Roma Fact
The Greek Roma are in the most disadvantaged position in terms of education - only 4% of them reported schooling with a duration of at least ten years, indicating that the majority of respondents completed primary education at
most. Furthermore, 35% of the Roma interviewed in Greece were illiterate.
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Romany Language
A
aleluyas--Pentecostals (spanish)
amaro'-our (kalderash and greek rom), also ama-ro-("-"
as drawn out
vowel)(welsh rom), from hama-ra-(hindi), asma-'ka(sanskrit)
albergo--inn
awenydd;awenyddion--"inspired one" seer/shaman(welsh)
are/is--se
agreement/resignation (expression)--vai' datha ("many paths")
bar, bur (cal'e)--mountain
barban--wind
baro'--big(kalderash and greek rom), also ba-ro-(welsh
rom), from
bar.a-(hindi), vad.ra(sanskrit)
bidonville--shantytown
bal, bala--hair, from ba-l(hindi), bhagini-(sanskrit)
--ben--suffix to form abstract nouns
bar--brother(domari)
baxt--fate, karma, one's nature, fortune, ie, way things are,
meant to be,
possibly from bakht--fortune iranian)
baksheesh--good fortune, exclamation(iranian)
bestipen--wealth, riches
berk--breast(arabic)
bo-v--oven(armenian)
beng--devil(european rom), frog(syrian rom and indic)
boba--bean(slavic)
bu-ino---proud(slavic)
bauri---snails(welsh rom, rumanian)
bravi'os--nomadic,"wild"
bul--buttocks
bitcheno pawdel--to be deported, "sent across,"
also bitchady pawdel
bitcherin' mush--magistrate, "transporter" (anglorom)
boreens--side-roads (gammon)
b' o-r--non-Rom womon
bog--get, be paid
b' e-g--take
bob--money
brother--pral(greek rom and kalderash), also prala (euro-rom),
plal(greek rom), phal(welsh rom), phral/pal (anglo
rom), from bha-i-(hindi), bhra-tr.(sanskrit)
breast--c'uc'i(indic)
boy--chavvie(anglo rom)
beast of burden--grast(armenian)
birth (circumstances of)--jati(indic)
belt--kis'ti(welsh rom, persian)
blind--koro(welsh rom, persian)
button--koc'o(armenian)
blood-bound (by blood vow, avenging someone, has swearing-to-deity connotations)--kal'
enedral
book/tale/story--lil
beer--lovi'na(slavic)
by the gods--li' ha' eer, exclamation
by the highest gods--li' sa' eer
berry--mu-ra(welsh rom, rumanian)
bad--nes, also g' ami(gammon)
blood sister(by oath, chosen family)--she' enedra
brotherhood, solidarity--shena
body--tru-pos(slavic)
beloved--ves' tacha
breadcrumbs--xume'l(arabic)
bride--shebari, boria (albanian rom, also means step-daughter)
boss--glox(non-rom, ie, The Man)(gammon)
beg--g' e-g(gammon)
cam--sun
cha'risma--religious state-of-grace
cante jondo--"deep song", traditional, one of bases
of flamenco movement
c'or--to steal(greek rom)
c'oribe'--theft
choro--thief
corthu--one being, joined
city--Forjus (hungarian rom), foros (cal`e)
ciocoi--overseer(vlach rom)
clachans--settled family groups(gammon)
clank--to hide(gammon)
cokalos--bone (hungarian rom)
crush--get out
comfort(as in, "i'm sorry" during a tragedy)--du' dera
caravan group--kumpa'nia(basic unit, can incl. more than 1 tribe,
clan,
extended, and chosen family)
cat--mac'ka(slavic)
cheer up--manc'(welsh rom, rumanian)
cunt--ming(anglo rom), entered british slang as minge
cream--smente'na(slavic)
clan--shena, also vitsa/vitsi, varnas(indic)
child/ren--sedre/sedrin
coming--toreen, 'tori(gammon)
car--lork
chovihani--witch
dant--tooth
diva'no--discussion (to settle disputes)
--der--suffix "--er"
drom--road(anglo rom)
dat--father(greek rom), also dad(greek rom and kalderash),
from ta-t(hindi),
ta-ta(sanskrit)
dik--to see(greek rom), dr.ks.ati(sees)(sanskrit), also dikh(welsh
rom and
kalderash), de-kh(hindi)
dari-av--sea(welsh rom, persian)
dudu'm--melon, gourd(armenian)
dz'olana--mule(armenian)
dosta--enough(slavic)
Dya, dai, daj (albanian rom)--mother
dester' edre--bird (general)
dhon--very much
dest--wind
dead person, associated with uncleanness, vampirism--mulo
death feasts--poma'na
dishonored/unclean status--prastlo(sinti)
drink(to)--pi-(greek and welsh rom), pitarer-(hungarian
rom) pe-(kalderash), pi'bati(drinks)
dough--xume'r(arabic)
darling--pisliskurja(bohemian rom)
death--moarte
drabengro--medicine man (healer)
drink(a)--lus', lus(gammon)
e---the(welsh rom)
--em--first person singular for preterite (kalderash)
--e'sko--possessive case ending(kalderash)
edre--sibling
edra--sister
--er, suffix--mai, affix (rumanian)
explain--get' ke
enemy--jostumal,"wishes you harm"
ever--vare, prefix(welsh rom, rumanian)
familia--extended family
foros--town(greek)
file/filidh--"vision poet," seer/shaman(irish
gaelic)
for' shava--very, very good
feen--man(gammon)
forever--sutho
casual friend, acquaintance--kestra
find(go)--kulath
friend of...(insulting)--ran, suffix
spirit/heart-friend--te' sorthene
forest--ves'
forgetful(to be of)--var' athanda
foreign--themenge
field--sa-rk(gammon)
grai--horse(anglo rom, possibly from armenian "grast"),
also gras(kalderash)
gha-m--heat(hindi), from gharma'(sanskrit)
gestena--thank you
garda--police(gammon)
gropa--shop(gammon)
g' ami--bad(gammon)
glox--man, non-Traveller(gammon)
glo-kots--police(gammon)
g' e-g--beg(gammon)
gored, grushi--money(gammon)
gullible person--so' trekoth, "gape-mouthed hatchling"
go gently--kathal
go onward--kele
gold--sonkai
great trick--o xonxano' baro'(cale'), hokano baro (hungarian
rom)
gun--pus'ka(slavic)
girl(pre-puberty)--shey(austrian rom), also tehara(basque)
godmother--kirvi(austrian rom)
greeting--sastipe
girl/young womon(of marriageable age)--shebari
hi/hin/hum--is/was/will be
ha--has(cal`e)
ha-th--hand(hindi), from h`asta(sanskrit)
hai--yes
hai shala--do you understand?
hai'she'li--yes, i swear!
her'y--truth?
huts--kleti(bulgarian)
hide/skin--mortsi-(armenian)
horseshoe--petalo(greek)
head--`ser`o(greek rom and kalderash), also ser`o(greek
rom), `se-ro-(welsh
rom), from sir(hindi), `s`iras(sanskrit)
homosexual--she'chorne
horseshit--sheka
household/tent--ts`erha(in lovara may also mean clan)
hot--tatt`o(greek rom), also tato-(welsh rom), tat`o(kalderash),
from tatta-
(hindi), tapta(sanskrit)
hawk--tale
honor for road travel--yuthi'so'coro
house--k'ena(gammon), ker (hungarian rom)
i---the(welsh rom)
isda--see!, exclamation
inox--item(gammon)
inn--kir`c`ima(slavic)
is/are--si/is`i
it is--nos
I--me-, from maivi(hindi), m`aya-(sanskrit)
intermediary with gaje/leader--Rom bar`o, "big man"
jude--judge, tax-collector(vlach rom)
jel'enedra--little sister
jel'sutho'edrin--companion animals
jekhipe--Oneness
judgment--kr`isis(greek)
kris romani--trial to settle disputes
kris--formal tribunal/trial(greek)
kerdem--i made(kalderash), also ked`om(welsh rom)
kam--sun(greek rom), also kham(welsh rom and kalderash)
kon--who
ki`s--silk(welsh rom, persian)
kis`i--purse(arabic)
koto-r--piece(armenian)
kom`i--more(greek)
kralis--king(greek,slavic)
kascht--wood
kadessa--mouse
krethes--speculation
kori--penis, coulter
le--the(kalderash)
lalleri--non-Rom speaking(also tribal grouping from bohemia)
lalo--red
lon--salt
lav--word, possibly from lafz(arabic)
liri--law(cal`e)
leshya'e--helpful spirit, not mulo
liha'irden--deer-footed
living-waggon--vardo
left(side)--zeravo-
long-distance travellers--storvandre
mageripen--purity code(polish rom)
marim`e--unclean status(south east european rom, greek)
moxado--stained, unclean status(anglo and welsh rom)
magerd`o--stained, unclean status(polish rom)
mrak`s--smear, unclean status(sanskrit)
macho, maczo--fish
man`u`s--rom man, from ma-nus.ya(hindi), m`a-nus.a(sanskrit)
mai--affix --er(rumanian, vlach rom)
--mos--suffix for abstact nouns(greek)
--men--suffix to form passive participles(greek)
--m`e--suffix to form passive participles(greek)
mi`zak--wicked(slavic)
mui--mouth
manishie--womon, wife(Scot and anglo rom)
misli--travel(gammon)
milk--tud, chuti
man--(of rom)rom, dom, lom(also person in general, i think, "man"
may be
english translation artifact), feen(gammon)
migratory farm workers--spalpeens(gammon)
natsia--nation, tribe(rumanian, kalderash)
nak--nose(greek rom), also nakh(welsh rom and kalderash)from
na-k(hindi),
nakka(sanskrit)
nav--name, from na-m(hindi), n`a-man(sanskrit)
nicobado--taken away(cal`e)
non-Rom--gage, gorgio, pale`cido, etc. (you know these already,
I gather.)
nonsense--shesti
-os--masculine ending(greek)
o--the(cal`e)
overseer--vatave
old--puro
pale`cido--unclean status, dishonored, set apart(sinti)
pan`i--water (greek rom), also pa-ni-(welsh rom), pai(kalderash),
from pa-ni-
(hindi), and pan`i-y`a(sanskrit)
pen, penne--sister(greek rom), also phen(welsh rom), phei(kalderash)
pir--foot
po`s`um--wool(welsh rom, persian)
parami`sus--tale(greek)
pretera--wildcat
poteen--whiskey(esp. bootleg)(gammon)
r`asa--race, tribe(lovara, rumanian)
romipen--gypsyness, the state of being gypsy (can be lost through
pollution)
road--tober(gammon)
running--vetha
raven--curaco
slavi--saints' day festivals(catholic and orthodox christian)
sov--to sleep, sv`apati(sleeps)(sanskrit), also from so-na-(hindi)
`ser`o--head(greek rom, kalderash), also ser`o(greek rom),
`se-ro-(welsh rom),
from sir(hindi), `s`iras(sanskrit)
skorni--top-boots(slavic)
stanya--stable(noun)(slavic)
sadullos--safe
staven--water
shala--understand
she--swear
shaia--sister(basque)
smavandre--short-distance travellers
shadogs--cops/pigs/etc., also shades, `si-drugs(gammon)
sing--gilyabar (cal`e)
suni--saw(gammon)
salk--take(gammon)
seer,shaman--taibhsear, "vision--seer"(scots gaelic)
star--aster(celtic)
tern`o--young(vlach rom)
tarned`er--younger(welsh rom)
tu--you(singular)(greek rom and kalderash), also tu-(welsh
rom), from
tu-(hindi), tuv`am(sanskrit)
ta`co--true(welsh rom)
ta`ciben--truth(welsh rom)
te'sorthene--friend bonded by heart,spirit
tehara--young girl(basque)
tigins--small/one-room houses, especially refers to government
settlements(irish)
tips--dumps(gammon)
truth--her'y
two--yai
--uri,--uria--plural noun suffix(vlach rom, rumanian)
vord`on--waggon(ossetic--north of armenia)
vardo--living wagon
varek`ai--wherever(welsh rom, rumanian)
vyusher--wolf
Can tute rakker Romanes? -- Can you speak Romany?
Mishto hom me dikava tute.--I am glad to see you.
Dovo's a huckaben.--That's untrue.
Pral, mor rakker sä drován --Don't talk so loud,
brother.
Mong your shünaben, rye.--Beg your pardon, sir.
Kushti ratti!--Good night!
Pen the rani ta wusser mandy a tri-grushi.--Tell the lady to
throw me a shilling.
jek (yeck), dui, trin, schtar, panj (pansch), tschov (job), efta,
otor, enija, deque, bis
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