Missionary Linguistics and the Protestant Policies for Missionary (Re)translations (English into Judeo-Spanish) in the Nineteenth Century

Abstract

Missionary Linguistics attempts to analyze texts either written or (re)translated by missionaries, especially those produced by Spanish and Portuguese ministers in Latin America and Asia. However, some more specific case studies have been taken for granted such as the case of the Scottish Protestant missionaries who wanted to convert Sephardic Jews in Constantinople in the 19th century. This article aims at shedding light on the origin of the Protestant policies of missionary (re)translation as those of the Free Church of Scotland in the 19th century. Moreover, we will previously describe the theoretical basis of Missionary Linguistics and the existing link between this innovative and modern branch of linguistics and Colonial Linguistics, thus showing common grounds as well as a way in which both could be combined into a single research field.