According to Anwar G. Chejne, "Aljamiado" or "Aljamía" is "a corruption of the Arabic word "ʿajamiyah" (in this case it means foreign language) and, generally, the Arabic expression "ʿajam" and its derivative "ʿajamiyah" are applicable to peoples whose ancestry is not of Arabian origin". During the Arab conquest of Persia, the term became a racial pejorative. In linguistic terms, the "Aljamía" is the use of the Arabic alphabet to transcribe a Romance language. It was used by some people in some areas of Al-Andalus as an everyday communication vehicle, while Arabic was reserved as the language of science, high culture, and religion.