Usage of the Arabic letter jīm in 16th century Portuguese manuscripts written in Aljamia for the sounds denoted by the Latin j and g(i/e)

The purpose of this article is to analyze the usage of the Arabic letter jīm [ğ] in medieval Portuguese documents where it stands for the sounds rendered in other texts by the Latin letters j and g(i/e). The study is based on the only eight surviving 16th century documents written in Aljamia (medieval Portuguese rendered in the Arabic script) and published by D. Lopesh in 1897. This article is the first attempt to look into cases of alternation of the Arabic jīm and of other letters, especially the Arabic šīn [š], in Portuguese documents.

The article’s basic findings include:

1) Contrary to Lopesh, it turns out that the main function of the letter jīm [ğ] is to stand for the sounds denoted by the Latin s in intervocal positions rather than for those rendered by j and g(i/e).

2) In this (apparently, basic) function, the Arabic jīm [ğ] shows strong alternation with šīn [š].

3) In its main function of denoting the sounds rendered by the Latin j and g(i/e), the Arabic jīm [ğ] does not alternate with the other Arabic letters.

4) Occasionally, jīm [ğ] is found to stand for sounds rendered by the Latin letters ch, c(i), z, h.

5) Finally, this paper assumes that in the period analyzed the pronunciation of sounds denoted by the Latin s in the intervocal position could be close to that of the sounds rendered by the Latin j and g(i/e) which were both rendered by the Arabic jīm [ğ].