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Romani people

Ethnic group

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In the English language, the Romani are widely known by the exonym Gypsies (or Gipsies), which is considered a pejorative by some Romani due to its connotations of illegality and irregularity, as well as its historical use as a racial slur. In the United Kingdom, the term Gypsies (or Romany Gypsies) is preferred by many of the Kale and Romanichal, and is used to refer to them in official documentation. The attendees of the first World Romani Congress in 1971 unanimously voted to reject the use of all exonyms for the Romani, including Gypsy. The exonym Tsigani and its variants are commonly used in Central and Eastern Europe, particularly in the Balkans. However, this term can also be considered a pejorative.

Since the 19th century, some Romani have migrated to the Americas. There are an estimated 1 million Romani in the United States and 800 thousand in Brazil, most of whose ancestors emigrated in the 19th century from Eastern Europe. Brazil also includes a notable Romani community descended from deportees from the Portuguese Empire during the Portuguese Inquisition. Since the late 19th century, Romani have migrated to other countries in South America and Canada. Though often confused with Irish Travellers and the Yenish people in Western Europe, the Romani are culturally different.

The Romani language is an Indo-Aryan language with strong Persian, Armenian, Greek, and South Slavic influence. Balkan Romani also shows an extensive Turkish influence. It is divided into several dialects, which together are estimated to have more than 2 million speakers. Because the language has traditionally been oral, many Romani are native speakers of the dominant language in their country of residence, or else of mixed languages combining the dominant language with a dialect of Romani in varieties sometimes called para-Romani.

Names

The Romani people are known by a variety of names, mostly as Gypsies, Romani, Roma, Romanies, Tsinganoi, Bohémiens, with many variants. Numerous subgroups and clans self-designate, such as the Sinti, Kalderash, Boyash, Manouche, Lovari, Lăutari, Machvaya, Romanichal, Romanisael, Calé, Kale, Kaale, Xaladytka, Romungro, Ursari, and Sevlengere. In English, the word gypsy is most common.

In some regions, Roma is the primary term used in political contexts. Because all Romani use Romani as an adjective, Romani became an alternative noun. It is used by organizations such as the United Nations and the US Library of Congress. However, the World Roma Congress, the Council of Europe and other organizations prefer the term Roma, and recommend that Romani be used only as an adjective. The British government uses "Roma" as a sub-group of "White" in its ethnic classification system.

The English word Rom derives from Romani rom, meaning 'man, husband' (plural romá). Rom (with the plural Roma or Roms) and Romani (with the plural Romanies) are nouns and adjectives. 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. The terms Roma and Romanis are increasingly encountered as generic terms for the Romani people.

Rom's etymology is unclear. The Oxford English Dictionary says it likely derives from Sanskrit ḍomba, meaning 'lower-caste person working as a wandering musician', itself deriving from a Dravidian word, such as domba, ḍomba ('caste of acrobats, jugglers, clowns'). The standard assumption is that the demonyms of the Roma, Lom, and Dom, share the same origin.

Romani may serve as the feminine adjective and Romano as the masculine adjective. Some Romanies use Rom or Roma as an ethnic name, while others (such as the Sinti, or the Romanichal) do not.

Sometimes, Rom and Romani are spelled with a double r, i.e. Rrom and Rromani. In this case, Rr is used to represent the phoneme (also written as ř and rh), which in some Romani dialects has remained distinct from the one written with a single r. The double r spelling is common in certain institutions (such as the INALCO Institute in Paris) or used in certain countries, e.g. Romania, to distinguish it from the endonym/homonym for Romanians (sg. român, pl. români).

In English, the exonym Gypsy (or Gipsy) is the most commonly used term. It originates from the Middle English gypcian, short for Egipcien. The Castilian term Gitano and the French Gitan have similar etymologies. They are ultimately derived from the Greek Aigyptioi (Αιγύπτιοι), meaning 'Egyptian', via Latin. This designation owes its existence to the belief, common in the Middle Ages, that the Roma, or some related group (such as the Indian Dom people), were itinerant Egyptians. Another designation is Cingane (alternatively Çingene, Tsinganoi, Zigar, Zigeuner, Tschingaren), likely deriving from the Persian word چنگانه (chingane), itself derived from the Turkic word çıgañ, meaning poor person. It is possible that the origin of this word is Athinganoi, the name of a Christian sect with whom the Roma (or some related group) could have become associated.

These exonyms may be written with a capital letter, to designate an ethnic group. While some Roma use the term, others consider it derogatory. The Council of Europe rejects the use of "Gypsy" and its variants, as well as administrative terms such as "Gens du Voyage". In Britain, many Roma proudly identify as "Gypsies", and, as part of the Gypsy/Roma/Traveller grouping, it is used to describe all para-Romani groups in official contexts. In North America, the word Gypsy is most commonly used as a reference to Romani ethnicity, though a nomadic lifestyle and fashion are also referenced using this word.

Other designations

In English, the exonym Gypsy (or Gipsy) is the most commonly used term for the group. It originates from the Middle English gypcian, short for Egipcien. The Castilian term Gitano and the French Gitan have similar etymologies. They are ultimately derived from the Greek Aigyptioi (Αιγύπτιοι), meaning 'Egyptian', via Latin. This designation owes its existence to the belief, common in the Middle Ages, that the Roma, or some related group (such as the Indian Dom people), were itinerant Egyptians.

These exonyms are sometimes written with a capital letter, to show that they designate an ethnic group. While some Roma use the term, some Roma consider it derogatory because of its negative and stereotypical associations. The Council of Europe considers that "Gypsy" or equivalent terms, as well as administrative terms such as "Gens du Voyage", are not in line with European recommendations. In Britain, many Roma proudly identify as "Gypsies", and, as part of the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller grouping, this is the name used to describe all para-Romani groups in official contexts. In North America, the word Gypsy is most commonly used as a reference to Romani ethnicity, though lifestyle and fashion are at times also referenced using this word.

Another designation of the Roma is Cingane (alternatively Çingene, Tsinganoi, Zigar, Zigeuner, Tschingaren), likely deriving from the Persian word چنگانه (chingane), itself derived from the Turkic word çıgañ, meaning poor person. It is also possible that the origin of this word is Athinganoi, the name of a Christian sect with whom the Roma (or some related group) could have become associated in the past.

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