Lom people explained

Group:	Lom Bosha
Popplace:	Armenia, Georgia and Turkey
Langs:	Lomavren, Armenian, Georgian, Turkish
Rels:	Christianity
Related-C:	Romani, Doms, Domba, Ghorbati; other Indo-Aryans

The Lom people (Turkish: Lomlar), also known by non-Loms as Bosha or Posha (Turkish: Poşa; Armenian: Բոշա; Georgian: ბოშა|tr; Russian: Боша) or as Armenian Romani (Russian: армянские цыгане; Armenian: հայ գնչուներ) or Caucasian Romani^[1] (Russian: кавказские цыгане), are an ethnic group originating from the Indian subcontinent.^[2] Their Lomavren language is a mixed language, combining an Indo-Aryan substrate with Armenian.

Number

Lom/Bosha in Soviet Transcaucasia
Year	Armenia	Georgia	Azerbaijan
1926^[3]
1939^[4]
1959^[5]
1970^[6]
1979^[7]
1989^[8]

It is difficult to determine the exact number of Bosha people that exist, due to the dispersed and often mostly-assimilated nature of the group. Estimates suggest only a few thousand of the people can be found across Armenia and Georgia, while the Armenian Government's census reports only 50 living in the former.^[9]

Distribution

Concentrations of Bosha can be found in Yerevan and Gyumri in Armenia. Some of the Bosha in Armenia have adopted the Armenian language and assimilated with the larger Armenian population.^[10]

In Georgia they live in such cities as Tbilisi, Kutaisi, Akhalkalaki and Akhaltsikhe.^[2] They are noted for such occupations as sievemakers.

In Turkey the Lomlar or Poshalar adopted Islam at the 19th century and assimilated Turkish culture.^[11] They mostly live in Artvin, Rize, Ardahan and Kars and identify themselves as Meshketian Turks, hiding their Lom origins, while taking Armenian words from their contact with the Hemshin.^[12]

Further reading

• Marushiakova, Elena and Popov, Vesselin. "The 'Gypsies' (Dom – Lom – Rom) In Southern Caucasus (Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan)" Preserving the Roma Memories. Festschrift in Honor of Dr. Adam Bartosz, hrsg. v. Kyuchukov, Hristo, Marushiakova, Elena, Popov, Vesselin (Roma 7)., 2020. IJBF Online https://www-degruyter-com.wikipedialibrary.idm.oclc.org/database/IJBF/entry/ijbf.36428/html. Accessed 2023-07-14.

External links

• • Marushiakova, Elena and Vesselin Popov. 2016. Gypsies of Central Asia and Caucasus. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
• Roma and Gypsies

Notes and References

1. Book: Journal / Gypsy Lore Society, Volume 1. Gypsy Lore Society . . 1908.
2. Web site: Info on Bosha – Armenian Roma. 2007-10-28. RomNews Network Community. https://web.archive.org/web/20071028070819/http://www.romnews.com/community/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=880. 2007-10-28. dead. 2018-08-10.
3. Web site: Демоскоп Weekly - Приложение. Справочник статистических показателей.. https://web.archive.org/web/20110926214027/http://demoscope.ru/weekly/ssp/sng_nac_26.php?reg=2314. dead. September 26, 2011. www.demoscope.ru.
4. Web site: Демоскоп Weekly - Приложение. Справочник статистических показателей.. https://web.archive.org/web/20110926213840/http://demoscope.ru/weekly/ssp/sng_nac_39.php?reg=6. dead. September 26, 2011. www.demoscope.ru.
5. Web site: Демоскоп Weekly - Приложение. Справочник статистических показателей.. https://web.archive.org/web/20110926214115/http://demoscope.ru/weekly/ssp/sng_nac_59.php?reg=9. dead. September 26, 2011. demoscope.ru.
6. Web site: Демоскоп Weekly - Приложение. Справочник статистических показателей.. https://web.archive.org/web/20070927002539/http://demoscope.ru/weekly/ssp/sng_nac_70.php?reg=13. dead. September 27, 2007. www.demoscope.ru.
7. Web site: Демоскоп Weekly - Приложение. Справочник статистических показателей.. https://web.archive.org/web/20070927002438/http://demoscope.ru/weekly/ssp/sng_nac_79.php?reg=13. dead. September 27, 2007. www.demoscope.ru.
8. Web site: Демоскоп Weekly - Приложение. Справочник статистических показателей.. https://web.archive.org/web/20120104081804/http://demoscope.ru/weekly/ssp/sng_nac_89.php?reg=13. dead. January 4, 2012. www.demoscope.ru.
9. Web site: POPULATION AND PEOPLE – People – Armenia Travel, History, Archeology & Ecology – TourArmenia – Travel Guide to Armenia. Tacentral.com. 9 January 2018.
10. Wixman. The Peoples of the USSR. p. 30
11. Web site: THE GYPSIES OF ISTANBUL History of Istanbul . 2023-01-28 . istanbultarihi.ist.
12. Web site: Tarihten günümüze Lomlar veya Poşalar . 2023-01-28 . Agos . 13 February 2017 . tr.