# "maot" or "ma'ot" (Llanito-Jewish word, possibly of Hebraic origins)



## Garrett Gibbons

There is a Llanito/Yanito expression in Gibraltar, which is said comes from the Jewish community, that means "I don't have any money": 

"No tengo ma'ot" (or "No tengo maot")

The Spanish literally means "I don't have," and Tito Vallejo's "Yanito Dictionary" lists "maot" as a Gibraltarian Jewish word for "money."

Does anyone know if "maot" is Hebrew, Yiddish, or something else? I have not found it in my modern Hebrew dictionary, nor in a Yiddish reference I have, but my guess is that it is spelled with ע

Either:
מעות   

Or:
מעת


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## origumi

מעות
http://www.milon.co.il/general/general.php?term=%D7%9E%D7%A2%D7%95%D7%AA

It's a Talmudic word. The singualr מעה is not used in modern Hebrew. I am not sure about the etymology - wouldn't be surprised to learn that it's an Aramaic loadword.


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## amikama

origumi said:


> It's a Talmudic word.


Yes, it was a name of a small coin. Hence מעות means "coins" but also "a small amount of money". This makes sense in the expression "no tengo maot".


I'm going to learn a bit more about Llanito


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## Garrett Gibbons

Perhaps it came to Gibraltar through Ladino?

The Jewish community in Gibraltar has close ties to Israel, so I first thought that it would be a word in contemporary Hebrew use, but now I'm wondering if it came through the Spanish-Jewish medieval community.


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## scriptum

origumi said:


> It's a Talmudic word.


Hmm. It's a biblical word. מעה in the Bible means "bit". The meaning "small coin" is talmudic.


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## Garrett Gibbons

They are obviously using it in the Talmudic sense in Gibraltar, however.  It's colloquial, but their usage of "money" is a pretty direct link to the Talmudic "small coin."


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## origumi

scriptum said:


> Hmm. It's a biblical word. מעה in the Bible means "bit". The meaning "small coin" is talmudic.


 
I tried to find it in the Bible and failed. Neither מעה nor מעות. Apparently I missed it. Can you guide me to the biblical location please.


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## scriptum

origumi said:


> the biblical location please.


ישעיהו מ"ח י"ט
וַיְהִי כַחוֹל זַרְעֶךָ, וְצֶאֱצָאֵי מֵעֶיךָ כִּמְעֹתָיו
(cited in the Even Shoshan dictionary)


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## Garrett Gibbons

Leave it to Isaiah with his hapax legomenon.


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