AMERICAN GYPSY
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Glossary
A note about Correct Terminology:

Gypsy Please spell with a capital "G" or you risk offending many people! This is the most commonly understood label, although it is disliked by many of those whom it describes, partly because of its derogatory connotations and partly because it is a misnomer."Gypsy" is an abbreviation of Egyptian ('gyptian) because of the mistaken belief that these people camefrom Egypt or a part of Europe once known as Little Egypt. (Comparable to calling Native Americans "Indians")

Rom noun, sing. or plural e.g. "He is a Rom", "200 Rom came to the wedding."
collective noun, e.g. "The Rom originally came from India."
[ May also be spelled with two R's ]

Roma noun, plural or collective e.g. "200 Roma came to the wedding"; "The Roma originally came from India."
[ May also be spelled with two R's ]

Romani Adjective, e.g. "There are about one million Romani people in North America"
Noun,"the language spoken by Romani people is called Romani or Romanès."
[ May also be spelled with two R's ]

Baró noun, male community leader (literally means 'big man' in Romani)

Bashaldé noun (plural), e.g. Bill Duna is descended from the Bashaldé, who are Hungarian Slovak Roma. (This word shares a common root with the Romani word for music).

Gaje, Gadje noun, a Romani word used to refer to outsiders. Plural: gajé/gadjé; masc. sing: gajó/gadjó; fem. sing.: gají/gadjí.

Kris noun, a form of court tribunal overseen by Romani elders

Marimé adjective, a state of ritual impurity resulting in ostracism. (noun: marimos)

Porrajmos noun, Romani Holocaust, literally: devouring. (Pronounced paw-rye-MAWSS)

Romanichal noun (sing. & plural), e.g Many Romanichal(s) have settled in Northern Europe.

Vlax noun, e.g. "the Vlax are descended from Roma who were slaves in the Romanian province of Wallachia"
Adjective, e.g. "Vlax Roma are descended from...."
(final 'x' pronounced like a hard 'h', as in German 'ch' in "Achtung")

 

 

 

 

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