The Hebrew Root ˀ-m-n and its Derivatives hɛˀěmīn and nɛˀĕman in both Medieval Spanish and Ladino Translations of the Bible

Abstract

The Hebrew root ˀ-m-n is related to a number of different words found in the Hebrew Bible, for instance, hɛˀěmīn ‘believe, trust, confide, be sure’, nɛˀĕman ‘was trustworthy’, ˀemūn ‘trust’, ˀěmūnā ‘faith, belief, trust’, ˀĕmɛṯ ‘truth’, and ˀāmen ‘amen’. The purpose of this paper is to examine, contrast and compare various translations of the derivatives of this root, hɛˀěmīn and nɛˀĕman/ nɛˀĕmān, which appear in both medieval Spanish and in Ladino versions of the Bible from the 16th century onwards, and to explore the extent to which these translations are diverse in their interpretations. This comparison enables us to establish the claim that Ladino versions of the Bible developed independently and are not based on earlier medieval Spanish translations.