Project description
The history of Portuguese texts in Arabic script
In the early 16th century, as Portugal expanded into Morocco, a curious phenomenon emerged: Portuguese texts written in Arabic script. Known as Portuguese Aljamia, only eight examples survive, preserved in a notebook at the Torre do Tombo Archive. Long overlooked, these texts are now the focus of the PoMar project. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the project aims to produce the first comprehensive edition, combining philology, palaeography, and Arabic linguistics to trace their origins (likely linked to Yahya U-Ta‘fuft, a Berber leader in royal service). The project also explores rich cultural exchanges between languages, translators, and scripts in the Portuguese-controlled coastal cities of North Africa.
Objective
This research seeks to address a significant gap in the study of Aljamia—Romance languages written in Arabic script. Unlike the numerous Aljamiado texts produced by Moriscos in Spain, the Portuguese Aljamia corpus consists of only eight known samples, compiled into a small notebook preserved in the National Archive of Torre do Tombo. These texts are believed to be versions of 16th-century Portuguese correspondences, translated from Middle Arabic originals, many attributed to Yahya U-Ta‘fuft (Bentafuf), a Berber leader serving King Manuel I during the Portuguese presence in Morocco in the early modern period. Despite partial editions, these documents have never been compiled into a full critical edition. The proposed edition aims to address long-standing questions, such as the authorship of these Aljamia texts and the function of using Arabic script for Portuguese.
An interdisciplinary approach will enable a comprehensive analysis, combining philological and palaeographic examinations with Arabic linguistics, while situating the texts within the historical context of Portuguese expansion in North Africa. Central to this framework is the role of Maghrebi vernacular Arabic, as the texts exhibit significant influences from spoken Arabic varieties, which likely shaped both the translations and script choices.
The project also highlights the role of Arabic-Portuguese translators, often Jewish intermediaries—such as the Benzamerro family—based in Atlantic coastal cities like Safi, Azemmour, and Mazagan. Finally, the study will explore translation choices from vernacular Arabic into Portuguese—written in both Latin and Arabic scripts—focusing on omissions, calques, loans, and additions. Through a critical edition of all versions of these texts, this research aims to clarify questions of authorship and highlight the linguistic varieties involved: 16th-century Portuguese and Middle Arabic, influenced by Maghrebi vernacular forms.
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- humanities languages and literature linguistics
- humanities philosophy, ethics and religion religions islam
- humanities history and archaeology history modern history
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Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01
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28006 Madrid
Spain
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