| Folki
(or People) |
Commands,
Exclamations Questions |
Places
and
Things |
Numbers Greetings |
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| Folki (People) Baba -- A term of respect for an old woman, used before her name -- for example, Baba Ravena Balo daya (Q) - king Baro daya (Q) -judge, chief, king (baro=big) Baro moy -- "big mouth," a gossip Baurie Rawnie/Baurie manishie (S) -gentlewoman, Queen Bor -- friend Chavi (CHA-vee) -- a Romani girl Chavo (CHA-vo) -- a Romani boy Chivani (chee-VAWN-ee) -- The head Phuri Dae (Wise Woman) of a kumpania, in our case Baba Ravena. Choro (CHORE-oh) -- a thief Dilo (DEE-lo) -- a fool or imbecile (a favorite word for the Gaje!) Dinli (S) -silly, foolish Drabarni (dra-BAR-nee) -- A female Romani herbalist and fortuneteller Gaji (A/S) - adult, married, non-gypsy female (plural is "Gaje") Gajo (S/A) - adult, married, non-gypsy male Glata (GLAH-ta) -- children Joovi (JOO-vee) -- woman (in general) Kertshima (Q) - Inn Kotaresko (B)-Host, head of family, innkeeper Kotarica (B)- Hostess, lady of the house Kralisi (kra-LEESE-ee) -- Queen. Used for both Romni (unofficial name for a Rom Baro's wife, unless she is the Phuri Dae) and Gaje queens. Kralitsa (C) -Queen Kraljis (C) -King, Crallis=kingdom Kriss -Law, council of elders Kumpania - group of gypsy families (vitsa) LaKHaj (Q) - priest Lubni (LOOB-nee) -- A tart or wench. Moosh -- man (in general) Moro! (male) Mora! (female) (B)-Comrade Natia (A) - the Gypsy nation Pal (A) - brother Pen (A) - sister Phuri/Phuri Dai -wisewoman, advisor or leader /Dai = mother (C) Phuro (FOO-roh) (fem. Phuri, pl. Phuri) -- A wise and respected elder, used before his or her name Puyuria (poo-YOUR-ee-ah) -- "Gaje Gypsy groupies", any Gaje who play at being Rom or are overtly fascinated by the Roma. Generally not considered as bad as most Gaje because of this, as long as they go about it in a respected and informed way. Rai -- "Sir," a term of great respect usually reserved for great rulers and Phuri Rakli (A)- young, unmarried non-gypsy female Raklo (A)- young, unmarried, non-gypsy male Rani (RAH-nee) -- "Lady," same as Rai. Rom -- A married Romani man (unmarried men are called romoro, or "not quite a man") Rom Baro (A) - great chief Romni (ROM-nee) -- A married Romani woman (unmarried women are still called chavi) Shanglo (SHAN-glow) -- "The Law," any Gaje law officer, be it the Sheriff or a constable... Vataf -tribal leader (Eastern & Central Europe) Ves'tacha (VESS TAH-cha) -- "Beloved ," a term of great affection Vitca/Vitsa - group related by kinship/extended family group Wortacha (A) - a group of friends/partners in a money-making venture |
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Commands, Exclamations and Questions
Ache
mai devel (B) -May God Bless you Ande
save vitsa? (AHN-day SAH-vay VEET-sah) -- "In which vitsa
(are you)?" Often asked to strange Rom Atsh
me develesa (B)- Stay with God Av
akai (AHV ah-KIE) -- "Come here" Baksheesh!
(bok-SHEESH) -- "Good Fortune!" -- A blessing and toast Baurie
Dews/Baurie davies/Sahukar Davies (S)- Good day! Chapite!
-It is true! (said at the end of storytelling) 'Chavaia
(cha-VI-ah) -- "Stop" Chindilan?
(chin-DEE-lan) -- "Are you tired?" Dicki
a gadis (S) -Goodbye Ducaba
tu (C) =I love you (duk=to love) Dukuring
(S) -fortunetelling Gillaf
(C) - a song, lit. I sing; gilien -they sing; gil-to sing. Gobroy
-Welcome (Russian?) Hadza!
(B) - come along! Forward! Hush
kacker! (HOOSH KOK-er) -- "Shut up and listen!" Ita/Dita
(B)- Hey, Hello Kon?
-- "Who?" Marmodel!
Marel ma o Del! te marel ma o Del! (B)-God slay me! By God! Misto!
(MEESE-toe) -- "Wondrous!" -- An exclamation of joy
equivalent to our "Cool!" Nais
Tuke (NICE TOO-kah) -- "Thank you" Nash
avri! (nosh
ah-VREE) -- "Go away!" Ov
yilo isi?
(OHV YEE-lo EE-see) -- "Is this all right?" Po
Sastipeh (B)-
Your good health! Rum
tum bi salama -
Go in peace (Hungarian?) Sastimos!
(sass-TEE-mose) -- "Good Health!" -- Both a greeting and a
toast Shesti!
(SHES-tee) -- "Nonsense!" Si
tut bocklo? (SEE
TOOT bock-LO) -- "Are you hungry?" Sijoukar
(C)-pretty
girl, lit. she is pretty Si'n
Rom? (SEEN
ROM) -- "Are you Rom?" Soske? (SOSS-kay) -- "Why?" Te
xav ka ta biav (TEE
HAVE KAH TAH BEE-ahv) -- "May I eat at your wedding." A great
blessing when said a young Gypsy, wishing them the best of luck. Tshailo Sim! (SHY-lo SIM) -- "I'm stuffed!" -- Said after a good meal with a belch. |
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Amadoubellen
(Q) - Blessed Virgin, lit. mother of god amodebel
(Q) - God amria
(am-REE-ah) -- A curse or oath Black
Sara, St.
Sarah-Patron saint of the gypsies Bujo
(BOO-zho)
-- Literally "cloth over the eyes," an elaborate swindle to
gain money from a Gaje (non-Gypsy). Often combined with dukkerin
(fortune telling) in a way that convinces the poor Gaje the only way he
can avoid misfortune is to do what the kind Gypsy suggests ("Give
all that cursed money to me so it can be spent....er, I mean burned, to
rid you of the bad luck!"). In past centuries, many Gypsies
specialized in the art of Bujo, making it their career. This was not
because they were malicious or untrustworthy people, but because hard
times forced it upon them. And the Gaje are just SO easy to trick! chakano
(cha-KAH-no) (pl. chere (CHAIR-ay)) -- star chaphoro/tchalai
- Star chor
-- to steal choribé (cha-REE-bay) -- thievery churi
(CHOOR-ee)
-- knife Damo
and Yewah-
Adam and Eve De
Develeski
-The Divine Mother Debla
(Q) - God dhon
-- very much didlo
(DEED-loh)
-- crazy dijilia
(dee-JEEL-ee-ah)(sing. dijili (dee-JEEL-ee)) -- songs diklo
(DEEK-loh) -- The head scarf worn by Romni and sometimes Rom among the
Kalderash and Lowara dinili
(dee-NEEL-ee) -- silly, stupid, foolish divano
(dee-VAWN-oh) -- A meeting or other important gathering Dook
-- The
Sight (ability to see the future) and magick in general. To dukker is to
tell fortunes dosta
(DOST-ah)
-- enough drabani-
Gypsy witch (a respected status) drom
-- road foros
(FOR-oss) -- fair or market galbé
(GALL-bay)
-- The gold coin necklace, a traditional part of Romani garb gras
-- horse habben
(HOBB-en) -- food keshalyi-
the good fairies kishti
(KISH-tee)
-- belt/sash lavuta
(la-VOO-ta) -- fiddle (which the Rom introduced to Europe, by the way) lolo
-- red lové
(LOW-vay)
-- money lovoro
(low-VOR-oh) -- Ceremonial division of cash earned by a vitsa Mulo
(MOO-lo) (sing. Mulé (moo-LAY)) -- Ghosts -- Rom almost never travel
during the noon hour or at night out of respect and fear for these
restless spirits of the dead, who like to possess people OR mulo (pl.
mule)- Gypsy vampire/evil
spirit niglo
- hedgehog (favorite meal) nijako
- battleaxe/hammer nivashi
& psuvushi -
water & earth spirits who possess women making them witches. o
Bengh -The
devil (evil) o
Cham - the
sun o
Del- The
old God (good) o
Shion -the
moon paramitsha
(pah-rah-MEET-sha) -- Romani fairy tales patrin
(PAT-treen) -- Romani trail signs, used to inform other Rom about an
area patshiv
(PAT-sheeve)
-- A Gypsy celebration phuridini-
weasel (despised; consider unlucky) rinkini
(rin-KEE-nee) -- beautiful Romaniya
(ro-mah-NEE-yah) -- Gypsy laws and traditions, the Romani legal code romen
morga -
squirrel (gypsy cat) sap-
snake;
Kalderash gypsies celebrate the Feast of the Serpent on March 15th Simurti
(Q) - moon
(pronounce Schimurti) sumadji
(soo-MOD-jee) -- Fairly heirlooms, the only items not burned with a
Rom's body and his/her vardo after death. Galbé, darro (a woman's
dowry) and jewelry are a few examples of sumadji tarno
(TAR-no) -- young tatcho
(TATCH-oh) -- real, true -- often asked as a question trushul-cross Tsokani (Q) - Sorcerer (pronounce: tschokani)
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Opposites:
Numbers Greetings and Farewells Greetings: |
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