Ladino

Ladino is a Romance language that developed from Old Spanish in the 15th century. It is spoken by the Sephardic Jewish community, mainly in Israel, Turkey, Greece, Morocco, and Argentina. Ladino is written in the Hebrew alphabet, and has many loanwords from Hebrew and other languages. It is also influenced by Aramaic, Turkish, and Arabic. The Sephardic Jews who speak Ladino are a tight-knit community, and Ladino is an important part of their identity. In Israel, Ladino is taught in schools and there are radio and television programs in the language. Ladino is in danger of becoming extinct, as younger generations are not learning it. However, there are efforts to revive the language, and keep the Sephardic Jewish community's unique culture alive.