LL-L: "Ethnonyms" LOWLANDS-L, 21.OCT.1999 (06) [E]

Thu Oct 21 23:49:33 UTC 1999

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From: R. F. Hahn [sassisch at yahoo.com]
Subject: Specialized terms

John Feather wrote under "Specialized terms":

> "Gypsy", of
> course, can mean either a Romani or someone living in similar circumstances,

> ie an itinerant worker such as a tinker or horse-breaker.

Yes, but "living in similar circumstances" assumes a lifestyle (real or
imagined, i.e., being nomadic
and keeping apart from Gadje (~ Gazhe "non-Gypsy" < Prakrit _gajja_ < Sanskrit
_garhya_
'domestic')) that not all members of this ethnic group pursue these days or
even pursued in earlier times.  "True" "Gyspy-hood"  (_Rromaniya_) entails a
lot more than that.  It is a thin thread of commonly followed cultural norms
based in part on concepts of _zuze_/_vujo_(~ _vuzho_) 'clean/pure' vs
_degesa_/_marimé_ 'unclean/impure,'  _baxt_ 'karma', 'good luck' vs _bibaxt_
'bad luck', etc.  However, let it be said that few other internally very
diverse groups have been as blatantly stereotyped and misrepresented, maligned
and yet romanticized, as the "Gypsy" people.

> "Didicoy" (with various spellings) is a Romani word used by the Romani to
> describe other "gypsies".

I have never come across it before.  Is it specific to Anglo-Romany?

As far as I know, Rom people  refer to each other as _Rrom_ (< Sanskrit
_rama_, Romani _rr_ usually being pronounced like a  "French" /r/ or
Portuguese _rr_]).  Alternatively,  if they belong to different groups, they
refer to each other by the names of these "nations" (_natsiyí_, e.g.,
_Kalderásha_, _Lovára_, _Churára_,  _Grekúrja_, _Vúngrika_, _Xoraxája_,
_Machwáya_, _Kalé_, etc.).

> "Gypsy" has
> become politically incorrect, I feel.

True, but only among certain Rom and certain well-meaning, or too well-meaning
Gadje.  I gather
that many Rom themselves, especially those from or in countries where both
groups live (e.g., Germany, Austria and Italy), prefer to differentiate
between "Rom(a)" and "Sinte," both of them previously lumped together under
"Gypsy," _Zigeuner_, _zingari_, _cigani_, etc.   Though it is, technically
speaking, correct to refer to all "Gypsy" people as "Roma," many or most
distinguish between "Roma" (proper) and "Sinte" (or "Sinti" < (Hindi <)
*Sindi?).  The former speak the Vlax(ic) (or Vlach(ic), i.e., Wallachian)
language varieties collectively referred to as "Romani" (fem. adj. of
_Rrom_) or "Romanés", i.e. as "Romani proper," while the others speak
varieties of "Sinte," a
separate branch (with loads of German loanwords--see e.g. _fir_ 'for',
_sunthajt_ 'health', _unt_ 'and' and _velto_ 'world' below -- _sunthajt_ < Low
Saxon _Sundhait_?).  The two language variety groups are obviously closely
related but apparently not very easily mutually intelligible, so publications
addressing all "Gypsy" people tend to be at least bilingual: Romani and
Sinte.  In Germany it now seems to be politically correct to refer to all
collectively as _Roma und Sinte_.   Oh, and of course then there are "Gypsies"
who speak other languages.

See an excerpt from an internet page (http://www.dag.it/franzese/):

ROMANI: "Rromále! Phralále! Kalá lilá po Internet si rramosardé pála e gadjé
kaj beshén ánde Itália te den vórba léntsa po rromanó trajo. Te von pindjarén
maj but pe Rroménde von kam primisarén e Rromén maj lashés mashkár lénde. Núma
kalá lilá si vi pála e Rromá thaj e Sínturi, te zhanén maj mishtó léngri
histórija thaj kultúra aj te avén maj zuralé ánde léngro rromanipé. Te del
tuménge o Del but baxt aj sastimós!"

SINTE: "Rom! Phrále! Kal lil an u Internet hi-le kerdé te penél pren u rómano
djibén ap u gádje ke vonéna áni Italia. Jon dikén-le ap u Rom unt ap u Sínti
fédar te djanéna kon hi-le unt har hi-lo u rómano vélto. Ma kal lil hi-le nína
fir u Rom unt u Sinti, te djanéna fédar léngri istória unt kultúra unt te avén
zoralédar ánu léngri romanipén. Te déla tuménge u Báro Déval but baxt unt
súnthajt (sastibén)!"

ENGLISH: "Roma! Brothers and Sisters! This web page was written to share some
information on the way of life of the Rom and Sinti with the Gazhe who live in
Italy. If they can learn more about Roma, maybe they will be able to look
beyond their prejudices and be more accepting. But this page was also written
for the Rom and the Sinti, with the hope that it might be a source of
information on your history and traditions, and a source of pride in them. May
God grant you health and fortune!"

"Gypsy" (i.e., _Zigeuner_) tends to be avoided now, but I gather that among
the people themselves  there is a much more relaxed mood about it, and you
will find "Gypsy" used quite liberally on  Gypsy-owned web sites.  Personally,
I tend to use "Rom(a) (and Sinte)" but will also collectively  say "Gypsy" --
CAPITALIZED (which makes a difference, I think).

I find there to be a similar situation among the peoples that are now usually
lumped together as
"Native Americans" (or "First Nations" or "Aborigines" in Canada).  We are so
careful to use
non-offensive names like that, and then you get some prominent Aborigines
themselves grinning and explaining (like the famous "Native" poet Sherman
Alexy in a recent TV interview) that "Native
American" is a White invention, and that many Aborigines call themselves
"Indian" or "Injun" and
think that is as good or bad as anything else.  Personally, I use "Native
American" to be on the safe side, also because I include in it also "Eskimos"
and Aleutians.  (Some people now also include
Hawaiians.)

Incidentally, the traditional Low Saxon name for "Gypsy" is not _Zigeuner_
(which is German) but _tatar_!  I assume Swedish _tattare_ 'Gypsy' is a Middle
Low Saxon loanword.  Yes, apparently it's based on the false assumption that
Gypsies originally came from Central Asia.  ('Tatar' denotes a specific Turkic
ethnic group but came to be used to denote any "Asiatic" East European or
Central Asian people.)  Of course, 'Gypsy' is based on the false assumption
that these people came from Egypt.  Well, originally they seem to have come
from what is now Northwestern India, and their language varieties belong to
the Indo-Aryan group of Indo-European, with lots of loanwords from the
languages of the numerous "host" cultures.

Sastipe/Regards,

Reinhard/Ron

Some highly recommended Gypsy web sites:

http://www.eeadopt.org/home/heritage/romani/index.html
http://www.unionromani.org/index.htm
http://www.romani.org/
http://rebel.radio.cz/romove/lang.html
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/5121/patrin.htm
http://www.dag.it/franzese/
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/3698/rom.htm

and, not to be forgotten, one of the best Internet sites (Gypsy or otherwise):

http://www.geocities.com/~patrin/

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