Names of the Romani people explained

The Romani people are known by a variety of names, mostly as Gypsies, Roma, Tsinganoi, Bohémiens, and various linguistic variations of these names. There are also numerous subgroups and clans with their own self-designations, such as the Sinti, Kalderash, Boyash, Manouche, Lovari, Lăutari, Machvaya, Romanichal, Romanisael, Kale, Kaale, Xoraxai and Modyar.

Roma is the primary term used in political contexts to refer to the Romani people as a whole.[1] [2] Because all Roma use the word Romani as an adjective, Romani began to be used as an alternative noun for the entire ethnic group.[3] It is used by some organizations such as the United Nations and the US Library of Congress.[4] However, the World Roma Congress, the Council of Europe and other organizations use the term Roma to refer to Romani people around the world, and recommend that Romani be restricted to the language and culture: Romani language, Romani culture.[5] [6] [7] [8]

In the English language (according to the Oxford English Dictionary), Rom is a noun (with the plural Roma or Roms) and an adjective, while Romani is also a noun (with the plural Romanies) and an adjective. Both Rom and Romani have been in use in English since the 19th century as an alternative for Gypsy. Romani is also spelled Romany, or Rommany.[9]

Sometimes, rom and romani are spelled with a double r, i.e., rrom and rromani, particularly in Romania in order to distinguish from the Romanian endonym (români), to which it has no relation. This is well established in Romani itself, since it represents a phoneme (/ʀ/ also written as ř and rh) which in some Romani dialects has remained different from the one written with a single r.[4]

Etymology

The demonyms of the Romani people, Lom and Dom share the same etymological origin,[10] [11] reflecting Sanskrit "a man of low caste, living by singing and music"[12]

The ultimate origin of the Sanskrit term (perhaps from Munda or Dravidian) is uncertain.[13] Its stem, , is connected with drumming, linked with the Sanskrit verbal root 'to sound (as a drum)', perhaps a loan from Dravidian, e.g. Kannada ḍamāra 'a pair of kettle-drums', and Telugu ṭamaṭama 'a drum, tomtom'.[14]

Gypsy and gipsy

The English term gypsy or gipsy[15] is commonly used to indicate Romani people,[16] and use of the word gipsy in modern-day English is pervasive (and is a legal term under English law—see below), and some Romani organizations use it in their own organizational names, particularly in the United Kingdom. The word, while sometimes positively embraced by Romani persons, is also sometimes rejected by other Romani persons as offensive due to it being tainted by its use as a racial slur and a pejorative connotation implying illegality and irregularity,[17] and some modern dictionaries either recommend avoiding use of the word gypsy entirely or give it a negative or warning label.[18]

A British House of Commons Committee parliamentary inquiry, as described in their report "Tackling inequalities faced by Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities" (published 2019),[19] stated about their findings in the United Kingdom that: "We asked many members of the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities how they preferred to describe themselves. While some find the term "Gypsy" to be offensive, many stakeholders and witnesses were proud to associate themselves with this term and so we have decided that it is right and proper to use it, where appropriate, throughout the report."

The Oxford English Dictionary states a 'gipsy' is a The first usage of the word in English found by the OED was 1514, with several more usages in the same century, and both Edmund Spenser and William Shakespeare used this word.[20]

This exonym is sometimes written with a capital letter, to show that it designates an ethnic group.[21] The Spanish term gitano, the French term French: gitan and the Basque term Basque: ijito have the same origin.[22]

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name was written in various ways: Egipcian, Egypcian, gypcian. The word gipsy/gypsy comes from the spellings which had lost the initial capital E, and that is one reason that it is often spelled with the initial g in lowercase.[23] As time elapsed, the notion of "the gipsy/gypsy" altered to include other associated stereotypes such as nomadism and exoticism.[24] John Matthews in The World Atlas of Divination refer to gypsies as "Wise Women".[25] Colloquially, gipsy/gypsy is used refer to any person perceived by the speaker as fitting the gypsy stereotypes.[26]

Use in English law

The term gipsy has had several overlapping meanings under English Law. In the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960, gipsies (not capitalised) were defined as "personsof nomadic habit of life, whatever their race or origin, but does not include members of an organised group of travelling showmen, or persons engaged in travelling circuses, travelling together as such".[27] This particular definition included non-Romani groups as Irish Travellers.[28] [29] However, it is commonly understood that the term is an exonym for the Romani people.[30] It originates from Egyptian (a historical name for Romani people in Britain).[31]

Romani "gipsies" have been a recognised ethnic group for the purposes of Race Relations Act 1976 since Commission for Racial Equality v Dutton 1989, as have Irish Travellers in England and Wales since O'Leary v Allied Domecq 2000 (having already gained recognition in Northern Ireland in 1997).[28] [32]

List of names

Gypsy/Gipsy

In several countries, Romani people were thought to come from Egypt.

Tsinganoi

In much of continental Europe, they are known by names related to the Greek term Greek, Modern (1453-);: τσιγγάνοι (Greek, Modern (1453-);: tsinganoi):

The name originates with Byzantine Greek Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: ἀτσίγγανοι (atsinganoi, Latin adsincani) or Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: ἀθίγγανοι (athinganoi, literally "untouchables"), a term applied to the sect of the Melchisedechians.[35] [36] [37] The Adsincani appear in an 11th-century text preserved in Mt Athos, The Life of Saint George the Athonite (written in the Georgian language), as "a Samaritan people, descendants of Simon the Magician, named Adsincani, who were renowned sorcerers and villains". In the text, emperor Constantine Monomachos employs the Adsincani to exterminate wild animals, who were destroying the game in the imperial park of Philopation.[38]

An alternative etymological approach traces the Greek tsiganos/atsiganos to the Sanskrit atingan(in) and tyāgan(in), with the meaning ‘nomad, migrant, searcher, traveller’.[39]

Bohémiens

Because many Roma living in France had come via Bohemia, they were referred to as Bohémiens.[40] This term would later be adapted by the French to refer to a particular artistic and impoverished lifestyle of an individual, known as Bohemianism.

Roma

Other

Arixhi (handler of bears)

Arabic: غجر Arabic: ghájar

In the English-speaking world, Romani people are commonly known as Gypsies, Romani Gypsies, Romany Gypsies, Roma Gypsies, Roma and Romanies. The Roma of England are known as Romanichal or Romá in Angloromani. The Roma of Scandinavia are commonly known as Romer or Tater, or Romanisael in Scandoromani. In German-speaking Europe, the self-designation is Sinti, in France Manush, while the groups of Spain, Wales, and Finland use Kalo/Kale (from kalo meaning "black" in Romani language). Following the first World Roma Congress in London where usage of the Romani terms Rom (singular) and Roma (plural) were endorsed for Romani people worldwide, these terms have become increasingly widespread, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe.[44]

While many Roma feel compelled to hide their identity in fear of persecution,[45] some people of Romani heritage do not consider themselves to be Roma.[46]

In Bulgaria, a number of people of Romani heritage identify as Turks or Bulgarians and some identify as Romanians.[47]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. p. 13 in Illona Klimova-Alexander's The Romani Voice in World Politics: The United Nations and Non-State Actors (2005, Burlington, VT.: Ashgate
  2. Web site: Rothéa . Xavier . Les Roms, une nation sans territoire? . 2008-07-31 . fr.
  3. Book: Hancock, Ian F . We Are the Romani People, Pg XX . Univ of Hertfordshire Press . 2002 . 978-1-902806-19-8 . 2008-07-31.
  4. Book: Hancock, Ian F . We Are the Romani People, Pg XXI . Univ of Hertfordshire Press . 2002 . 978-1-902806-19-8 . 2008-07-31.
  5. Book: Hancock, Ian F . We Are the Romani People, Pg XIX . Univ of Hertfordshire Press . 2002 . 978-1-902806-19-8 . 2008-07-31.
  6. Book: Nicolae, Valeriu . Roma diplomacy, Pg 16 . Slavik, Hannah . 2007-07-01 . 978-1-932716-33-7 . 2008-07-31.
  7. http://www.inotherwords-project.eu/content/project/media-analysis/terminology/terminology-concerning-roma Roma, Sinti, Gypsies, Travellers...The Correct Terminology about Roma
  8. Web site: Roma . 2024-07-28 . www.romarchive.eu.
  10. http://imeu.net/news/article004439.shtml The Institute for Middle East Understanding
  11. http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=Romany Online Etymology Dictionary – Douglas Harper
  12. [Monier-Williams]
  13. Abhijit Ghosh, Non-Aryan linguistic elements in the Atharvaveda: a study of some words of Austric origin, Sanskrit Pustak Bhandar, 2000, p. 10, 76.
  14. T. Burrow and M.B. Emeneau, A Dravidian Etymological Dictionary 2nd ed. (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1984), p. 257, entry #2949.
  15. From the Oxford English Dictionary (second edition, 1989; online version December 2011) Etymology section for the word gipsy:
  16. Book: Wolniak. Michal. 2019. 2016. Travelling through Shades of Whiteness: Irish Travellers as Inferior Whites. Kirkland. Ewan. Shades of Whiteness. Leiden and Boston. Brill Publishers. 119–131. 10.1163/9781848883833_011. 978-1-84888-383-3. 201423395.
    • Book: Tom Dalzell. The new Partridge dictionary of slang and unconventional English. 2007. Routledge. London [u.a.]. 978-0415259378. 943. Reprint..
    • Book: Merriam-Webster's pocket guide to English usage.. 1998. Merriam-Webster. Springfield, MA. 978-0877795148. 178.
    • Book: Garner, Bryan A.. Garner's modern American usage. 2009. Oxford University Press. New York. 978-0195382754. 405. 3rd.
    • Book: H.E. Wedeck. Harry E. Wedeck. Wade Baskin. Dictionary of gypsy life and lore. Philosophical Library. New York. 978-0806529851. 1973.
    • Book: Garner, Bryan A.. A dictionary of modern legal usage. Oxford University Press. New York. 978-0195384208. 400. 3rd. 2011.
    • Book: Guido Bolaffi. Dictionary of race, ethnicity and culture. 2002. Sage. London. 978-0761969006. 291. 1. publ., [Nachdr.]..
  19. Web site: Tackling inequalities faced by Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities. House of Commons Women & Equalities Committee. 5 April 2019. UK Parliament. 13 May 2021.
  20. Oxford English Dictionary 2nd Edition 1989. "Gipsy, gypsy, n."
  21. Book: Hancock, Ian. A Handbook of Vlax Romani. Slavica Publishers. 1995. 17. 978-0-89357-258-7.
  22. Web site: gitan. Dictionnaire de l'Académie française. 2007-08-26. fr. Emprunté de l'espagnol gitano, gitana, altération de Egiptano, proprement «Égyptien», car on attribuait aux bohémiens une origine égyptienne.. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20070807095648/http://www.academie-francaise.fr/dictionnaire/. 2007-08-07.
  23. Book: Hancock, Ian F.. We are the Romani people. 2002. Univ of Hertfordshire Press. 978-1-902806-19-8. xxi.
  24. Web site: Hancock, Ian The 'Gypsy' stereotype and the sexualisation of Romani women. 2010-07-08. https://web.archive.org/web/20110717140630/http://www.radoc.net/radoc.php?doc=art_d_identity_sexualization&lang=en&articles=true. 2011-07-17. dead.
  25. Book: Matthews, John. The world atlas of divination: the systems, where they originate, how they work. https://books.google.com/books?id=fpxUJQAACAAJ. 6 October 1994. Headline Book Publishing. 978-0-7472-7928-0. 81. 9.
  26. Web site: PERSPECTIVES The Struggle for the Control of Identity. Hancock. Ian. Roma Participation Program. 1–8. 2009-05-11. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20090409070716/http://www.osi.hu/rpp/perspectives1a.htm. 2009-04-09.
  27. http://www.statutelaw.gov.uk/content.aspx?LegType=All+Legislation&title=Caravan+Sites+and+Control+of+Development+Act+1960&searchEnacted=0&extentMatchOnly=0&confersPower=0&blanketAmendment=0&sortAlpha=0&TYPE=QS&PageNumber=1&NavFrom=0&parentActiveTextDocId=1178312&ActiveTextDocId=1178312&filesize=165206 Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960 (c.62)
  28. Ravi Low-Beer Challenging Gypsy planning policies occasional discussion paper number 1, Traveller Law Research Unit, Cardiff Law School, P O Box 427, Cardiff CF1 1XD. Retrieved 2008-10-09.
  29. Thomas Acton. Human Rights as a Perspective on Entitlements: The Debate over 'Gypsy Fairs' in England, Essex Human Rights Review Vol. 1 No. 1. July 2004, pp. 18–28, ISSN 1756-1957. See footnote 5 page 19 (page 2 of the PDF document).
  30. Web site: 2023-05-19 . Gypsy, Roma, Traveller & Showmen culture - Support for schools and settings . 2024-07-31 . en-GB.
  31. Web site: Gypsy Etymology of the name Gypsy by etymonline . 2024-07-31 . www.etymonline.com . en.
  32. https://web.archive.org/web/20081203053954/http://www.law.cf.ac.uk/tlru/Info.html Traveller Law Research Unit
  33. Web site: ijito – Orotariko Euskal Hiztegia bilaketa. www.euskaltzaindia.eus.
  34. Web site: ijito – Harluxet Hiztegi Entziklopedikoa. www1.euskadi.net.
  35. Metal-workers, agriculturists, acrobats, military-people and fortune-tellers: Roma (Gypsies) in and around the Byzantine empire. Karin. White. 1999. Golden Horn. 7. 2. 2007-08-26. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140920060032/http://www.isidore-of-seville.com/goudenhoorn/72karin.html. 2014-09-20.
  36. Web site: A Brief History of the Rom. Karina. Bates. 2010-01-09. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20100615075635/http://sca.org/ti/articles/2002/rom.html. 2010-06-15.
  37. Book Reviews. https://web.archive.org/web/20090914172912/http://taylorandfrancis.metapress.com/index/9Y2PJM6YAYT1UVHW.pdf. dead. 2009-09-14. Population Studies. 48. 2. July 1994. 365–372. 10.1080/0032472031000147856.
  38. P. Peeters, 'Histoire monastiques géorgiennes', Analecta Bollandiana, 36–37, 1917–19.
  39. Web site: 2014-12-23. The Etymology of the words țigan (gypsy) and (r)rom (romany). 2024-06-11. romanianlanguage.org. en-US.
  40. Book: Achim, Viorel. The Roma in Romanian History. 2004. Central European University Press. Budapest. 978-963-9241-84-8. 54529869. 11.
  41. Book: Orotariko Euskal Hiztegia. Euskaltzaindia. 10. 6 September 2023. es. buhame.
  42. Web site: buhame – Harluxet Hiztegi Entziklopedikoa. www1.euskadi.net.
  43. Book: Diccionari de la lengua española. 2022. RAE – ASALE. 23.6. 6 September 2023. es. calé.
  44. Web site: Institutionalisation and Emancipation . coe.int/education/roma . 3.
  45. Web site: 2022-08-22 . Fighting for Roma identity . 2024-07-28 . www.eurozine.com.
  46. p. 52 in Elena Marushiakova and Vesselin Popov's "Historical and ethnographic background; Gypsies, Roma, Sinti" in Will Guy [ed.] Between Past and Future: The Roma of Central and Eastern Europe [with a Foreword by Dr. Ian Hancock], 2001, UK: University of Hertfordshire Press
  47. Web site: Roma in Bulgaria . 2024-07-28 . Minority Rights Group . en-US.

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