Romany

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Language Information

Romany is the language of the Gypsies. The origin of the Gypsies was long a matter of speculation. The English word "Gypsy" stems from an early belief that they came from Egypt. This has now been disproved.

The question was resolved by the science of linguistics. Detailed study of the Gypsy language has shown that the Gypsies originally came from India. The common features it shares with Sanskrit and later Indian languages can lead to no other conclusion.

The Gypsies are believed to have begun their migration westward about 1000 A.D. Loanwords in their language from Persian, Armenian, and Greek provide some indication of the general course of their travels. Today Gypsies are to be found in many countries of both Eastern and Western Europe as well as in the United States. A rough estimate of their numbers would be in the neighborhood of 5-6 million.

The name Romany is derived from the Gypsy word rom, which means "man." Dialects vary considerably, each strongly influenced by the language of the country in which it is spoken. The English word "pal" is of Gypsy origin, coming from the Romany word phral, which means "brother."

Language Family: Indo-European
Subgroup: Indo-Iranian
Branch: Indic

Romany Language Sample

Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 1

Romani, Balkan

Savorre manuśa biandõn meste thaj barabar k-o demnipen aj k-e hakaja. Si len godi aj somzanipen thaj si len te trąden pen jekh karing o aver and-o vogi e phralimnasqoro.

English translation

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Source: OHCHR translations of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights