Sixteenth-century Morisco religious texts compiled multiple regional dialects.

Evidence

Thus we will state truthfully that the greater part of this compendium came from the aforementioned verses [of the Koran], and not from my own work. I found commentaries in many serious books, in Arabic and in Spanish, explaining many of the things included in this compendium, and although some of the things said may be off the track (descarriados), that should not be attributed to lack of care, for this is the first translation, and a first reading will not always prove satisfactory. Nevertheless with middling knowledge and understanding one can make the necessary enquiries and find a solution, for there is no need to rake together specialist knowledge; it is all a matter of natural understanding, although at times the expressions may not always blend well together, for this is the first such compilation, and it includes words from many regions. — L. P. Harvey, Muslims in Spain, 1500 to 1614, 838

Categorization

• DEFINE: The passage shows how a Morisco compiler himself describes the multilingual, multi-dialect blend that characterizes these Aljamiado texts.