A Moroccan Arabic Vocabulary from the Atlantic Coast, ca. 1600

LJS 46 is a codex that was bound in the early 17th century and is presently held within the Lawrence J. Schoenberg Manuscripts collection at the University of Pennsylvania. It consists of two component manuscripts, the first an illustrated herbal of Italian origin dating to the early 16th century, and the second a series of herbological, geographic, and linguistic notes on Morocco that are contemporary with the binding. The most significant component of these notes is an alphabetized, albeit incomplete, glossary comprising 254 Spanish headwords and providing, for each, a Latin-script rendition of the Moroccan Arabic equivalent(s). This primary lexical reference is accompanied by an account of the spoken Arabic numerals and scattered references to the local names of several botanical species, which are given in either Moroccan Arabic or Tashelhiyt Berber. The current study introduces the codex, outlines its significance as one of the earliest European sources on Moroccan Arabic, and presents the vocabulary contained within in an annotated format with reference to features of dialectological interest.

A Moroccan Arabic Vocabulary from the Atlantic Coast, ca. 1600 Academic Article