent transition from ethnic minority to national state.

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