So we'll begin with alef, then square alef is written this way and so
the soletreo form is written this way. The letter bet is written this way
and in soletreo this way. Now the bet also takes a rafe in
the square form. It's a straight line above the letter and in the soletreo
it can be either a dot or a semicircle that indicates the [v] sound.
The gimel is written this way in square Meribah and in soletreo either this
way or this way or this way. Various shapes to it. If we add the rafe or varrica
mark on top: the diacritic. This gives us the possibility of denoting the
sounds [d̠ʒ] (dg) and [t̠ʃ] (ch) so it's a straight line or a dot or a semicircle on top.
The letter dalet is written this way in square and very similarly in
soletreo and this again takes their rafe giving us the sound [ð] (th) as in
Spanish nada or English "that". The letter A as it's called in Judaism 'ey' is written
this way in square and this way in soletreo and at the end of a word
it also is sometimes extended to the left so it's written this way.
vav is basically written the same way a single stroke. The letter zayin is written this
way and again it's a letter which takes the rafe or varrica giving us the sound [ʒ].
The letter het is this form in the square, middle ba and
in soletreo it's either written similarly or a
little more curve to the left. The tet is written this way or this way or this way.
the Yod is basically a dot so that would come out like this that's
Kaf is this way and the same basically in soletreo and then in addition to the
the initial and medial kaf there's also the final haf and square
it's written this way and in soletreo something like this.
Letter lamed, which is written this way in square, takes several forms in Judeoespañol and in soletreo.
Up until around the end of the 19th century it tended to be written
this way and from then on the predominant forms are this form in Turkey.
This form in Salonika and additional forms like this in other
parts of the Judeoespañol speaking world. Now I want to point out a special
character or ligature of alef and lamed which is this in the square form
and in soletreo usually takes this form and that's the combination
alef/lamed that gives the sound of [l]. Letter mem which is written this way in
square this is the initial and medial mem so it occurs at the beginning in
the middle of words. That in soletreo takes several forms. One is simply this,
the other is a little more complicated, and there are several others, but these
two are the basic forms. Okay the final mem occurring at the end of words in Judeoespañol
occurs mostly in words of Hebrew and Turkish and Vulcan origin
that's the square mem.
And in soletreo it's actually an ellipse. The initial and medial nun is this
and soletreo it's written this way. There's also a final nun,
obviously occurring at the end of words which is in both square and soletreo.
This is the square form and in the soletreo it's a little more curved toward the end.
The next letter is sameh, which in square is written this way and in soletreo this way.
The letter ayin is written this way it's very similar in soletreo.
It's a long letter so it extends below the line of writing.
The pey in soletreo is written this way or this way and this letter can take the rafe or varrica
giving the sound [f]. This is another letter which has a final form so
in square the final form looks something like this
and there are two forms in soletreo. One is this mostly used in Turkey and in
Salonika another form which was used is this that's the final fey.
Another letter having two forms is the sadi, so that's this in square and in soletreo this.
The final sadi takes this shape and soletreo takes this form.
The kof is written this way and soletreo this way or this way.
The letter resh takes this form in square and in soletreo it tends to be a tall letter
so it's either written above the other letters of this way and it often has a loop on top.
The letter shin is written this way or simply this way.
The letter tav in middle ba is written this way and soletreo
tends to be written this way