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Gypsy Dictionary
by George Borrow
ROMANO LAVO…LIL
WORD…BOOK OF THE ROMANY
OR； ENGLISH GYPSY LANGUAGE
WITH SPECIMENS OF GYPSY POETRY； AND AN
ACCONT OF CERTAIN GYPSYRIES OR
PLACES INHABITED BY THEM； AND
OF VARIOS THINGS RELATING TO
GYPSY LIFE IN ENGLAND。
by George Borrow
Contents：
The English Gypsy Language
Romano Lavo…Lil： Word…book of the Romany
Rhymed List of Gypsy Verbs
Betie Rokrapenes： Little Sayings
Cotorres of Mi…dibble's Lil。 Chiv'd Adrey Romanes： Pieces of
Scripture cast into Romany
The Lord's Prayer in the Gypsy Dialect of Transylvania
Lil of Romano Jinnypen： Book of the Wisdom of the Egyptians
Romane Navior of Temes and Gavior： Gypsy Names of Countries and
Towns
Thomas Rossar…Mescro； or Thomas Herne
Kokkodus Artarus
Mang； Prala： Beg on； Brother
English Gypsy Songs
Welling Kattaney： The Gypsy Meeting
Lelling Cappi： Making a Fortune
The Dui Chalor： The Two Gypsies
Miro Romany Chi： My Roman Lass
Ava； Chi： Yes； my Girl
The Temeskoe Rye： The Youthful Earl
Camo…Gillie： Love Song
Tugnis Amande： Woe is me
The Rye and the Rawne： The Squire and Lady
Romany Suttur Gillie： Gypsy Lullaby
Sharrafi Kralyissa： Our Blessed Queen
Plastra Lesti： Run for it！
Foreign Gypsy Songs
The Romany Songstress
L'Erajai： The Frair
Malbrun： Malbrouk
The English Gypsies
Tugney Beshor： Sorrowful Years
Their History
Gypsy Names
Fortune…Telling
The Hukni
Cauring
Metropolitan Gypsyries
Wandsworth
The Potteries
The Mount
Ryley Bosvil
Kirk Yetholm
〃Can you rokra Romany？
Can you play the bosh？
Can you jal adrey the staripen？
Can you chin the cost？〃
〃Can you speak the Roman tongue？
Can you play the fiddle？
Can you eat the prison…loaf？
Can you cut and whittle？〃
The Author of the present work wishes to state that the Vocabulary；
which forms part of it； has existed in manuscript for many years。 It
is one of several vocabularies of various dialects of the Gypsy
tongue； made by him in different countries。 The most considerable
that of the dialect of the Zincali or Rumijelies （Romany Chals） of
Spainwas published in the year 1841。 Amongst those which remain
unpublished is one of the Transylvanian Gypsy； made principally at
Kolosvar in the year 1844。
December 1； 1873。
THE ENGLISH GYPSY LANGUAGE
The Gypsies of England call their language； as the Gypsies of many other countries call theirs； Romany or Romanes； a word either derived from the Indian Ram or Rama； which signifies a husband； or from the town Rome； which took its name either from the Indian Ram； or from the Gaulic word； Rom； which is nearly tantamount to husband or man； for as the Indian Ram means a husband or man； so does the Gaulic Pom signify that which constitutes a man and enables him to become a husband。
Before entering on the subject of the English Gypsy； I may perhaps be expected to say something about the original Gypsy tongue。 It is； however； very difficult to say with certainty anything on the subject。 There can be no doubt that a veritable Gypsy tongue at one time existed； but that it at present exists there is great doubt indeed。 The probability is that the Gypsy at present exists only in dialects more or less like the language originally spoken by the Gypsy or Zingaro race。 Several dialects of the Gypsy are to be found which still preserve along with a considerable number of seemingly original words certain curious grammatical forms； quite distinct from those of any other speech。 Others are little more than jargons； in which a certain number of Gypsy words are accommodated to the grammatical forms of the languages of particular countries。 In the foremost class of the purer Gypsy dialects； I have no hesitation in placing those of Russia； Wallachia； Bulgaria； and Transylvania。 They are so alike； that he who speaks one of them can make himself very well understood by those who speak any of the rest； from whence it may reasonably be inferred that none of them can differ much from the original Gypsy speech； so that when speaking of Gypsy language； any one of these may be taken as a standard。 One of themI shall not mention whichI have selected for that purpose； more from fancy than any particular reason。
The Gypsy language； then； or what with some qualification I may call such； may consist of some three thousand words； the greater part of which are decidedly of Indian origin； being connected with the Sanscrit or some other Indian dialect； the rest consist of words picked up by the Gypsies from various languages in their wanderings from the East。 It has two genders； masculine and feminine； o represents the masculine and i the feminine： for example； boro rye； a great gentleman； bori rani； a great lady。 There is properly no indefinite article： gajo or gorgio； a man or gentile； o gajo； the man。 The noun has two numbers； the singular and the plural。 It has various cases formed by postpositions； but has； strictly speaking； no genitive。 It has prepositions as well as postpositions； sometimes the preposition is used with the noun and sometimes the postposition： for example； cad o gav； from the town； chungale mannochendar； evil men from； i。e。 from evil men。 The verb has no infinitive； in lieu thereof； the conjunction 'that' is placed before some person of some tense。 'I wish to go' is expressed in Gypsy by camov te jaw； literally； I wish that I go； thou wishest to go； caumes te jas； thou wishest that thou goest； caumen te jallan； they wish that they go。 Necessity is expressed by the impersonal verb and the conjunction 'that'： hom te jay； I must go； lit。 I am that I go； shan te jallan； they are that they go； and so on。 There are words to denote the numbers from one up to a thousand。 For the number nine there are two words； nu and ennyo。 Almost all the Gypsy numbers are decidedly connected with the Sanscrit。
After these observations on what may be called the best preserved kind of Gypsy； I proceed to a lower kind； that of England。 The English Gypsy speech is very scanty； amounting probably to not more than fourteen hundred words； the greater part of which seem to be of Indian origin。 The rest form a strange medley taken by the Gypsies from various Eastern and Western languages： some few are Arabic； many are Persian； some are Sclavo…Wallachian； others genuine Sclavonian。 Here and there a Modern Greek or Hungarian word is discoverable； but in the whole English Gypsy tongue I have never noted but one French wordnamely； tass or dass； by which some of the very old Gypsies occasionally call a cup。
Their vocabulary being so limited； the Gypsies have of course words of their own only for the most common objects and ideas； as soon as they wish to express something beyond these they must have recourse to English； and even to express some very common objects； ideas； and feelings； they are quite at a loss in their own tongue； and must either employ English words or very vague terms indeed。 They have words for the sun and the moon； but they have no word for the stars； and when they wish to name them in Gypsy； they use a word answering to 'lights。