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Romany / English Dictonary
compiled by: Angela Ba'Tal Libal and Will Strain
last updated on 1-11-97
a ' in a word is an accent, and one next to a space is a glottal stop. a . next to a letter is
the little dot that goes under some "r"s and "s"s. I am doing by letter, rom and english (rom words beginning with "a", the english words beginning with "a", etc.) bc it is sometimes easier to learn from one language to the other and sometimes other way around. (Rom words are in italics)
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
------------------------------------------------------------------
"kon mangel te kerel tumendar r.oburen `ci `soxa phenela tumen o `ca`cimos
pa tumare perintonde"--"he who wants to enslave you will never tell you the
truth about your forefathers"
Natsias
-------
Vlach Rom: Kalderash and Gelderari "coppersmiths," Lowari, Lovara, `Curara,
Lalleri(austro-hungary, bohemia, moravia, slovakia--do not speak romani),
Ursari "bear-leaders," L~aie`si "horde," Ludar, Rudari "miners," Aurari
"gold-washers," Netotsi "sinister"(escapees from slavery into Carpathians),
V~atra`si "domestics," Lingurari "spoon-makers," Ma`cvaya; occupational
names given by what were forced to perform under wallachian/rumanian slavery
until 1857 in general, for some even longer
Xoraxan`e Rom`a: turkey, third wave, mostly muslim, language Arliya
Ba`sald`e:"musicians", Hungarian-Slovak, settled in US
Romnichels and Romanichals: brit rom settling in US in 1850s
Sinti: germany
Piemontesi and Lombardi: sinti in northern italy
Lom, Bo`sa, Lomari: armenia, turkey, persia, souther caucasus, language
Lomavren
Manouches: france
Cal`e: spain and south america, language cal`o
Ciganos: portugal and south america, language Cal`o
Gitans: southern france and south america, language Cal`o
Dom, Domari: Syria and Persia
D.o-mba, Dom, Dum: India
`Curara, Rudari, Kaldera`sa: Danubian
Bijeli: Serbian muslim Rom
"Tinkers": gaje name for Irish and Scottish Travellers, originally
indigenous, now mixed with Rom
Jenische: Rhineland, language mixture of Rom, Yiddish, Rotwelsch, German
Y`eniches: France and Belgium from germany
Reizigers: "woonwagenbewooners", Netherlands, originally indigenous, now
mixed with Rom
Omstreifere: "tattare", descendants of Rom, germans, and native norwegians,
language Rodi=1/3Rom, 1/10german
Resande: Sweden, descendants of Rom and swedes
Quinquis, Quinquilleros: Spain and portugal, descended from Castillian
peasants and isolated branch of Rom
Nawar, Nuri: palestine and syria
Kurbat: northern syria
Kara`ci: asia minor, transcaucasia, persia
Romungre: old-established hungarian Rom
Banjara: India, language Banjari, Lamani
Luri, Luli, Zott: syria, palestine, egypt
Helebi: egypt, middle east
Lowbey: Senegambia, descendants of deportees from basque area, spain,
portugal, and france
Atchefalaya: mixed Afro-Rom community of Louisianna, descendants of
deportees from spain c. 1750
Redlegs: so-called "poor white" community of Barbados, non-interactive and
physically distinct from local black, native american, and white
populations, possibly of Romany slave origin
Here are a few phrases I collected, these are primarily in Anglo-Rom.
Chces li tajnou vec aneb pravdu vyzvédéti
Blazen, dité opily clovéc o tom umeji povodeti.
"Wouldst thou know a truth or mystery,
A drunkard, fool, or child may tell it thee."
Ne rakesa tu Romanes?--Can you not speak Romany?
Can tute rakker Romanes, miri dye? -- Can you speak Romany, my
mother?
Mishto hom me dikava tute.--I am glad to see you.
Adro miro tem penena mande o baro rai.--In my country the gypsies
call me the great gentleman.
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!
Miri kushti pen, Miro prala.--my dear sister, my brother
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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