The Digital (De)territorialization of Ladino in the Twenty-First Century

Abstract

Since the nineteenth century, the global diasporic community of Ladino (Judeo-Spanish) speakers has enjoyed a number of opportunities to reclaim a territory for itself (Spain, Portugal, Israel). Devoid of a specific geographical home, in the twenty-first century this community has resorted to the creation of Sephardi online communities, also conceptualized as “Digital Home-Lands” following Held (2010).

Drawing upon Deleuze and Guattari’s concept of “territory” (1980), I argue first, that the survival of Ladino in the twenty-first century is predicated upon the successful implementation of Digital Home-Lands that reterritorialize the nomadic Sephardi nation on the very deterritorialization of its Western State and language ascription. Second, that the proliferation of Sephardi online communities in the second decade of the twenty-first century, requires us to revisit the concept of “Digital Home-Lands” in two interrelated areas: (i) multimodal and multiliterate digital spaces, and (ii) new digital solutions to advance the learning and preservation of Ladino worldwide, particularly across generations. Third, in light of the significance of these recent developments, I conclude with the suggestion that we distinguish between basic Sephardi online communities, on the one hand, and enhanced Sephardi Digital Home-Lands, on the other.

Desde el siglo XIX, la comunidad global diaspórica de ladino (judeo-español)-parlantes ha gozado de numerosas oportunidades para reclamar un territorio propio (España, Portugal, Israel). Desprovista de un hogar geográfico específico, en el siglo XXI esta comunidad ha recurrido a la creación de comunidades sefardíes en línea, también conceptualizadas como “Hogares-Territorio Digitales” (Held 2010).

Sobre la base del concepto de “territorio” en Deleuze y Guattari (1980), argumento que, en primer lugar, la supervivencia del ladino en el siglo XXI depende de la exitosa implementación de Hogares-Territorio Digitales capaces de reterritorializar la nomádica nación sefardí sobre la base de la desterritorización de su adscripción estatal. Segundo, que la proliferación de comunidades sefardíes en línea durante la segunda década del siglo XXI requiere que revisemos el concepto de “Hogares-Territorio Digitales” en dos áreas interrelacionadas: (i) espacios multimodales y multiliterarios (ii) nuevas soluciones digitales que contribuyan al avance del aprendizaje y la preservación global del Ladino en todo el mundo, particularmente entre generaciones. Tercero, habida cuenta de la relevancia de estos desarrollos tardíos, concluyo con la sugerencia de que distingamos entre comunidades sefardíes en línea básicas, por un lado, y Hogares-Territorio Digitales mejorados, por otro.

Keywords:

• language
• territory
• Ladino
• digital Home-Lands
• decolonization

Palabras clave:

• lengua
• territorio
• ladino
• Hogares-Territorio Digitales
• descolonización

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 The analysis of territorial processes is first and foremost, a central contribution of Guattari to antipsychiatry. This concept is developed in the two volumes of Capitalisme et Schizophrenie (Deleuze and Guattari 1972/1980), particularly in the latter, through chapter 4, 5, 12 and 13, and especially in Qu’est-ce que c’est la philosophie? (What is Philosophy?) (Deleuze and Guattari 1991, 1994).

2 Although historically speaking the glottonym “Ladino” originally designated the calque language used on the translation of sacred texts for liturgical purposes, with “Judeo-Spanish” and “Judezmo” being its vernacular form (Sephiha 1977), this distinction has been gradually replaced by the interchangeable use of “Ladino” and “Judeo-Spanish.” I will adopt the latter for the purpose of this article.

3 My translation (and transcription) from the original quote in Ladino. Unless otherwise stated, all subsequent translations are mine, too.

4 However, this is not to say that the notion of a “common homeland” be exclusive to a market; rather, it is also an ideological locus for many political groups, including conflicts between China and Taiwan, as well as in the Horn of Africa between Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, and the Sudan.

5 Indeed, according to the DRAE (Dictionary of the Spanish Royal Academy), Judeo-Spanish is “una variedad del español hablada por los sefardíes” (a variety of Spanish spoken by the Sephardim).